I have never tried a Bob’s Red Mill product. I’ve heard they were a good company run by good people. Since the day I was diagnosed with this crappy disease, I’ve heard that they were the answer to a celiac’s dreams. Tastes great. Completely gluten-free. Yada yada yada.
But then last week, somebody pinged me and told me that, while technically gluten-free because of our insanely stupid regulation that still allows gluten in gluten-free items (a rant for another day), Bob’s Red Mill products actually contains gluten, albeit under the 20ppm allowed by law.
Honestly, I was taken aback. I had just assumed because of their popularity among the celiac community, they were 100% gluten free.
Then a few days later I heard from a fellow celiac who got real sick eating one of their products. And then I did a bit more digging and read some more complaints. So I reached out to the company directly and asked them how safe their product was for somebody with severe celiac disease. Here is their response:
Our gluten free facility only processes products that test below the International Standard for gluten-free of 20 parts per million using ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) testing. Often gluten levels are lower than this, but we can’t guarantee that.
Before I decided to write this blog post, I reached out to my Facebook community and asked them if they’ve ever gotten sick from Bob’s. (Yeah…I know…I’m like an investigative reporter.)
If I received no negative responses, I wouldn’t write the post. After all, I do not want to spread unwarranted fear or misconceptions. There is enough of that going around in the celiac community.
Here is a sampling of the responses I received:
“Never have become sick from it.”
“I can’t tolerate their products.”
“Never. And I’m very sensitive.”
“I have gotten sick off of their pancake mix.”
“I’ve used Red Mill products for over 30 years with no problems.”
“I’ve only heard negative things, so I’ve never tried.”
“We use it in all of our bread and baked goods at our facility and we have never had a customer get sick.”
“I’ve eaten it every day for almost a year so have no idea why it’s making me sick now.”
“I’ve never had a problem with any of their flours or starches.”
“I have had trouble with their Sorghum flour & oats.”
And that’s sort of how it went. A mixed bag of responses.
You see…I have a dream. It’s not a dream where I can eat pizza, beer and bagels again. I’ve accepted my celiac fate.
But I do dream of the day when gluten-free means gluten FREE. When a product is labeled gluten-free, it’s gluten free. When a restaurant makes a meal they say is gluten-free, it’s gluten-free.
It’s not asking much. I just want us all to stay healthy.
I agree. It’s easier to follow a paleo diet and just deal with the fact the the FDA doesn’t require ‘gluten free’ foods to be truly free from gluten. I try to stay away from processed gluten free anything. It’s really hard.
Agreed. I have found that the majority of products labeled “gluten free,” as well as those that fellow celiacs report no problems with, (kraft products, kellogg’s crap, any grocery store brand that isn’t certified) tend to make me sick. I have gotten to the point where I truly only feel safe eating whole foods that I have rinsed off. It’s healthier but it still sucks sometimes.
” below 20 ppm” doesn’t mean it has any ppm. It could be 0 or 1. There is no test for 0. We assume cabbage has no gluten but it would test, if they tested cabbages, at less than 20 ppm. I won’t even try to argue with how small 1 ppm is. Or that our immune systems ignore many things ( germs, viruses, piece of paper stuck to a Popsicle ) at a 20 ppm measurement and we don’t get sick. Or even that, sometimes other foods or slight food poisoning, stomach viruses, too much fat or dairy to process, etc. can give us gluten type reactions.
Bob’s could test their products, made in a gf facility, at lower levels. I think there is a reliable one to test for 5 ppm. But it sounds like you would still think they somehow put 4 ppm of gluten in the product. Not sure how that would help the product and be worth the expense.
Eat what you want. Live how you want to. I know I will.
I don’t use any of their products as I’m allergic to a few gf grains and I make my own flour mix, buying larger, more cost effective quantities. I haven’t had much luck either with processed “gluten free” products. Jeez, why does “gluten free” have to be in quotes!!!
I wonder if some of the people who’ve gotten sick from it were careful about buying the one that says ‘gluten free’? I’ve almost grabbed the wrong package a few times because at my local store it’s all mixed together – and it’s annoying that they make one corn meal, for example, in their gluten free facility, and another one in their regular facility.
