Jump to content
This site uses cookies. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. More Info... ×

  • Welcome to Celiac.com!

    You have found your celiac tribe! Join us and ask questions in our forum, share your story, and connect with others.



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A1):

    Celiac.com Sponsor (A1-M):

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Our Content
    eNewsletter
    Donate

Panera Bread...watch It!

Bella001

By Bella001
in Gluten-Free Restaurants

Recommended Posts

Bella001 Explorer
Bella001
Posted

Hello,

I've gone to Panera several times and ordered from the gluten free menu. I started to get geographic and constipation again and pulled up their website. www.panerabread.com/menu You can look at the ingredients for each food...well guess what, I was eating wheat! Not only that but most of their food is full of corn syrup or other junk. Scratch panera off my list...

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


Fire Fairy Enthusiast
Fire Fairy
Posted

Hello,

I've gone to Panera several times and ordered from the gluten free menu. I started to get geographic and constipation again and pulled up their website. www.panerabread.com/menu You can look at the ingredients for each food...well guess what, I was eating wheat! Not only that but most of their food is full of corn syrup or other junk. Scratch panera off my list...

They are advertising a gluten free product that lists wheat as an ingredient???

I figured Panera was a big no no due to cross contamination anyway.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
BethJ Rookie
BethJ
Posted

I got terribly sick there the first time I went. I ordered a salad off the gluten-free menu and it came with an apple as the side. I figured a whole apple would be safe. When it arrived, the apple was covered in crumbs. Okay, easy enough to avoid. I ate my salad and about 30 minutes later, I knew not to try eating there again. sad.gif

I suspect those crumbs get into everything they make and it's not worth the risk to try it again. I know some have had very good look there but it wasn't my experience.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Bella001 Explorer
Bella001
  • Author
Posted

They are advertising a gluten free product that lists wheat as an ingredient???

I figured Panera was a big no no due to cross contamination anyway.

Sure is wheat, here's the link I found with the gluten free list, Open Original Shared Link had the chicken ceasar salad and tomato soup. NOT gluten free...

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Jestgar Rising Star
Jestgar
Posted

They are advertising a gluten free product that lists wheat as an ingredient???

I figured Panera was a big no no due to cross contamination anyway.

Sure is wheat, here's the link I found with the gluten free list, Open Original Shared Link had the chicken ceasar salad and tomato soup. NOT gluten free...

According to the ingredient list, the wheat is in the croutons.

That being said, there's a lot of non-food-looking stuff also in that list. Don't think I'd choose to eat there both from the health standpoint, and the cc issue.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Takala Enthusiast
Takala
Posted

Can't believe I'm doing this again.

Attention celiacs and gluten intolerants:

PANERA IS A WHEAT BAKERY.

Do not eat there unless you want a very high probability to be cross contaminated by gluten.

I have had to smack down this rumor before that their foods, especially their soups, are supposedly gluten free, they are not.

A lot of restaurants are getting themselves listed in gluten free categories, online guides like yelp, when some of them have absolutely no business being there.

I traced that submission to that list to a commercial type foodie blogger, at glutenfreeislife dot com, that is pushing so many different products and businesses, she's likely getting paid for the recommends. This is okay, BUT, it should be disclosed and the information should be updated.

I see a list of restaurants that she has listed as "gluten free eateries." None of them are gluten free, they are chain restaurants, some have a gluten free menu. What a bunch of *****. Sometimes people need their heads examined.

I'm not that sensitive but I have gotten nailed pretty good at a few of them, and I see several that I know other people have had hit or miss experiences with. A few I've had good experiences with after checking carefully with the waitstaff and managers to see if they actually knew what gluten cross contamination meant- but remember, eating out is always risky at a chain. You must ask for the updated gluten free menu, order carefully, and never assume.

That review was from 2008, over 2 years ago. Things change, folks!

I've also eaten at wonderful restaurants and bakeries that were dedicated gluten free, and THOSE are true gluten free eateries- but even these dedicated places, with careful, careful people, can sometimes mess up a little, from a supplier.

If you're going to blog "gluten free," as a food reviewer do it responsibly.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
modiddly16 Enthusiast
modiddly16
Posted

I've had a smoothie there with no issues.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


lynnelise Apprentice
lynnelise
Posted

I've had salads there and been fine. I don't go use any outside site to get gluten free menu info. I only use the company's website and ingredient list! Don't trust a third party...recipes change.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
GlutenFreeManna Rising Star
GlutenFreeManna
Posted

I've gotten sick at Panera from just sitting in the restaurrant while my hubby had a sweet tea. I won't go in there again. I mean, they make bread there daily. There is flour dust in the air and on everything. Maybe it would be okay for someone that has a very mild gluten intolerance or someone that is doing the gluten-free diet to be trendy, but it's not okay if you are a diagnosed celiac or you are sensitive to cc. I would also never trust a "menu" from a site that is not the restaurant's site. Here is Panera's menu: Open Original Shared Link

They do not have anything labeled gluten free, nor could I find any information about gluten on their site. They DO have the following disclaimer on their menu:

"Many of our products contain or may come into contact with

common allergens, including wheat, peanuts, soy, tree nuts, milk,

eggs, fish and shellfish.Please ask to speak with a manager for a

list of ingredients in your order."

