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

Peanut Butter M&m's...sooo Sick!


MitziG

Recommended Posts

MitziG Enthusiast

Everything I have read says they are gluten free. But this is twice in a row now that I have gotten sick within minutes of finishing a bag. Last time I thought it was a fluke. This time, my celiac son and I were munching them in the car, and by the time we got into the store, we both had to go running for the bathroom. I am kind of fortunate in that gluten usually gives me a very quick and noticeable reaction, so I can identify the culprit at least. Are M&M's likely to have been cross contaminated? This has NEVER happened witht he regular ones. Hours later and my stomach is still really hurting. I am never touching them again, that is for sure!


Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):



Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):



psawyer Proficient

I have never had a problem with M&Ms, but I don't have any specific experience with the peanut butter ones.

giggleburger Rookie

Is it possible you have some sort of issue with peanuts or whatever is mixed to make the peanut buttery part of the M&Ms?

gluten free overseas Apprentice

Do dyes bother you? Even the gluten free dyes can bother some folks.

ravenwoodglass Mentor

They now make pretzel M&Ms. I wonder if CC is now an issue when it wasn't before?

kareng Grand Master

I believe it was on here that I read this, but not sure. You could contact M&Ms and get it verified.

Special flavors like, the pretzel or raspberry or strawberry were produced on thier "extra" lines. So were holiday colors. The regular flavors stayed together on the main machines. I don't know if pretzel has become a standard flavor now or a temporary one.

Since you had a reaction, maybe you would like to email them & then post the response for all of us inquiring minds?

I never get to eat the PB ones at my house as they are the first in a mixed bag to be sucked down by the boys here.

bumblebee-carnival Newbie

I had the same problem with Reese's Peanut Butter Eggs. No gluten listed in the ingredients, but I had a reaction shortly after eating one.


Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):



Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):



MitziG Enthusiast

No problems with dyes or peanuts ever- so I am going to email the company as suggested. I will let you know what I hear back!

LabyrinthRunner13 Rookie

No problems with dyes or peanuts ever- so I am going to email the company as suggested. I will let you know what I hear back!

I'd be really interested to hear what they say... I got a bag out of the vending machine at work today and 30 minutes later I was running for the bathroom. It is now several hours later and I am developing a rash on my arms, and (for the first time) on my chest. I was given to believe that they were gluten free and safe...

Duhlina Apprentice

I had a reaction to the mini Reese's peanut butter cups and vowed to never touch them again!

beverlyann5 Newbie

I am new at this, but find myself always getting answers from this site and various members. I was looking up Peanut Butter M&M's and of course found comments here. I eas the Peanut M&M's all the time with no adverse affects. However, after reading the ingredients as we all do on the Peanut Butter ones, I ate 3. Three. That's all. Ten minutes later I was having a reaction and had to leave the work floor. So they are definitely off my list of edibles. By the way I have Celiac Disease and am now living a Gluten Freedom life! Wow! Beverly

Everything I have read says they are gluten free. But this is twice in a row now that I have gotten sick within minutes of finishing a bag. Last time I thought it was a fluke. This time, my celiac son and I were munching them in the car, and by the time we got into the store, we both had to go running for the bathroom. I am kind of fortunate in that gluten usually gives me a very quick and noticeable reaction, so I can identify the culprit at least. Are M&M's likely to have been cross contaminated? This has NEVER happened witht he regular ones. Hours later and my stomach is still really hurting. I am never touching them again, that is for sure!

MitziG Enthusiast

So I finally heard back from the company...sort of. makes me wonder if a real person even READS the emails? They are treating it like a complaint! Argh. I just want to know their processing procedure. Anyway...this is what they said:

In response to your email regarding M&M'S PEANUT BUTTER CHOCOLATE CANDIES.

Thank you for your email.

We're sorry to hear of your experience with M&M'S PEANUT BUTTER CHOCOLATE CANDIES. At Mars Chocolate North America we take all consumer feedback very seriously, and we would like the opportunity to provide you with the highest level of service.

