Udi's Mystery-- Oh No! Help!

[Lisa16]

I recently discovered the wonder of Udi's breads. I bought them (both kinds-- but mostly the white b/c the whole grain one kept selling out and I only got one loaf of that)and I ate it for several days as toast in the morning and a sandwich to take to work.

However, I developed progressively worse GERDS symptoms that completely and instantly disappeared when I withdrew the bread (Oh Man! Just when I found something really good too!) I would have acidic burping, some stinky gas and stomach pain. This was not a typical gluten reaction-- I hasten to add. We are not talking multiple bouts of D. But something in this "gets" me.

Soplease let me know what are the likely culprit(s) from the list of ingredients?

I know am allergic to sulfites/sulfates (nearly impossible to avoid completely, though), nitrates, msg and pistachios and casein intolerant.

Ingredients (white bread):

water

tapioca starch

brown rice flour

potato starch

canola oil

egg whites

sugar-- *to this point, I believe we are okay.

yeast

xanthan gum

salt

baking powder (sodium bicarbonate, cornstarch, calcium sulfate,monocalcium phosphate)

cultured dextrose

ascorbic acid (microcrystaline cellulose, corn starch)

enzymes

Thank you in advance! This episode caused many sleepless night and I feel like if I can figure it out, I can solve a big piece of the non-gluten sensitivity puzzle for me.

Lisa

[Ahorsesoul]

Lisa,

Xanthan gum or the dairy you put on the bread.

[Lisa16]

Lisa,

Xanthan gum or the dairy you put on the bread.

Hmm. I know it is not dairy. I ate peanut butter or ham and mustard sandwiches-- no dairy.

Intersting about the xanthan gum. I have used it before in baking and it is in lots of cookies and gluten-free preparations. But perhaps it has something to do with quantity or a particular combination of ingredients.

I would say the effects were cumulative over a period of several days (a bit over a week.)

I see the calcium sulfate in the baking powder. But like the xanthan gum, I regularly use calumet baking soda which has two sulfate compounds in there and which does not have the same effect. But I don't tend to eat my baking every day, so perhaps it is cumulative?

I just don't know.

Good guesses though!

[jmn]

I would have reacted to the xantham gum, the dextrose in the ham, the distilled white vinegar in the mustard and the fat in the peanut butter.

[Lisa16]

Thanks!

It is tough when you have multiple food sensitivities! I use the "naturals" ham with no nitrates. I will check for detrose, but I generally don't have a reaction to that ham (but I don'teat it often). And the peanut butter is okay for sure.

The vinegar is another matter entirely, because of sulfites. Still, I usually can tolerate the mustard.

At this point, after having the same reaction to the muffins, I suspect the calcium sulfate in the baking soda. I stopped eating anything udis and recovered in a day or so. Then I ate a muffin after about a week of feeling good and it happened again. The calcium sulfate is about the only "red flag" ingredient they have in common. I have to quite eating this brand, I guess.

I grew up in a town where they hit gypsum (calcium sulfate) when drilling the well and the city water is heavily contaminated with this. I think I got sensitized to sulfites this way.

[Eric-C]

Thanks!

It is tough when you have multiple food sensitivities! I use the "naturals" ham with no nitrates. I will check for detrose, but I generally don't have a reaction to that ham (but I don'teat it often). And the peanut butter is okay for sure.

The vinegar is another matter entirely, because of sulfites. Still, I usually can tolerate the mustard.

At this point, after having the same reaction to the muffins, I suspect the calcium sulfate in the baking soda. I stopped eating anything udis and recovered in a day or so. Then I ate a muffin after about a week of feeling good and it happened again. The calcium sulfate is about the only "red flag" ingredient they have in common. I have to quite eating this brand, I guess.

I grew up in a town where they hit gypsum (calcium sulfate) when drilling the well and the city water is heavily contaminated with this. I think I got sensitized to sulfites this way.

See my post about yeast....I had problems with Udi's and other gluten-free breads but I eat all those ingredients regularly in other products, the only common factor was yeast.

[canary46]

Lisa,

I'm so glad to see your comments about Udi's. I just discovered their products in the Chicago area and purchased the multi grain bread and 2 different muffins.

I know the chocolate muffins bother me like gluten bothers me, and I suspect the bread has been bothering me (something has but I can't figure out what). I've got no problem with yeast or gums as I bake with them frequently. I'm not sure about the other muffins, but unfort. I'm going to avoid buying their products.

I hope they hear about this board and can figure this out.

Similarly, all the gluten-free Chex cereals gave me gluten symptoms (and also my mom, who's gluten-free). I called them and told them about it. There's nothing listed in those ingredients that's unusual except the 'BHT preservative' which they told me is actually added to the BOX not to the food (?).

