I Am Also Having Problems With Gluten Free Chex

Lisa · May 29, 2015

This is information regarding "Certified Gluten Free"...

http://www.celiaccentral.org/gluten-free-certification/

Please note, that "certified gluten free" makes no claim of ZERO gluten, it is an endorsement from celiac organizations, that a particular product is with compliance with the federal standard or 20 ppm or less.

In defense of Chex. I do not have an issue with their gluten free products I'm not sure if they have a separate facility for their gluten free products, nor does that concern me. I've been gluten free since 2005.

If you are only buying 'Certified Gluten Free" Products, you might be getting pretty hungry. And if you're new to the diet, it's best to eat whole foods for a while and stay away from processed food and dairy for a while.

Bet of luck to you.

kareng · May 29, 2015

On 5/29/2015 at 1:34 AM, Lisa said:
This is information regarding "Certified Gluten Free"...
http://www.celiaccentral.org/gluten-free-certification/
Please note, that "certified gluten free" makes no claim of ZERO gluten, it is an endorsement from celiac organizations, that a particular product is with compliance with the federal standard or 20 ppm or less.
In defense of Chex. I do not have an issue with their gluten free products I'm not sure if they have a separate facility for their gluten free products, nor does that concern me. I've been gluten free since 2005.
If you are only buying 'Certified Gluten Free" Products, you might be getting pretty hungry. And if you're new to the diet, it's best to eat whole foods for a while and stay away from processed food and dairy for a while.
Bet of luck to you.

Good explanation! Thanks.

I think we imagine that there is some person in a lab coat, with a test tube & a microscope, testing each batch and stamping " certified" on the package. Lol

Loveisart237 · June 17, 2018

I have a wheat allergy and I'm currently at the point where the last threee times i ate chex. Gluten free chocolate cereal I've been knocked out for hours after and nauseous. I believe they are cross contaminated and will be contacting chex soon

laf2005laurie · June 19, 2019

I think the mystery has been solved this week in the news: Glyphosate in General Mills Cereal reported by the FDA. It only took 'em a bit less than a decade.

wannabnormalagain · July 25, 2019

On 6/19/2019 at 3:20 AM, laf2005laurie said:

I think the mystery has been solved this week in the news: Glyphosate in General Mills Cereal reported by the FDA. It only took 'em a bit less than a decade.

Expand Quote

Hah! I was FFing to the end of this thread to reply the same.. Glyphosate indeed. Scary stuff.. gonna have to go organic/non-GMO. I just had a bowl of cinnamon Chex and my throat feels weird and I’ve got heart palpitations.

RosieRosie · July 28, 2019

On 8/29/2012 at 1:58 AM, Chalula88 said:

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.

Expand Quote

I did some research and the website said something about GMO being a culprit. Could this be making people sick?

BeckyP · January 8, 2020

I'd like to also broadcast my experience with eating Cinnamon Chex two days ago.

I hadn't really eaten any cereal in probably a year or more, other than a bite or two. So, I decided to fix myself a bowl of Cinnamon Chex (2-3 servings) a couple days ago (with no milk, just dry). Within an hour of finishing the bowl, my stomach started to cramp. The pain intensity increased as the day went on and forced me into my recliner with a heating pad on my belly. While I was going through all the pain, I had something pop in the top right side of my head that scared me to death ... I thought it was a stroke! But, I was ok ... and it seemed to be an instant migraine of some sort. So ... I suffered for about 7 hours until I went to bed and passed out. I could not even eat supper that night. I slept heavy and deep ... I guess from the exhaustion of all the pain. The next day, I had an enormous bowel movement, tons of bowel noises and a headache.

I now have about 3 weeks of misery ahead until I get back to normal. I will now go through brain fog, skin rashes, migraines, terrible anxiety, severe constipation, insomnia, irritability, etc. I've been strictly gluten free for several years ... including no eating out. I prepare every scrap of food, from-scratch that goes into my mouth. I only eat meat, veggies, fruit and rice. I KNOW, now, that Chex is NOT gluten free. Thanks Chex for not truly caring about your customers! ?

kareng · January 8, 2020

I eat cinnamon and other flavors of Chex cereal regularly with no problems . I know many Celiacs that also eat them with no issues.

BeckyP · January 8, 2020

On 1/8/2020 at 4:20 PM, kareng said:

I eat cinnamon and other flavors of Chex cereal regularly with no problems . I know many Celiacs that also eat them with no issues.

Expand Quote

I can only conclude after reading about everyone else here that have had problems with Chex that:

1) I got a box that does contain gluten, as did the others here ... and that those who can eat Chex perhaps are getting clean boxes.

or

2) People who can eat Chex are not nearly as sensitive to gluten as the rest of us who have had problems with it. I've read through the years that some folks are not nearly as sensitive as others to gluten. I've also read where the people who are not nearly as sensitive often eat gluten without knowing it.

