I Am Also Having Problems With Gluten Free Chex

[Mskedi]

Add me to the list of folks not reacting well to Cinnamon Chex (and, yes, I double and triple checked that it's the gluten-free one). I've been feeling glutened for three days now (when I started eating it), and I chalked it up to having gone out to eat a few days ago and there being CC. This morning, though, I threw up immediately after eating the Cinnamon Chex. That's a totally new reaction (this is only the 4th time in my life that I've vomited... no fun), and it must be linked to the Chex since everything else I'm eating I've had over and over. Blech. I have no idea what I could be reacting to in it. I really don't like the idea of possibly being sensitive to something else.

[Ahorsesoul]

Home Testing Results

The cinnamon chex does make me sleepy but not the Honey nut or the plain Rice Chex. All boxes were labeled gluten-free on the front.

I tried just the cinnamon and also mixing the cinnamon with the plain rice: always was extremely fatigued within 30 minutes.

I tried just the honey nut and then mixing it with plain rice and tried just eating the plain rice chex: no extreme fatigue.

[eringopaint]

I'm not going to try them as I've heard a few people who have bought the boxes clearly marked gluten-free and still got ill.

Not worth taking a chance.

[okalcantara]

I was ecstatic when I unexpectedly saw the Gluten-Free Chex in the grocery store. I immediately bought the Rice Chex and the Corn Chex. I have been eating a bowl of Chex (either one, but usually Rice Chex) every a.m. with Lactaid for the last few weeks. I started noticing intermittant GI problems (diarrhea, bloating, etc.) right away, but I knew there was nothing with gluten in my diet, so I didn't change my chex intake.

It's been three weeks now, and I am now in full-blown Celiac mode. Completely exhausted & fatigued, unbelieveable worst-case scenario G.I. trouble... Pretty much can't eat anything right now without having terrible symptoms.

I am so disappointed. I am wondering if someone might test the Chex? There MUST be something wrong! I have not changed my diet in any other way. I have gone back and re-checked all my normal medications and supplements, (Synthroid, Ortho-Cept, Viactiv, etc.), and nothing has changed. I even investigated in detail pharmaceutical mfrs to see if a new filler might have been added somewhere.

It must be the Chex. AAARGH!

[Ahorsesoul]

Hmmmm, I'm beginning to think it's the Chex too. Yesterday I made 'Chex mix' with corn chex and gluten free pretzels. Something is bothering me. I'll skip the chex mix for a few day and try it again.

I haven't been eating Chex for breakfast for a few weeks since I knew something was not right about my digestive system. Just a little off. Knowing about his topic got me to think it might be the Chex's. I think they will go off my shopping list too.

[princessjessie]

hmm...

this is hard to hear because I have fallen in love with the cinnamon chex, but its beginning to make sence

ever since I picked up my first box at the store my tummy has been bloated on and off (I'm very tiny and this is noticeable even when it is a small bloat) but no other problems. In the past week or two I have been overly itchy and am going crazy trying to read and research all my detergents, makeup, and other products.

I had a bowl of the honey nut chex before bed last night, and then this morning I had a huge hive on my hand completely unexplained. I have been so frusterated the past few days and i'm wondering if that could be....

I think I should skip the chex for the next few days despite how bad I would like them.

[Becci]

I've been pretty lucky that my local Wal-mart carries gluten-free Rice, Honey Nut, Corn and Cinnamon Chex. BUT...I had an experience of my own with that.

I bought a box of Honey Nut Chex that had the gluten-free designation on the front. Ate half the box, no problem. Had a bowl one morning, prepared as I always do with fruit on the top and the same brand and type of milk as usual. As I was eating, I noticed 2 slightly smaller and darker appearing Chex in the bowl. It brought me up short and I hemmed and hawed around about eating them and/or finishing the bowl. Eventually, I figured they were nothing more than over-browned, over-cooked Honey Nut Chex and that I was just getting paranoid about nothing.

Yeah, wish I had THAT one to do over. Just those 2 little Chex glutened the crap out of me and I felt horrible for 4 or 5 days. The next time I went to the grocery store I made it a point to look at the box of Wheat Chex and compare what had been in my bowl with the photo on the front. Yahtzee! We had an exact match. How just those 2 got in my box of Honey Nut Chex is anybody's guess, but they were there, alright.

I've bought another box since then and have done just fine, but I will tell you that I look at each and EVERY spoonful to make certain I don't find any more stray Wheat Chex lurking there. There are times that I wish people and manufacturers could experience, just once, what it is that we go through when we get glutened. I'd hazzard a bet they'd be a H

[Becci]

Okay, I jinxed myself.

I started feeling sick after eating my gluten-free Cinnamon Chex. I looked around, and figured that I hadn't gotten sick from them, because it had only been an hours... My normal times to start feeling anything is 1-3 hours.

Well, two hours after eating, I am throwing up blood... I only throw up after getting more than just a little cross contamination... Any chance that Wheat Chex was mixed in with mine?

I contacted GM to let them know that I had gotten sick from it, and they said they are going to look into it. I think I scared the woman when she asked me my regular Celiac symptoms.. and I told her.