[GFveggirl]

hey, i'm new...

i have the same problem with Udi's products. i have tried just about every gluten-free bakery product available to me locally, and Udi's is the only one that makes me sick. i decided to give them one last chance on saturday, and within an hour, i regretted it. was out of commission for the whole weekend.

i don't know what it is about their products, because the ingredients are common to many other brands/food items. it's too bad, because i thought their bread was the best tasting, but there's something in it that gives me the same reactions as gluten...

[GFveggirl]

okay, i don't know if anyone will read this, but just in case...

after doing some reading, i think for me it is the potato starch. Udi's uses that frequently, whereas the other breads i buy don't. i know another celiac who gets sick from potato starch (but not potatoes????) so i'm going to throw that out there as a possibility.

[NITEHAWK61]

hey, i'm new...

i have the same problem with Udi's products. i have tried just about every gluten-free bakery product available to me locally, and Udi's is the only one that makes me sick. i decided to give them one last chance on saturday, and within an hour, i regretted it. was out of commission for the whole weekend.

i don't know what it is about their products, because the ingredients are common to many other brands/food items. it's too bad, because i thought their bread was the best tasting, but there's something in it that gives me the same reactions as gluten...

I wonder how gluten free can Udis bread be???

i also have had problems with this product.

I contacted them and this was there response. After I told them I had a celiac reaction to there product.

Hi John,

Your feedback is important to us and we take food allergies very seriously here at Udi's Gluten Free Foods. Please note 20 ppm is the FDA proposed limit for gluten free products which works out to .002%. From the FDA proposal for gluten free labeling:

1. Why did FDA include "20 ppm or more gluten" as a criteria in its definition of "gluten-free"?

The level is proposed based on the available analytic methods. Data from peer-reviewed scientific literature demonstrate that current analytic technology can reliably and consistently detect gluten in wheat, rye, and barley at levels of 20 ppm in a variety of food matrices: http://www.fda.gov/Food/LabelingNutrition/FoodAllergensLabeling/GuidanceComplianceRegulatoryInformation/ucm111487.htm#q6

I have spoken with our quality control manager and she stated that none of the product came back positive at 20 ppm; more sensitive kits are being developed, and we can look into even more stringent testing as it becomes available.

Please let me know if you have additional questions and/or comments. Again I apologize for your adverse reaction to our product.

Regan

so maybe it came back less. but from what I understand people with celiac could have a reaction with just a microbe of gluten. Why would the FDA allow this???

would you allow a gram of a peanut to some one who has a peanut allergy???

[Ahorsesoul]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xanthan_gum

Remember that xanthan gum is a laxative.

[modiddly16]

I've been eating breakfast the same time every day for three days.

I've been having emergencies the same time every day for three days.

The only common factor.

Udi's.

I'm so broken up about it....amidst my mad dashes to the restroom at my office.

[burdee]

I've been eating breakfast the same time every day for three days.

I've been having emergencies the same time every day for three days.

The only common factor.

Udi's.

I'm so broken up about it....amidst my mad dashes to the restroom at my office.

You might have other allergies/intolerances besides gluten. My husband and I both have diagnosed (by ELISA blood test) allergies to dairy, eggs, vanilla and nutmeg. I'm not saying that you are allergic to all of those foods. However, rather than believing that a gluten free product has gluten or cross-contamination issues, you might consider whether you have other intolerances which cause your ongoing symptoms.

[GFinDC]

My vote is the potato starch. Potato is a nightshade, along with tomato, and peppers.

[CarolinaKip]

Brown rice bothers me and I cannot eat Udis as well : (

However, I went nighshade free so, I'm not eating any gluten-free bread right now. I was able to eat Kinnikinnicks with little bother. It has potato starch, but white rice flour. I'm three months into gluten-free and I still hurt with every meal.

[sb2178]

Carolina,

Have you tried doing a low lecithin diet? I know brown rice has a much higher level of lecithins than white rice. Legumes also have them... don't remember what else.

Just an idea. I would think that the pain would at least drop within three months some of the time unless there are other things going on.

[modiddly16]

I actually don't have any other intolerences aside from being a celiac. I've been a celiac for 6 1/2 years with no other intolerences or issues like what I've had occur with Udi's. I've eaten all of the ingrediants through other products with no issue. Perhaps its the combination of the ingrediants that gets me, I don't know but I'm not typically a super sensitive celiac and Udi's gets me.

Also, I'm not claiming they aren't gluten free or that there is cross contamination. I'm simply claiming that I can't handle the product. I'm upset about it because the product is delicious. I can't have crystal light packets either because they cause the same reaction with no explaination as to why.

I'm a big advocate of supporting those who support us and I rarely cry wolf about cross contamination or condemn a company for trying to cater to folks like us. So I'm not saying one bad word about Udi's...I'm just bummed that I can no longer partake in their deliciousness.

[NITEHAWK61]

Brown rice bothers me and I cannot eat Udis as well : (

However, I went nighshade free so, I'm not eating any gluten-free bread right now. I was able to eat Kinnikinnicks with little bother. It has potato starch, but white rice flour. I'm three months into gluten-free and I still hurt with every meal.