I can assure you, my body knows when it's eaten gluten and I am in full blown Celiac attack right now because of it.

kareng · January 8, 2020

On 1/8/2020 at 4:26 PM, BeckyP said:

I can only conclude after reading about everyone else here that have had problems with Chex that:

1) I got a box that does contain gluten, as did the others here ... and that those who can eat Chex perhaps are getting clean boxes.

or

2) People who can eat Chex are not nearly as sensitive to gluten as the rest of us who have had problems with it. I've read through the years that some folks are not nearly as sensitive as others to gluten. I've also read where the people who are not nearly as sensitive often eat gluten without knowing it.

I can assure you, my body knows when it's eaten gluten and I am in full blown Celiac attack right now because of it.

Expand Quote

So let’s assume that somehow there is gluten in the cereal. What they say when you called? Did they tell you how to send the cereal back for testing?

BeckyP · January 8, 2020

On 1/8/2020 at 10:40 PM, kareng said:

So let’s assume that somehow there is gluten in the cereal. What they say when you called? Did they tell you how to send the cereal back for testing?

Expand Quote

There's no doubt that there is gluten in the cereal that I ate as I had eaten nothing else but that cereal. I got online and found this forum where others had the same problem. Additionally, their cereal is NOT certified gluten free ... do disputing that fact! General Mills also has the reputation of not caring about what goes into their products. Two days later, my abdomen is still hurting and in terrible waves of pain and I've been on a heating pad ever since ... plus ... suffering from all my typical glutened symptoms. In my eyes, it is indisputable that my box of cereal had gluten in it. No need to call them. I am positive that since they would label something gluten free that is not, they could care less if their cereal hurt me! They would be out of business if they admitted any guilt. ha! ?

Feel free to keep eating the cereal if you like; I'm merely posting my experience with that poisoned cereal so that others who are very sensitive to gluten will know to either stay away from that brand or will find comfort in my story because they too experienced the same reaction to that cereal.

NNowak · January 9, 2020

As we often say, not everything is attributed to Celiac. Corn is a common sensitivity/allergy for a number of people. It seems Celiacs are just as prone to other food sensitivities as everyone else. Perhaps keep track of what triggers ill feelings and keep a diary. Personally, I don’t eat “mainstream” cereals. I rarely eat gluten-free cereals from the gluten-free aisle either as I cannot tolerate oats and they seem to be everywhere as a cheap filler.

Good luck!!

BeckyP · January 9, 2020

Oh yes ... I know as I’ve been a Celiac for years and I know about intolerance to other foods. I am not intolerant to any ingredient listed on the label of the Chex cereal I ate. I am intolerant to the gluten that was in it. Ha!

jen21 · May 8, 2020

On 1/9/2020 at 1:08 AM, BeckyP said:

Oh yes ... I know as I’ve been a Celiac for years and I know about intolerance to other foods. I am not intolerant to any ingredient listed on the label of the Chex cereal I ate. I am intolerant to the gluten that was in it. Ha!

Expand Quote

I have heard many people who do not have celiacs disease also vomit and get sick. It's not just the pestisides but also bht that can make people sick

I think they are gluten-free because I never get sick on the gluten-free cheerios only chex. the chex is made with bht

Maxx darko · June 29, 2021

Hi there!! You are not alone. I too have been feeling on and off unwell and I had been eating cinnamon Chex for two weeks now. Feeling super drained and tired for no reason no cold no flu nothing everything checks out clear. But no matter why Chex cereal I eat that are gluten free it’s the same outcome. My ears and head feel on fire and foggy. Celiac disease is so hard specially with all these brand claiming gluten free but do they actually test their products in groups of people who have gluten allergies. Do they do actually studies!? I know a lot of brand even if they clean the machines from the other cereals they make it sadly isn’t enough to claim to be gluten free when the tinniest trace of gluten caught in the machines can cause trouble for us :( I sadly have three boxes left so I’ll just have to get rid of them and have more whole food for breakfast as well.

I hope this helps you and know that you are not alone in this fight!

-Maxx

Scott Adams · June 29, 2021

Welcome to the forum.

Eating high carb cereals that contain lots of sugar can also cause a variety of gastro issues, so perhaps this is the source of your discomfort?

Chex have been considered to be gluten-free for years, and they've never had a product recall. Anything is possible with regard to having bad luck and getting a box that was somehow contaminated, but in general GM cereals are reliably gluten-free:

https://www.chex.com/products/cinnamon-chex

Quote

INGREDIENTS

Whole Grain Rice, Rice, Sugar, Canola and/or Sunflower Oil, Salt, Rice Fiber, Cinnamon, Molasses, Natural Flavor. Vitamin E (mixed tocopherols) Added to Preserve Freshness.

Expand Quote

Maxx darko · June 29, 2021

Yes that can also be true! I guess my blood sugar levels checked before and there was no high levels on the test. I also don’t eat a lot of sugar either this is basically one high sugar things I eats. But oddly enough it’s about only 5 to 6g of sugars per serving

with a few other things that are gluten free like oats I also cannot have either as I’ll feel super I’ll the next few hours to days after consuming any small traces of gluten. But I’m still very new to celiac disease as I was diagnosed last year and have been trying to navigate my way through a lot of food ls now turning to more whole food for better gut health Found these forms so helpful!!