In compliance with the requirements of the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), we ask for limited personal information as a part of our initial online feedback process. COPPA restricts the amount of personal information that website operators can collect online. In order to respond to your email, we need to collect further information from you (i.e., address, upc and manufacturing code stamped on the wrapper). Please contact us on our toll-free number, 1-800-627-7852, between 8:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. ET, Monday through Friday.

When calling please refer to file reference # 011674967A. We look forward to assisting you further.

Sincerely,

Consumer Care

Like I KEPT the packaging? Really? They think I am a hoarder? (ok, so maybe I am a little, but only important stuff...) Anyway, I will call them tomorrow if I get a chance and post what I find out. If anything....

MitziG Enthusiast

I am new at this, but find myself always getting answers from this site and various members. I was looking up Peanut Butter M&M's and of course found comments here. I eas the Peanut M&M's all the time with no adverse affects. However, after reading the ingredients as we all do on the Peanut Butter ones, I ate 3. Three. That's all. Ten minutes later I was having a reaction and had to leave the work floor. So they are definitely off my list of edibles. By the way I have Celiac Disease and am now living a Gluten Freedom life! Wow! Beverly

BAM! As Emeril would say...if he had Celiac that is...lol

psawyer Proficient

Like I KEPT the packaging? Really? They think I am a hoarder? (ok, so maybe I am a little, but only important stuff...) Anyway, I will call them tomorrow if I get a chance and post what I find out. If anything....

This is normal. The people in the call centers who respond to such questions routinely ask for this sort of information. They do need it.

If you are in doubt about a product, ALWAYS keep the package so you can refer to it when the manufacturer's rep asks these questions. Ingredients and facilities change. Some companies have more than one plant. The production code, combined with the UPC, is the only way that they can know that the answers they give relate to the product you actually bought.

  • 4 weeks later...
srsly Newbie

I had a reaction this week as well and the only thing I can think of that was out of the ordinary for my diet was peanut butter M&Ms.

Please do follow up if you found out anything else.

  • 3 months later...
jay22deb Newbie

My wife, with Celiacs, just had a similar experience. Last night she became ill, and we narrowed down the possible causes to peanut butter M&Ms or salad dressing. Tonight she is again sick, and the only outlier she ate were peanut butter M&Ms. (She has never had problems with regular M&Ms.) She has no history of reacting to peanut butter and related products before. Could Mars be experience a cross-contamination problem??

heatherjane Contributor

Here's a recent M&Ms thread with some helpful info.

Also, make sure you are checking the label for "May contain wheat".

  • 1 year later...
Sdjoly Newbie

I see no one has posted here in a while, but I have a severe gluten sensitivity, had a bag of these M&M's Peanut Butter today and got serious intestinal upset within 3 hours. Just letting everyone know there is still a problem with these. 4 hours later still not doing well....

  • 1 month later...
Cee-CeeC Newbie

I see no one has posted here in a while, but I have a severe gluten sensitivity, had a bag of these M&M's Peanut Butter today and got serious intestinal upset within 3 hours. Just letting everyone know there is still a problem with these. 4 hours later still not doing well....

 

Same here, but happened with a couple hours today. Wish I would have found this thread earlier -- but lesson learned. Hate when it happens the hard way, though.

GF Lover Rising Star

Mars M&Ms clearly marks packaging with allergy information and a "may contain" statement.

 

Peanut Butter M&Ms do not contain gluten.  If they continue to make you sick you should not eat them.

 

All the best.

 

Colleen 

  • 1 year later...
Natalie319 Newbie

I find this so interesting.

I'm gluten-intolerant. I'm not so sensitive that cross-contamination bothers me. For instance, I can eat fries if they're in the same oil as something else. It won't upset me. But if I eat something with actual gluten, it will.

I ate peanut butter m&ms and I got a bad migraine that night (one of the things that happens to me) and I've had a major stomachache for two days. I haven't had this kind of pain in probably a year. So I know that it can't just be a small cross-contamination issue making me this sick.