She was all scared and asked if I needed to go to the hospital.. haha, I explained that it was a normal reaction for me when I get gluten, but that they're product was supposed to be Gluten-Free...

She apologized and said that they are sending the report all the way to the CEO who will do all he/she can to fix the problem and be sure that no Celiac's get messed up again..

She said that it is made in it's own facility, but it is possible that an employee may have accidentally contaminated it with Wheat Chex.

[laf2005laurie]

Chalk me up as another person who has had a reaction to GM gluten-free Chex Cereal. I first tried cinnamon chex, but it seemed to bother my stomach. I thought it was the flavoring bothering me, so I tried the plain gluten-free corn chex and then gluten-free rice chex deciding it must be the corn bothering. This has been during the past 2 months. I developed stomach issues, (nauseated and bloating) frequent headaches and recently low blood sugar symptoms. I completely eliminated milk products during the last two weeks, thinking dairy products were bothering. Rice milk had soy, so I blamed that. I then tried almond milk, which I could tolerate plain. I began re-reading every label, sure I was being glutened, somehow, although my symptoms were different from regular "glutenizing."

This wknd, I ate no cereal, but did drink almond milk and felt fine. This morning, I ate the last bowl of gluten-free corn chex from the box, with almond milk, as the only food eaten since dinner last night. Halfway through finishing, I began feeling nauseated, dizzy and sick. In less than a half hour I developed a headache. Knowing the almond milk did not affect me all weekend, I suspected maybe the corn chex, so I looked it up online. Sure enough others have had the same issue.

Seeing all the ingredients in the Corn Chex as ones I have tolerated in other foods, I called General Mills to ask if there was any other ingredient, they could identify that I might be sensitive to. I am aware they do not have to list ingredients that account for less than 1%. I was put on hold, and then told their advise is to go see my doctor! I advised them that I was sure my reaction was attributable to their gluten-free cereal and would like to know what else is in the product. GM told me they didn't have to check for potassium, or similar ingredients but would do so if someone reported an allergy to a specific ingredient.

I got the impression that General Mills is playing games with their ingredients. Would they want to be forthright in disclosing what was in their product, when I requested it and explained how sick I was feeling and how through process of elimination knew it was their gluten-free cereal? Why did they not just flatly deny any other ingredients in their cereal? BHT is in the ingredients, but I have chips with BHT and sure other foods that have never given me a problem. I noticed on the box that General Mills is either supporter of a gluten free web site. So, I turned their for answers. Turns out General Mills is using the site to promote their new gluten-free products. In fact they have top status on the search engines and I couldn't find the celiac groups/sites I used to.

Having had the experience I did today with General Mills, I have developed a more serious reaction -- and that is to a large corporation setting up a non-profit--or buying an existing one, that is now being used to promote a General Mills products, request donations, explain their tax deductible status, etc, etc....all in the name of marketing their gluten-free products--one of which is making enough people sick that they have complained about it.....hmmmmmm.

While it's been good to vent here, I do hope my experience helps someone else identify a reaction to food and hopefully promote the importance of better--independent testing of gluten free food. Lower prices would be nice on gluten-free products, but I don't think we should have to pay twice, for testing them.............

[bentramer1981]

I would love to know thier manufacturing process too.....as for us, we aren't buying any more. My dd was acting glutened for weeks, and I could not figure it out. I finally just quit buying Chex all together, even the Rice Chex that I thought she was fine with at first.

She has been her old self again, it's so nice to have my sweet little girl back! I do think it was the Chex, it was the only thing I cut out of our diet, and I waited forever to do it b/c I thought for sure that couldn't the culprit. She is now eating other whole grains just fine, which I originally thought was the problem instead of the cereal itself. So, I don't hink you are crazy for thinking it's the Chex!!!

I tried Gluten Free Chex again(the Apple Cinn) and it is "not" gluten free because I suddenly have to go to the bathroom (to say the least) after each bowl. How is this possible??? Ugh

[kareng]

I tried Gluten Free Chex again(the Apple Cinn) and it is "not" gluten free because I suddenly have to go to the bathroom (to say the least) after each bowl. How is this possible??? Ugh

Perhaps there is another ingredient in processed foods that bothers you?

[Salax]

I too have had reactions to the cin gluten-free chex. And I have eliminated milk and eaten them plain and I still have an issue. But not a normal glutening type issue so I think it must be something else in that box.

[Chalula88]

The cinnamon chex make me very, very ill as well. This is the first time I have ever gotten sick from a gluten free food. I am pretty sure it is some kind of gluten CC because I have eaten all of the ingredients in other foods without a problem.

[Lynda Maynard]

I'm glad I found this thread. I had some of the cinnamon chex last night, no milk or anything, just plain finger-food snack, and 4 hours later, the "razor-blades in the gut" cramps started. (my usual reaction to getting glutened) I had been debating whether to call the company now, or to wait & try the cereal again in a few days, 'cause *maybe* it was something in the dinner I'd had 2 hrs before the cereal. Now I'm sure it was the chex and I will *not* be doing *that* experiment!

[rymorg2]

I react to the honey nut version as well. I stopped eating it a few months ago.