Scott Adams · June 30, 2021

So 5-6g of sugar per serving would be misleading. They are made mostly of rice, which is a starch that almost instantly gets converted to sugar when you eat it, so the glycemic impact of this is much greater than just the added sugar. I've heard that eating white rice will spike your blood sugar faster than eating table sugar. I'm not sure if this statement is true or not, but I do know that white rice will spike your blood sugar.

Andre · October 29, 2021

On 6/29/2021 at 5:47 PM, Scott Adams said:

Welcome to the forum.

Eating high carb cereals that contain lots of sugar can also cause a variety of gastro issues, so perhaps this is the source of your discomfort?

Chex have been considered to be gluten-free for years, and they've never had a product recall. Anything is possible with regard to having bad luck and getting a box that was somehow contaminated, but in general GM cereals are reliably gluten-free:

https://www.chex.com/products/cinnamon-chex

Expand Quote

Hi there! This is probably a little late, but I recently bought 7 boxes of Honey Nut Chex because I really like them and they were on sale. Note that although I have been diagnosed with Celiac ( blood tests, endoscopy and biopsy) I do not suffer from any of the usual gastric symptoms. My symptoms are all inflammatory (joints, itchiness) as well as the usual malabsorption of nutrients. The Chex I bought all contained a considerable amount of other cereals (Cheerios, Lucky Charms) both produced by General Mills. The boxes all have the Gluten Free label though not "Certified". That's the first time that I have noticed this contamination. It appears as though they didn't appropriately clean the packaging equipment between runs.

I called customer service and they apologized (like 30 times) and offered to send me coupons to replace the cereal. I told them that I really wasn't all that interested in acquiring more of a product that I no longer had confidence in. I gave them the best before date and batch numbers. They asked for photos of the product and my receipts. Since then, nada. No further response.

I am saddened as there are not a lot of affordable gluten-free cereal options in Canada. I had stopped eating Cheerios since they removed the gluten-free label.

Has anyone else had better service from General Mills customer service? Thanks!

trents · October 29, 2021

Andre, you might want to look at hot cereals. My favorite has become buckwheat groats. It's the seeds of a plant in the same family as Rhubarb and not related to wheat. Delicious! But it is a long cook cereal, about 10 minutes: https://smile.amazon.com/Organic-Hulled-Buckwheat-Groats-Anthonys/dp/B00QKXVAN2/ref=sxts_rp_s1_0?crid=2RE86Q2DTPK9Z&cv_ct_cx=anthony's+buckwheat+groats&dchild=1&keywords=anthony's+buckwheat+groats&pd_rd_i=B00QKXVAN2&pd_rd_r=563d3452-9ce8-4107-a2f0-b1587260ad6e&pd_rd_w=lTt1X&pd_rd_wg=M2kqO&pf_rd_p=29dcfc78-5030-4047-b3bb-fd095cf7aa8a&pf_rd_r=315QFCYQZJW6PY3EWSNQ&psc=1&qid=1635481007&sprefix=anthony's+buc%2Caps%2C140&sr=1-1-f0029781-b79b-4b60-9cb0-eeda4dea34d6

I put a pad of butter and some sugar in it. Bacon and egss on the side. Yum! Much more nutrition than Chex.

This alternative will probably save you money. Processed boxed cereals like Chex are not cheap.

Edited October 29, 2021 by trents

Scott Adams · October 29, 2021

This article may be helpful:

UncertainTea · November 29, 2021

Yeah I ate some Chex the other day and noticed my stomach bloated a bit and throat got itchy. I'm not sure if it's the rice Chex or not because I eat Starbucks gluten free marshmallow dream bar and have no problems. I think some of us are more sensitive than others, my sister is also a Celiac and she eats Popeyes fried chicken and biscuits and all she gets is a little gassy and that's it. If I were to do that I would tumble over in pain for days. She also eats regular bread, the oatmeal bread that has wheat and she has no side effects. I'm not sure why my system is so much more sensitive than hers, but she's gone through her fair share of pain also.

trents · November 29, 2021

On 11/29/2021 at 6:02 AM, UncertainTea said:

Yeah I ate some Chex the other day and noticed my stomach bloated a bit and throat got itchy. I'm not sure if it's the rice Chex or not because I eat Starbucks gluten free marshmallow dream bar and have no problems. I think some of us are more sensitive than others, my sister is also a Celiac and she eats Popeyes fried chicken and biscuits and all she gets is a little gassy and that's it. If I were to do that I would tumble over in pain for days. She also eats regular bread, the oatmeal bread that has wheat and she has no side effects. I'm not sure why my system is so much more sensitive than hers, but she's gone through her fair share of pain also.

Expand Quote

Though your sister's symptoms are minimal when she eats gluten, that doesn't mean she isn't experiencing damage to the villi of her small bowel. Someone needs to point that out to her because she is risking serious health problems down the road.