 

There must be something in peanut butter M&Ms that we are also sensitive too, or the company is just oblivious to their ingredients! It's odd that so many of us would get sick off of them.

gilligan Enthusiast

I hardly doubt that Mars is oblivious to their ingredients.  They have a reputation to protect.  Perhaps you are becoming more sensitive and something else you ate earlier upset you, or you have developed additional food sensitivities.  Always check label ingredients.  You're also posting on a thread that's two years old, so you would need to recheck Mars website for up to date info.

Natalie319 Newbie

Well, I was mostly joking about the oblivious. My point being there's obviously something going on that we're not seeing.

 

I definitely have additional sensitivities. I've been going through some pretty extensive allergy testing for allergies/sensitives. That's how I know it's the M&Ms, because I've been on a super strict diet with only foods that have tested "safe," but I did, stupidly, cheat and have the M&Ms. There's nothing else I ate out of the ordinary. But I'm on day 5 of being sick from them, still. A slight amount of gluten has never, ever made me this sick. And I've definitely had accidental mishaps here and there.

And of course I checked the ingredients. I'm very regimented about that for years. I just posted here because I noticed it was clearly a problem for other celiac/gluten intolerants, and wanted to add my experience. It's a strange coincidence. 

gilligan Enthusiast

I was on a very strict diet for months, also.  And, when I could finally have a taste of chocolate it was bad news!  It was months before I was slowly able to eat it again.  Perhaps that is what is happening to you.  

CK1901 Explorer

I've been fine with peanut butter m&ms, but I usually prefer to stick with Hershey's brand candy, Endangered Species Chocolate, or Justin's brand since they actually address the issue of gluten directly.

 

Reeses eggs and the mini reeses cups and any other speciality/holiday shapes are not safe. Only the regular reeses cups are gluten free.

 

http://www.thehersheycompany.com/our-ingredients/nutrition-information/special-dietary-needs/gluten-free-products.aspx

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Celiac.com:
    Donate

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):
    Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):





    Celiac.com Sponsors (A17-M):




  • Recent Activity

    1. - Scott Adams replied to Jmartes71's topic in Dermatitis Herpetiformis
      1

      Natural remedies

    2. - Scott Adams replied to miguel54b's topic in Related Issues & Disorders
      1

      Gluten and short-term memory.

    3. - Scott Adams replied to Suze046's topic in Celiac Disease Pre-Diagnosis, Testing & Symptoms
      1

      Reintroduction of Gluten

    4. - Scott Adams replied to Rejoicephd's topic in Coping with Celiac Disease
      2

      Draft gluten-free ciders… can they be trusted ?

    5. - Scott Adams replied to Mykidzz3's topic in Gluten-Free Foods, Products, Shopping & Medications
      1

      High Cost of Gluten-Free Foods


  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):



  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      131,369
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748

    Nick H.
    Newest Member
    Nick H.
    Joined

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):


  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.4k
    • Total Posts
      1m

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):





  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):



