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Hidden Sources Of Gluten (or Wheat)?

Jujbe

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Jujbe Rookie
Jujbe
Posted

Bit of background first -

I've just been recently diagnosed with gluten sensitivity (intolerance? don't know if there's a difference).I found out because I developed a VERY itchy rash (found out it was DH) after eating more wheat & seaweed than usual. Never clued in I might be gluten intolerant before! I'm up on the sciences so I'm pretty aware of what different chemical names listed on food labels are. But it's almost impossible to know what all of them are unless one's an organic chemist working in that filed. This statement was on a celiac site:

Hidden sources of gluten include additives such as modified food starch, preservatives, and stabilizers.

Well that's fine but which ones? Modified food starch can come from many diff plants, not just wheat. And what are the chemical names of these preservatives & stabilizers? How am I to know which are which?

Basically, the food I eat is what I prepare at home from basic ingredients like vegetables, fruit, meat, rice & non-gluten flours. I use spices & herbs but most of them are whole or in the form of dried or fresh leaves. Right now, till I find out, I'm avoiding any powdered spices - just in case wheat has been added. Not eating out at all, not even a bite or swallow. I'm not using soy sauce either till I find a gluten-free one. Anything suspect, I'm avoiding to be safe since the DH was the worse thing I've ever experienced in my life & I don't want it back.

I was really surprised at how fast my loose stools & gas problems cleared up but even more surprised when I found the nasal stuffiness & thicker mucus that came on each evening disappeared too. I could breathe so freely!! But I've noticed that sometimes I get stuffed up more & at those times, I would also get gassier again. Not nearly like before but it makes me think I might be getting some gluten somehow, somewhere on those days or just previous. I take some meds but I checked out what the inert ingredients are & they seem okay. Since some days I have no gas or stuffiness, it's logical they're not the cause for me. Any supplements I take are all labelled gluten-free. I've been VERY vigilant in cooking to make sure I haven't cross-contaminated my foods with gluten containing products too. I worked in a lab so know how to be careful about this.

Does anyone know how I might track down where hidden gluten is when it's not specifically called 'gluten', 'wheat' or 'malt' etc? I'm hardly suffering but would like to eliminate ALL gluten. Any suggestions, help, or directions are gratefully appreciated in advance. Thank you. This forum is a god-send in info & experiences!

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happygirl Collaborator
happygirl
Posted

Open Original Shared Link is a list of companies that have clearly stated their policy to disclose any gluten source. If you don't see wheat, rye, barley, malt, or oats, then it isn't hidden.

Wheat, by FDA food labeling law, is required to be listed as an 8 main allergen.

If the spice you are buying is a single spice, (i.e., thyme, basil, oregano, etc.), then it is required by law to only have that one ingredient in it. If it has more than one ingredient, there must be an ingredient listed. The allergen labeling law applies.

FYI: Spices---McCormick is one of the companies that won't hide gluten in their products. Many, many of their products are used with great success by Celiacs.

Jujbe Rookie
Jujbe
Posted
  • Author
Open Original Shared Link is a list of companies that have clearly stated their policy to disclose any gluten source. If you don't see wheat, rye, barley, malt, or oats, then it isn't hidden.

I live in Canada & most of the companies listed there aren't familiar to me but then, I really don't buy ready-made foods much so many just not know if they're in Canada or not. And those companies that make foods both in Canada & the US can have diff ingredients. I know that from having to read labels for cat food. Same product but slightly different formulation between Canadian & US brands. So I'm still confused. :(

Wheat, by FDA food labeling law, is required to be listed as an 8 main allergen.

Hmm, wonder if the same is true for Canadian food laws? Looks like I've got my work cut out tracking down specific info for north of the border.

If the spice you are buying is a single spice, (i.e., thyme, basil, oregano, etc.), then it is required by law to only have that one ingredient in it. If it has more than one ingredient, there must be an ingredient listed. The allergen labeling law applies.

