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

May Contain Wheat

Castle

Recommended Posts

Castle Newbie
Castle
Posted

I have been gluten free for almost 3 years now but I still struggle with this topic.

Do you eat foods that have labels with "May contain wheat" Or " May contains traces of wheat"

I don't have physical symptoms so I don't ever really know if I have been contaminated or not. I never purposely eat food that I know contains wheat but I will eat foods that have the label saying "May contain" occasionally. What's your take on this and what do you do? I know it's my choice in the end but I am curious to know what other people do when it comes to this!

Thanks!

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

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


alex11602 Collaborator
alex11602
Posted

We don't in our house, but I also have two young children to think of and wouldn't take a chance with their health. I also find there are plenty of options without that warning, so why bother? That's my personal take on it.

psawyer Proficient
psawyer
Posted

Castle, you said in a previous topic that you are in Canada.

Open Original Shared Link

There is no meaningful difference between "may contain x" and "may contain traces of x"--both indicate the possibility of accidental content at some low level.

I generally avoid products that "may contain wheat," especially if there is an alternative that does not have the warning. But, the warning is voluntary, so its absence does not necessarily mean anything.

ravenwoodglass Mentor
ravenwoodglass
Posted

Do you eat foods that have labels with "May contain wheat" Or " May contains traces of wheat"

I also avoid stuff with this warning.

Hornet Rookie
Hornet
Posted

I avoid all labels that say gluten-free but are not made in dedicated gluten-free facilities. I don't know in reality why it can be called gluten-free if there may be traces of gluten, soy or other allergens.

Ultimately you have to decide what is best for you and if eating traces of wheat poses a problem for your health.

~**caselynn**~ Enthusiast
~**caselynn**~
Posted

I'm an avoider as well, any possible trace is a trace too much for me. ?

Castle Newbie
Castle
Posted
  • Author

Thank you all for your posts! I appreciate the feedback. I am leaning towards avoiding those foods with such labels but it's hard sometimes when there isn't an alternative.

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

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


lpellegr Collaborator
lpellegr
Posted

You also have to consider that since plenty of labels don't say anything about other things that might share the lines or factory, you could be eating things that "may contain traces of wheat" all the time without knowing it, so while it's good to avoid the potential contamination that they tell you about, it still won't keep you 100% safe. That said, if the package states that there's a chance for cross-contamination, I mentally thank them for their honesty and step away from the product.

eatmeat4good Enthusiast
eatmeat4good
Posted

I'm 2 years gluten free.

Got sick from nuts contaminated...definitely gluten by my reaction.

So when I grabbed the Spaghetti sauce that proudly says Gluten free on the front, and I turn it over and it says Made in a facility that also processes wheat...um...no thank you.

I feel sorry that people believe that gluten free on the label means it IS gluten free.

I've been testing that off and on this last year and it's totally true for me that if it's made in a facility that processes wheat, I'll probably get sick.

So as painful as it is.....

I've decided only to eat Certified Gluten Free products.

Cause even if you don't find that warning on the label...and there are no gluten ingredients, it doesn't mean it isn't contaminated. Unfortunately.

I really wish it were not legal to use the Gluten Free on the label unless the product is tested.

Adalaide Mentor
Adalaide
Posted

I appreciate the honesty from companies and steer clear of the products with that label. I was curious about it and tested it for myself. When I was feeling pretty well I decided to eat some dried blueberries with that label and had a very strong reaction. It's sort of a mixed bag for me though, as I take those words on the label as a warning of possible cc.

Here's what I mean by that. Cheetos for instance. Regular, normal Cheetos have no gluten ingredients but aren't produced in a gluten free facility. Sure, they take every precaution but who knows? Heck, they don't even have the warning on the bag, but I still won't eat them. On the other hand, Cheetos Naturals I will eat. It isn't that they are produced elsewhere, they aren't. It is that every batch is tested and verified gluten free, where the regular ones are not. It's an assurance thing that promises the product I am getting really is gluten free.

It's why I appreciate "processed in a facility..." warnings. My health just isn't worth risking over something like the Cheetos that are a little cheaper or the X that is mildly more convenient or whatever. Sure, it could very well be perfectly fine. But why risk it?