So maybe if you are not sensitive and you are willing to have an in depth discussion with the manager to ask about cc you could try to eat there...It's not worth the trouble and potential risk IMO.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
pshifrin Apprentice
pshifrin
Posted

I will only get the yogurt / fruit smoothies there. You can stand by the cold drink area (separate from the food prep) and watch them make it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
lynnelise Apprentice
lynnelise
Posted

Not all Panera's make the bread fresh at that location. The one closest to me gets pre-made dough from another facility so there is no flour in the air and all over everything. I have eaten salads there safely. The manager was able to provide me a list of what items were gluten free. I have eaten there three times and have yet to get sick. I am not on this to be trendy and I do have severe and immediate issues from CC. I have gotten sick from gluten free menus at Chili's, PF Chang's, and Logan's. I say you are taking a chance no matter where you eat, it's up to you decide whether to risk it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Emily928 Newbie
Emily928
Posted

We have a Panera in my building and they have always been helpful in working with me. I don't go there too often though, because the selections of what I can eat are pretty limited (a few salads and soups mainly). I always check the ingredient list in Panera's website or the latest gluten free list they send out (which I usually find by googling). At least at my location, I don't think they bake bread in-house, or at least it's not near the salads and soups area. Of course there is still bread everywhere but sometimes it is worth it for the convenience factor. I can't remember ever having gotten glutened there. I just wish they would expand the selections! (And if anyone from Panera happens to be reading this, bring back the summer corn chowder!!)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):


  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      124,737
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    Niekie
    Newest Member
    Niekie
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):

  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      120.7k
    • Total Posts
      1m
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):



  • Who's Online (See full list)

    • There are no registered users currently online
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):


  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • trents
      Celiac Diagnosis from Bloodwork Only?

      By trents · Posted

      The tTG-IGA test as a specificity of around 95%. In other words, the chance that something else is causing your positive tTG-IGA result is around 5%.   
    • TraceyG
      Celiac Diagnosis from Bloodwork Only?

      By TraceyG · Posted

      @Wheatwacked ha! That sums it up nicely. That’s the part I wasn’t clear on. Thank you !
    • Wheatwacked
      Celiac Diagnosis from Bloodwork Only?

      By Wheatwacked · Posted

      I found this article very a very clear explanation of test results with example cases.  I especially liked this line at the end. "In an effort to justify why we can go against the result of a positive test, we ask “how positive is it’? It’s like getting a positive pregnancy test back and asking “how pregnant am I?” I think it answers some of your specific questions. Are You Confused About Your Celiac Disease Lab Results?
    • RMJ
      Kachava

      By RMJ · Posted

      What organization certifies them? I didn’t see a logo.
    • trents
      Kachava

      By trents · Posted

      Very interesting! I did not realize that. But it does seem to be a trite point whether or not the presence of gluten in a food item results from whether or not a gluten containing grain is an intentional ingredient or merely an artifact of processing. Gluten is gluten.  But to add some additional information to this discussion on Ka' Chava, I emailed them and pointed out that their ingredient list included "organic barley", a gluten-containing grain. I got a reply almost right away from someone named Jah: "Thank you for reaching out and sharing your concerns regarding our ingredients. I genuinely apologize for the confusion.   We’re extra cautious about food allergies, especially gluten intolerance. So while it might be confusing to see barley grass in our ingredient list, we assure you there’s no gluten involved. Here’s the nitty-gritty.   Barley starts as grass. As the plant matures, it develops barley grain, which contains gluten. But when barley grass is harvested as a young plant—before the grain appears—it’s gluten-free. This young version of barley is what’s included in our blends, which means it’s gluten-free.   The Food and Drug Administration allows barley grass as an ingredient in gluten-free products as long as the final product contains <20 parts per million of gluten, including any gluten due to cross-contact with gluten-containing grains. Ka'Chava meets these requirements and therefore is certified gluten-free." I replied to Jah and also pointed out that they actually made the advertising on their website that their products are Certified Gluten Free" which required there be less than 10ppm according to the GFCO. I sent her a link to the GFCO handbook. She seemed not to be aware that "Gluten Free" and "Certified Gluten Free" were different standards from two different organizations and she expressed appreciation for the new information.  So, I'm wondering if the GFCO, unlike the FDA, does not prohibit the use of small amounts of actual gluten containing grains in order to grant certification as long as the concentration does not attain to or exceed 10ppm. I also suggested to Jah that the company update their ingredient list to say "organic barley grass" instead of "organic barley". So, if in fact barley grass is used instead of the barley grain head in their product, they would seem to be in compliance with either the FDA regs or the GFCO regs.
×
×
  • Create New...