FYI: Spices---McCormick is one of the companies that won't hide gluten in their products. Many, many of their products are used with great success by Celiacs.

I don't buy 'bottled' spices & herbs but the bulk ones since they seem fresher & are MUCH cheaper. Looks like I'll be talking with store managers & asking if they have a product labelling for these & where they buy it from. Damn... I was hoping this would be a little easier as learning to bake gluten-free is tough enough in itself.

happygirl Collaborator
happygirl
Posted

I'm sorry...didn't realize you were Canadian. We do have numerous Canadians on this board though. Member "psawyer" is Canadian and knows everything....if he doesn't see this thread, you could PM him and ask.

Jujbe Rookie
Jujbe
Posted
  • Author
I'm sorry...didn't realize you were Canadian. We do have numerous Canadians on this board though. Member "psawyer" is Canadian and knows everything....if he doesn't see this thread, you could PM him and ask.

I saw his post about VH soy sauce in Canada & thought "Aha! A fellow Canadian" & already have sent him a PM asking. :D Thanks!

psawyer Proficient
psawyer
Posted

Hi, I got the PM, but since the topic is of general interest to all Canadians, I am going to reply here.

The list that Laura posted is still useful to us. Those companies that are listed as having a clear gluten disclosure policy, and that also operate in Canada, have the same policy here.

This does not mean that the list of their products that are gluten-free is the same in both countries.

Two examples: Campbell's Chicken with Rice Condensed Soup is gluten-free in Canada, but not in the US. Lea & Perrins Worcestershire sauce is gluten-free in the US, but not in Canada.

Here is my own list of companies/brands that have a friendly label policy. Read the ingredient list carefully, looking for any of the words wheat, rye, barley or oats. If you don't see them, they are not hidden.

Arrowhead Mills, Aunt Nelly's, Balance, Baskin Robbins, Ben & Jerry, Bertoli, Betty Crocker, Blue Bunny, Breyers, Campbells, Cascadian Farms, Celestial Seasonings, ConAgra, Country Crock, Edy's, General Mills, Good Humor, Green Giant, Haagen Daz, Hellman's, Hormel, Hungry Jack, Jiffy, Knorr, Kozy Shack, Kraft, Lawry's, Libby's, Lipton, Martha White, Maxwell House, McCormick, Nabisco, Nestle, Old El Paso, Ortega, Pillsbury, Popsicle, Post, Progresso, Ragu, Russell Stover, Seneca Foods, Skippy, Smucker, Stokely's, Sunny Delight, T Marzetti, Tyson, Unilever, Wishbone, Yoplait, Zatarain's.

Not every brand is listed. For example, VH is not listed. VH operate only Canada, but are owned by ConAgra. Most but not all of their sauces are gluten-free.

Canadian label laws are different. There is no law requiring wheat to be disclosed, although it is rarely hidden.

If you don't already have it, you should obtain from the Open Original Shared Link their publication Acceptability of Foods and Food Ingredients for the Gluten-Free Diet Pocket Dictionary. It will help you to effectively read labels. It will identify an ingredient as "allowed," "not allowed," or "check." "Check" means it may be a hidden source of gluten, but if the manufacturer is listed above you know it won't be. Otherwise call the manufacturer, or choose something else.

In Canada, maltodextrin and caramel color are safe (they are safe in the US too).

home-based-mom Contributor
home-based-mom
Posted
I don't buy 'bottled' spices & herbs but the bulk ones since they seem fresher & are MUCH cheaper.

Buying bulk is terribly risky. You don't know what's in the air, where it was ground or how it got to be on display, what was in the container before whatever you are buying was put into it, and worst of all, scoops can play "musical containers" in the hands of ignorant shoppers.

Better to buy spices in containers that were sealed in a controlled environment. ;)

You can find an extensive list of unsafe ingredients here:

https://www.celiac.com/articles/182/1/Unsaf...ents/Page1.html

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