  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • Scott Adams
      While it's always important to approach internal use of essential oils with caution and ideally under the guidance of a qualified professional, your experience highlights the potential of complementary approaches when traditional medicine falls short. Many in the community are also interested in the intersection of natural wellness and gluten-free living, particularly for managing systemic inflammation and its various symptoms, so sharing your story is valuable. Your observation that it may also be helping with bloating is fascinating, as that could point to an overall reduction in inflammation. Thank you for sharing what is working for you!
    • Scott Adams
      It's interesting how a single, clear moment—like struggling during a game—can suddenly connect all the dots and reveal the hidden impact of gluten exposure. Your experience with short-term memory fog is a very real and documented symptom for many individuals with gluten sensitivity, often occurring alongside the other issues you mentioned like mood disturbances, sleep disruption, and digestive irregularity. It's a frustrating and often invisible effect that can make you feel unlike yourself, so that moment of clarity, though born from a tough dominoes match, is actually a powerful piece of self-knowledge. Identifying a specific culprit like that steak strip is a huge win, as it arms you with the information needed to avoid similar pitfalls in the future and protect your cognitive clarity. You are definitely not alone in experiencing this particular set of neurological and physical symptoms; it's a strong reminder of gluten's profound impact on the entire body, not just the digestive system. Supplementation may help you as well.  The most common nutrient deficiencies associated with celiac disease that may lead to testing for the condition include iron, vitamin D, folate (vitamin B9), vitamin B12, calcium, zinc, and magnesium.  Unfortunately many doctors, including my own doctor at the time, don't do extensive follow up testing for a broad range of nutrient deficiencies, nor recommend that those just diagnosed with celiac disease take a broad spectrum vitamin/mineral supplement, which would greatly benefit most, if not all, newly diagnosed celiacs. Because of this it took me decades to overcome a few long-standing issues I had that were associated with gluten ataxia, for example numbness and tingling in my feet, and muscle knots--especially in my shoulders an neck. Only long term extensive supplementation has helped me to resolve these issues.      
    • Scott Adams
      Approximately 10x more people have non-celiac gluten sensitivity than have celiac disease, but there isn’t yet a test for NCGS. If your symptoms go away on a gluten-free diet it would likely signal NCGS. What you're describing is a very common and frustrating experience when reintroducing gluten after a period of avoidance, and your timeline is perfectly consistent with a non-celiac gluten sensitivity. While a celiac reaction can be more immediate, a sensitivity reaction is often delayed, sometimes taking several days to manifest as your body's inflammatory response builds up; the fact that your symptoms returned a few days after reintroduction is a strong indicator that gluten is indeed the culprit, not a coincidence. Your doctor's advice to reintroduce it was necessary to confirm the diagnosis, as the initial negative celiac test and subsequent improvement on a gluten-free diet pointed strongly towards sensitivity. Many in this community have gone through this exact same process of elimination and challenging, and it's wise to reintroduce gently as you did. Given your clear reaction, the best course of action is likely to resume a strict gluten-free diet, as managing a sensitivity is the primary way to control those debilitating symptoms and allow your body to heal fully.
    • Scott Adams
      Your suspicion is almost certainly correct, and you are wise to be cautious. Draft cider is a very common and often overlooked source of cross-contact because the same tap lines are frequently used for both beer and cider; unless a bar has a dedicated line for gluten-free beverages, which is rare, the cider will run through tubing that has previously contained gluten-containing beer, contaminating your drink. The fact that you didn't react at a clean brewery suggests they may have had more meticulous practices or separate lines, but this is the exception, not the rule. Many in the community have had identical experiences, leading them to strictly avoid draft cider and opt for bottled or canned versions, which are poured directly from their sealed container and bypass the contaminated tap system entirely. Switching to bottles or cans is the safest strategy, and your plan to do so is a smart move to protect your health. PS - here are some articles on the topic:    
    • Scott Adams
      Your post really highlights the financial and emotional struggle so many families face. You are not alone in feeling frustrated by the high cost of gluten-free specialty items and the frustrating waste when your daughter can't tolerate them. A great place to start is by focusing on naturally gluten-free whole foods that are often more affordable and less processed, like rice, potatoes, beans, lentils, corn, eggs, and frozen fruits and vegetables—these are nutritional powerhouses that can form the basis of her meals. For the specialty items like bread and pasta, see if your local stores carry smaller, single-serving packages or allow returns if a product causes a reaction, as some companies understand this challenge. Regarding vitamins, that is an excellent next step; please ask her doctor to prescribe a high-quality gluten-free multivitamin, as insurance will often cover prescribed vitamins, making them much more affordable. Finally, connecting with a local celiac support group online can be a treasure trove of location-specific advice for finding the best and most affordable products in your area, saving you both time and money on the trial-and-error process. 
×
×
  • Create New...