I think you should remove Kinnikinnicks from your diet. I tried them and had bad reactions. Just like Udi's bread.

my doctor told me just beacuse it says it is gluten free does not mean that it is totally gluten free!!!

[modiddly16]

Just an addition to the Udi's drama.......my boyfriend, who is not gluten free, finished these off for me since I couldn't tolerate them and he had some pretty awful stomach issues on the same days he ate the products. Now it could be a total coincidence, or maybe we got a bad batch?? Thoughts?

[terri]

I was at a funeral yesterday and brought my own lunch from home and got violently ill. Again. I had a sandwich on Udi's bread. I started thinking back and realized that everytime I eat it, I get sick. Last week, a fried egg and Udi's toast. Sick. And sick after every sandwich. I kept blaming it on whatever I ate with the bread but now realize it is the bread itself. So sad, but I won't eat it again. I feel better knowing that others cannot tolerate it either. I know it is gluten free but my reactions are those of a gluten reaction.

[dilettantesteph]

I wonder how gluten free can Udis bread be???

i also have had problems with this product.

I contacted them and this was there response. After I told them I had a celiac reaction to there product.

Hi John,

Your feedback is important to us and we take food allergies very seriously here at Udi's Gluten Free Foods. Please note 20 ppm is the FDA proposed limit for gluten free products which works out to .002%. From the FDA proposal for gluten free labeling:

1. Why did FDA include "20 ppm or more gluten" as a criteria in its definition of "gluten-free"?

The level is proposed based on the available analytic methods. Data from peer-reviewed scientific literature demonstrate that current analytic technology can reliably and consistently detect gluten in wheat, rye, and barley at levels of 20 ppm in a variety of food matrices: http://www.fda.gov/Food/LabelingNutrition/FoodAllergensLabeling/GuidanceComplianceRegulatoryInformation/ucm111487.htm#q6

I have spoken with our quality control manager and she stated that none of the product came back positive at 20 ppm; more sensitive kits are being developed, and we can look into even more stringent testing as it becomes available.

Please let me know if you have additional questions and/or comments. Again I apologize for your adverse reaction to our product.

Regan

so maybe it came back less. but from what I understand people with celiac could have a reaction with just a microbe of gluten. Why would the FDA allow this???

would you allow a gram of a peanut to some one who has a peanut allergy???

As you can see gluten free doesn't mean absolutely no gluten. There is no test to measure that. There are tests which measure to lower levels than 20 ppm though. I wish that the FDA would change it's recommendations.

I believe that I react to these levels. I can't eat many of the things mentioned in this thread, but I can eat whole versions of the same things after I wash them.

[Skylark]

There is medical data where they fed celiacs 50 ppm gluten and did biopsies and there was no damage. They've even tested celiacs eating 200 ppm Codex wheat starch breads and some were perfectly fine. Nobody seems to pay attention to the handful of people who always drop out of these studies because the 50 ppm food makes them feel sick. On the Codex study, there were some people who were interviewed and simply didn't eat any "gluten free" baked products.

I take this as evidence that getting into a little gluten probably doesn't damage us. That doesn't mean anyone wants to eat 20 ppm food and feel awful for the next few days, though. I am looking forward to development of better assays and more awareness that celiacs can be quite sensitive to even traces of gluten even if the biopsy doesn't show damage.

[dilettantesteph]

There is medical data where they fed celiacs 50 ppm gluten and did biopsies and there was no damage. They've even tested celiacs eating 200 ppm Codex wheat starch breads and some were perfectly fine. Nobody seems to pay attention to the handful of people who always drop out of these studies because the 50 ppm food makes them feel sick. On the Codex study, there were some people who were interviewed and simply didn't eat any "gluten free" baked products.

I take this as evidence that getting into a little gluten probably doesn't damage us. That doesn't mean anyone wants to eat 20 ppm food and feel awful for the next few days, though. I am looking forward to development of better assays and more awareness that celiacs can be quite sensitive to even traces of gluten even if the biopsy doesn't show damage.

Since the people who get sick drop out of the study and don't get the biopsies, I'm not sure that they aren't getting damaged. I get uncontrollable D, from trace gluten exposure which seems to indicate intestinal damage. I think that some of us might be able to handle 200 ppm just fine and others might not. Anyway, I don't want to take any chances. My mother already died from lymphoma, I don't want to follow in those footsteps.

[GFinDC]

That's my understanding too, if you can't stick to it throughout the study, they don't count you in the results. pretty stupid system if you ask me. It's almost like saying, if you absolutely have an incredibly negative reaction, we won't include you in the study results. Whats the point then? Stupid.

[dilettantesteph]

That's my understanding too, if you can't stick to it throughout the study, they don't count you in the results. pretty stupid system if you ask me. It's almost like saying, if you absolutely have an incredibly negative reaction, we won't include you in the study results. Whats the point then? Stupid.

I so agree. How can they say that certain levels are safe when they have excluded those for whom they weren't safe!!