Archived

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

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


  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      128,041
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    GeoPeanut
    Newest Member
    GeoPeanut
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):

  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121k
    • Total Posts
      70.6k
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):


  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • trents
      Vaccines

      By trents · Posted

      @GeoPeanut, milk is one of the better sources of iodine. Iodine is known to exacerbate dermatitis herpetiformis. Many people find that a low iodine diet helps them avoid dermatitis herpetiformis outbreaks. So, maybe the fact that you have limited your dairy intake of late is helping with that.
    • GeoPeanut
      Vaccines

      By GeoPeanut · Posted

      Hi, I'm new here. Sorry for your troubles.herenis a thought to mull over. I recently was diagnosed with celiac disease,  and hashimoto's and dermatitis herpetiformis after getting covid 19. I eat butter, and 1/2 cup of Nancy's yogurt daily. I stopped all other dairy and  dermatitis herpetiformis is gone! I also make grass fed beef bone broth to help with myopathy that has occurred. 
    • trents
      Celiac or Addison's complications? Can someone share their experience?

      By trents · Posted

      Welcome to the forum, @KRipple! Sorry to hear of all your husband's health problems. I can only imagine how anxious this makes you as when our spouse suffers we hurt right along with them. Can you post the results from the Celiac blood testing for us to look at? We would need the names of the tests run, the numeric results and (this is important) the reference ranges for each test used to establish high/low/negative/positive. Different labs use different rating scales so this is why I ask for this. There aren't industry standards. Has your husband seen any improvement from eliminating gluten from his diet? If your husband had any positive results from his celiac blood antibody testing, this is likely what triggered the consult with a  GI doc for an endoscopy. During the endoscopy, the GI doc will likely biopsy the lining of the small bowel lining to check for the damage caused by celiac disease. This would be for confirmation of the results of the blood tests and is considered the gold standard of celiac disease diagnosis. But here is some difficult information I have for you. If your husband has been gluten free already for months leading up to the endoscopy/biopsy, it will likely invalidate the biopsy and result in a false negative. Starting the gluten free diet now will allow the lining of the small bowel to begin healing and if enough healing takes place before the biopsy happens, there will be no damage to see. How far out is the endoscopy scheduled for? There still may be time for your husband to go back on gluten, what we call a "gluten challenge" to ensure valid test results.
    • kate g
      Are they close to a drug that will help celiacs with cross contamination

      By kate g · Posted

      Ive read articles that there is stage 2 research being conducted for drugs that will limit damage to celiacs through cross contamination- how close are they to this will there be enough funding to create a mainstream drug? 
    • KRipple
      Celiac or Addison's complications? Can someone share their experience?

      By KRipple · Posted

      Hello, My husband has had issues with really bad diarreah for over nine months now. In mid November, he went to the doctor for what they thought was a bad cold, which two weeks later was diagnosed as bronchitis. A week later, in December, I had to take him back to urgent care and from there, to the emergency room cause his vitals were too low. They said he was having an Addisionan crisis and he spent five days in the ICU. Since my husband has Autoimmune Polyendocrine Syndrome Type II (type 1 diabetes, Addison's and Hashimoto's), I fought for a blood test to determine if he had Celiacs. Given the results of the test, he was told to go to a gastro for an endoscopy. It took two months to get his first appointment with the gastro. Still waiting for the endoscopy appointment. He stopped eating gluten in the hospital and has followed a gluten-free diet since. His diarreah continues to be as bad as before he stopped eating gluten. Still has a horrible cough that makes him hack. His energy is so depleted he pretty much goes to work, comes home and goes lie in bed. He is having issues regulating body temperature. He is barely eating (he's lost 20 pounds since mid-December). Body aches. Totally run down. He has been taking more prednisone lately to try to counter the symptoms.  Today, we went to his endo to discuss these things. She said to continue taking increased amount of prednisone (even though I explained that the increased dosage is only allowing him to do the bare minimum). According to the endo, this is all related to Celiacs. I am concerned because I know that both Celiacs and Addison's can have similar symptoms, but don't know if he would still be having these many symptoms (worsening, at that) related to the Celiac's after stopping gluten two months ago. If anyone in this group has a combination of Celiacs and Addison's, could you please share your experience? I am really concerned and am feeling frustrated. His primary care provider and endocrinologist don't seem to consider this serious enough to warrant prompt attention, and we'll see about the gastro.  Thanks.
×
×
  • Create New...