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Trader Joe's- Unofficial Poll

confusedks

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confusedks Enthusiast
confusedks
Posted

I just am curious to hear who reacts to Trader Joe's products? A lot of their products are gluten free, but they are made on equipment shared with wheat. I just want to who eats these products specifically from Trader Joe's. I bought their pumpkin butter which is amazing, but I think I am reacting to it because it's made in a facility that processes....

Thank you!

Kassandra

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tarnalberry Community Regular
tarnalberry
Posted

while I haven't had a lot of problem with their stuff, I don't have it all that often.

the good news, on that product, is that pumpkin butter is super easy to make from scratch - well, super easy from canned pumpkin, and just easy from a whole pie pumpkin, so if you still want it, you can just make your own.

DingoGirl Enthusiast
DingoGirl
Posted

Trader Joe's is about two miles from my house and I can't imagine life without it! I am there about twice a week (am on a hugging basis w/ one of the employees and quite a chatting basis with a couple of others :)) and eat TONS of stuff there, no problems at all!

If you like, I"ll write the long list for you....but many of the things, I think, are made on shared equipment, but I haven't reacted at all.

confusedks Enthusiast
confusedks
Posted
  • Author

Thank you. I am not sure if I react to their stuff. I think it might be the sugar content in the pumpkin butter. We also live at TJ's. I don't know what we'd do without them either. They know us too! LOL!

Kassandra

dadoffiveboys Rookie
dadoffiveboys
Posted
Thank you. I am not sure if I react to their stuff. I think it might be the sugar content in the pumpkin butter. We also live at TJ's. I don't know what we'd do without them either. They know us too! LOL!

Kassandra

I'm going to guess it depends on the particular 'trader joes' and also how they make each product. I know I had a gluten-free flourless chocolate cake.. and myself and two of my sons reacted to it (cross-contaminated). Two of my other sons did not react nor my father. We are also sensitive to gluten but the ones that reacted .. we are VERY sensitive.

If you are highly sensitive I wouldn't recommend any product produced on shared equipment for sure and would rule out Trader Joes products.

Another thing.. my dad said he had 'no reaction' but when he originally went completely gluten-free he was off his blood pressure medicine.. he is now back on it (lower dose) and he eats gluten-free when he goes out, etc.. but I believe he would be off his medicine COMPLETELY if he were 100% gluten-free... I think you get used to the cross contamination. I eat only food I prepare at home so that may explain why I have such a high reaction to even the smallest amounts. My children are homeschooled and also do not get gluten. (We are EXTREMELY healthy now and don't get sick either!!!)

Just my 2 cents..

mandasmom Rookie
mandasmom
Posted
I'm going to guess it depends on the particular 'trader joes' and also how they make each product. I know I had a gluten-free flourless chocolate cake.. and myself and two of my sons reacted to it (cross-contaminated). Two of my other sons did not react nor my father. We are also sensitive to gluten but the ones that reacted .. we are VERY sensitive.

If you are highly sensitive I wouldn't recommend any product produced on shared equipment for sure and would rule out Trader Joes products.

Another thing.. my dad said he had 'no reaction' but when he originally went completely gluten-free he was off his blood pressure medicine.. he is now back on it (lower dose) and he eats gluten-free when he goes out, etc.. but I believe he would be off his medicine COMPLETELY if he were 100% gluten-free... I think you get used to the cross contamination. I eat only food I prepare at home so that may explain why I have such a high reaction to even the smallest amounts. My children are homeschooled and also do not get gluten. (We are EXTREMELY healthy now and don't get sick either!!!)

Just my 2 cents..

We eat TJs stuff all the time....much of it is prepared on shared equipment...I suppose the only way to know for sure is to periodically have blood drawn to tell if you are reating to the small possiblity of CC. Even shared equipment must be thoroughly cleaned between products..that insures the taste and quality of the food. We havent had any overt problems with anything we have purchased there...so I suppose its a risk we are willing to take!!!

cruelshoes Enthusiast
cruelshoes
Posted

We eat so much TJ's food it isn't funy. We don't react to any of the products we have tried (LOTS of them :huh: ), and our antibodies are negative. The thing about Trader Joe's is that they don't produce a lot of their products. They have other companies produce them, and then put the TJ's label on them. Last I heard, their pasta was made by tinkyada, for example. So it would be hard to generalize about reacting to their products, since they are made by so many different companies in so many different places.

My only beef with TJ's is that their gluten-free list has errors on it. I always tell people to use it as a starting place, but not to trust it too far. You still have to check the label every time you buy something.