[kimpe]

I am so glad to see that others are having trouble with the gluten free Chex. I've tried rice several times now and can only get to about 3 bites and I'm having a major stomach ache. It was one of my fav cereals before all of this.

[shadowicewolf]

You guys are probably reacting to something within the chex (see BHT). Its not really all that uncommon. Some can handle it, while others can't. Also, if you have a soy issue it should be avoided as well.

[mendylou]

I thought it was just me. I have had all the various gluten free chex cereals and I too have reacted to the cinnamon version. I tried it more than once and I always get a reaction. My 1st clue is that my lips swell to twice their size and itch terribly. I also don't know if it is the cinnamon itself or something else. I haven't been brave enuf to try it again, or other cinnamon products.

[jebby]

I have reacted to just about all of the Chex as well over the past 2 years. Since then I've discovered that I have a sulfite intolerance, and looking back, I was probably getting sick from the molasses in all of them (molasses has a high natural sulfite load). The Apple Cinnamon Chex actually contain enough sulfites that General Mills is forced to label it, so if you want to test yourself to see if you are reacting to sulfites you can eat the Apple Cinnamon Chex and then see how you feel (for me, sulfites cause GI symptoms which feels like gluten cross contamination).

[sallyalewis]

Thank you for saying this!

I have been eating Gluten Free Chex for a few months.

Yesterday that was almost all I had due to a busy day at work.  I was sick as a dog!

Had some again this morning and have been in the bathroom all day.

I'll look into the sufites.

[dilettantesteph]

Last I heard, they were made in the same facility as their gluten containing cereals.  There is a possibility of cc for those of us more sensitive.  Does anyone know? 

 

Does anyone know if they test their ingredients such as the cinnamon prior to processing?

 

This reference: http://celiacdisease.about.com/b/2012/07/11/general-mills-launches-gluten-free-apple-cinnamon-chex.htm

says that the final cereals are tested to below 20 ppm and it infers that they are made on shared lines.

[katerzz]

From everything I've read, any product from General Mills that states "Gluten Free" is made in a dedicated facility. 

 

"grabbed from the general mills' website" 

 

 

General Mills products labeled as “gluten free” do not contain wheat, rye, barley, oats or crossbred hybrid of these grains. They also do not contain ingredients that are derived from these grains.

Gluten-free labeled products undergo extensive evaluation. Production locations also assure that no cross-contact can occur during manufacturing and/or packaging. Gluten-free products also are routinely analyzed to assure ongoing compliance with the FDA proposed regulation for “gluten free.” All General Mills products labeled as “gluten free” meet or exceed this standard. 

 

This is why Kix are not labled gluten free, though they contain no gluten.

 

PS, my son and husband have eaten cinnamon chex for over a year with no reactions.

[klingle]

I called GM today about their "gluten free" chex cereals and they told me that they will send the message along to the appropriate people and she was VERY nice about it! She also informed me that legally companies can have up to 20 parts per million and still be labeled gluten free; however, GM holds themselves to a higher standard and only puts 10 parts per million at the most so if you are VERY allergic to gluten this could be your problem! Hope this helps some of you! I also wanted to let you all know that if you are having problems with ANY gluten free products you should call the company so that they can try to identify and fix the problem :]

[kareng]

I called GM today about their "gluten free" chex cereals and they told me that they will send the message along to the appropriate people and she was VERY nice about it! She also informed me that legally companies can have up to 20 parts per million and still be labeled gluten free; however, GM holds themselves to a higher standard and only puts 10 parts per million at the most so if you are VERY allergic to gluten this could be your problem! Hope this helps some of you! I also wanted to let you all know that if you are having problems with ANY gluten free products you should call the company so that they can try to identify and fix the problem :]

I called GM today about their "gluten free" chex cereals and they told me that they will send the message along to the appropriate people and she was VERY nice about it! She also informed me that legally companies can have up to 20 parts per million and still be labeled gluten free; however, GM holds themselves to a higher standard and only puts 10 parts per million at the most so if you are VERY allergic to gluten this could be your problem! Hope this helps some of you! I also wanted to let you all know that if you are having problems with ANY gluten free products you should call the company so that they can try to identify and fix the problem :]

Companies don't add gluten to get their products to 20 ppm or 10 ppm. Even if a product tests at less than 10 ppm, it may have no gluten or 2 ppm. It's just how the tests work.

[Tahoemike1]

^{I am a rather new Celiac patient, but I am learning the ropes really fast! I have learned a very good lesson the hard way - by getting good and glutened several times! We all know that just isn't any fun, right? Only then did I realize one true thing; just because a product says gluten free, it doesn't necessarly mean that it is safe for a person with Celiac. Well, the lesson that I learned very fast was to not buy any products unless they are CERTIFIED GLUTEN FREE!! Only then, are you assused of being relatively safe. Chex is not a certified gluten free product! Do you think that they have  factories set up just to make just gluten free products? Of course not, they make many products in their factories, and that makes the risk of cross contamination from wheat a very high risk. Do yourselves a favor and only buy CERTIFIED GLUTEN FREE! You body will be happy you did...}