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saaa-wheat<3 Apprentice
saaa-wheat<3
Posted
We eat so much TJ's food it isn't funy. We don't react to any of the products we have tried (LOTS of them :huh: ), and our antibodies are negative. The thing about Trader Joe's is that they don't produce a lot of their products. They have other companies produce them, and then put the TJ's label on them. Last I heard, their pasta was made by tinkyada, for example. So it would be hard to generalize about reacting to their products, since they are made by so many different companies in so many different places.

My only beef with TJ's is that their gluten-free list has errors on it. I always tell people to use it as a starting place, but not to trust it too far. You still have to check the label every time you buy something.

I've never had a problem, though I don't eat much from there either. My favorite are the Savory Sesame Rice thin crackers...yum...they are about an hour away from me, otherwise, I'd be getting more from them!

I didn't know that their pasta is made by Tinkyada! Yay!! I'll have to get some on the next run. Maybe it will be the same price as when I find it at the discount food store :rolleyes:

Juliebove Rising Star
Juliebove
Posted

I don't buy anything that was made on shared lines. But then we have numerous allergies. It's not just gluten.

hathor Contributor
hathor
Posted

I reacted to TJ nuts once, so I won't go there again. I haven't noticed a reaction to anything else, but I'm always nervous when I see those warnings. I guess I just go with a TJ item when I can't find a sub.

Like a locally available dark chocolate bar made without soy lecithin :rolleyes:

Unfortunately, those warning labels are voluntary. Companies decide for themselves whether to have them. (The only restriction I think is that the labels have to be accurate.) So just because one gets something somewhere else that lacks a warning label doesn't mean that it is not manufactured on shared equipment.

The only labelling legally required is for the 8 allergens, with wheat being one (and not gluten, unfortunately). The requirement is for labelling of intentional ingredients. Cross-contamination or unintentional contents don't have to be shown.

Guest j_mommy
Guest j_mommy
Posted

No problems with any of their stuff!

Susanna Newbie
Susanna
Posted

I eat Trader Joe's stuff all the time and have never had a problem I could feel on my insides. But, even more objective data is that I just had my annual celiac serologies (blood tests) checked, and everything came back negative, so I say Trader Joes is safe for me. And I sure appreciate how much cheaper their stuff is than Whole Foods' and Sprouts' is.

Susanna

babinsky Apprentice
babinsky
Posted

I am a new celiac and went to TJ's last night...I only found a couple of things that are gluten-free...is there a list of things I should know to look for?

Mango04 Enthusiast
Mango04
Posted
I am a new celiac and went to TJ's last night...I only found a couple of things that are gluten-free...is there a list of things I should know to look for?

Open Original Shared Link a list. They're always getting new products, so don't assume that just because something's not on the list, it's not safe.

They sell great gluten-free ginger snaps and gluten-free granola. I've heard good things about the gluten-free pancakes too.

Mango04 Enthusiast
Mango04
Posted

Oh - and I don't react to their products :)

DingoGirl Enthusiast
DingoGirl
Posted
Open Original Shared Link a list. They're always getting new products, so don't assume that just because something's not on the list, it's not safe.

They sell great gluten-free ginger snaps and gluten-free granola. I've heard good things about the gluten-free pancakes too.

OMG I love love LOVE the frozen pancakes!!! Toast in toaster oven to perfection and put a little bit of butter in pure maple syrup, heat that in the microwave - YUM!!!

I also love the gluten-free granola. It's pricey, though......

Mango04 Enthusiast
Mango04
Posted
I also love the gluten-free granola. It's pricey, though......

I know huh...what's the deal with the billion dollar granola...very unTrader Joe-like. It's pretty much just sugary corn too :rolleyes: Yummy though. I buy it and eat it often :rolleyes:

elonwy Enthusiast
elonwy
Posted

I have reacted to a couple of TJ's things that were made on shared lines (a guac mix and something else). I now avoid anything from Tj's that says shared lines. I am very sensitive, and I am also a bit more careful than many that I know, because when I get sick it takes a long time for me to get better. I used to be a bit more blase about the shared lines thing, but now I'm getting pretty militant about not buying anything that states its made on a shared line.

babinsky Apprentice
babinsky
Posted

Mango04....

Thank you soooo much for this list....my next shopping trip will be so much easier!

Nutmegger Rookie
Nutmegger
Posted

I really like Trader Joe's and haven't had any issues myself. My only gripe is that they actually have a /lot/ of gluten-free products that simply aren't marked as gluten-free on the packages -- unless, of course, you read the ingredients. Hopefully, their new labelling system will deal with that. It will make shopping so much easier!

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