Personally, I’ve never had a problem with any of the Bob’s Red Mill stuff that says ‘gluten free’, and I’m very sensitive. I don’t eat their products all that often because we do more of a paleo diet these days – but I went for several months eating their gluten free oats for breakfast and never had a problem.
Celiacs aren’t that stupid. I am VERY careful to be sure EVERYTHING I buy is gluten free.
If you’re going to call out Bob’s, to be fair, you should call out many, many more manufacturers of GF food. Here is a handy table that shows that none on this table (and they are some big names in GF) state that they are 100% free of any ppm. http://celiacdisease.about.com/od/PreventingCrossContamination/a/Gluten-Free-PPM-table.htm
It is really is individual trial and error with every product made by every manufacturer to see what is ok for your body. I was one of the ones who mentioned that I can’t tolerate Bob’s sorghum products, but I can’t tolerate ANY sorghum products.
Just to be clear, I’m really not calling out Bob’s as they are following the gluten free labeling laws. I just wish gluten free meant gluten free.
I was diagnosed with celiac less than a month ago therefore am still a “dummy” when it comes to all things gluten. However, in this short amount of time, I have done quite a bit of research trying to figure it out on my own (the dietitian referral from my doc keeps getting lost in the system….). The one thing I keep asking myself and anyone who will listen is “Why doesn’t gluten free truly mean gluten free???”. I’m so confused and lost that I’ve been living on bananas, eggs, and popcorn. Celiac life sucks!
Just another FYI about Bobs… Their xanthan gum is actually started on wheat starch. They claim that that the product never touches gluten and that the end result is gluten free but I think it is something celiacs should know.
Also, I have always gotten sick from their products but to be fair almost all gluten free products make me feel ill. It is hard to tell if it is just the grains or if it is the small amount of gluten.
The real question is how do we trust again and what do we trust? Our bodies have turned against us by getting sick when we eat gluten. SO, we have lost faith in food, the preparers of food, the manufacturers of food, anyone related to food–even ourselves. Is it gluten making me sick or is it something else my body doesn’t like? How do I know, what do I trust? Sensitive people have it harder than anyone. Are they sensitive to just gluten or is there more? Does it change over time? And for the people that aren’t sensitive, are bad things happening inside or not? The symptoms do not match the level of damage!
So, how do we learn to live life happily? Where is the tipping point? I’m tired of all the research into all the related illnesses and problems. Let’s just get to the root of the matter. How do we eat safely and still have a meaningful life? Meaningful being a life full of interaction and participation with others whether it is family, friends or business. How do we find a way to function without brain fog, migraines, discomfort, etc.? I want a life without constant fear when eating three times a day! How do we accomplish that?
I would love the answers to these questions!
GF MOM, I hear you! The only days I have felt consistently fantastic are three days when I ate nothing but rice and organic fruits and vegetables. There is little joy in preparing and eating based on that diet plan! There was a period not long ago when I was eating hardly anything, because I was told that even otherwise very healthy things I wanted to eat (tomatoes, blueberries, cucumbers even) might be problematic and I just had no motivation to eat anymore. I sought the council of a nutritionist who went back to basics with me, first getting calorie count up however we could and eventually helping me to not be afraid of food any more. I have accomplished some of this through meditation and seeing myself as capable of knowing what my body needs. Ultimately, what joy is there in eating if we feel we are poisoning ourselves each time we put a morsel of food in our mouths? I agree with you that we need to find a way to trust again, and, at least in my experience, it seems to mostly require having faith in ourselves and our ability to make healthy food choices,
I agree with CH that we should be careful not to call any one company out without direct proof that a product is problematic. I get that people say a certain product makes them sick and why, of course, they would avoid the product from then on, but I also know that there are a million little things that can make us feel sick, including simply expecting something to make us feel sick. As consumers we do, while also holding these companies accountable, need to accept responsibility for our parts in this process. Our anecdotal evidence (how we feel and what we think may have triggered such a feeling – or, FAR more challenging, how our child feels and what we think may have triggered that feeling) is just that, anecdotal… even though it is our own experience, which we would trust more than any other evidence. What the companies who prepare foods for our population must consult is fact, science, and policy (as much as we consumers detest those terms). I hope we can learn to temper our frustration with a level of gratitude for what companies, perhaps like BRM, are trying to do for us. Without them, what options would we have (especially for kids for whom moving to a Paleo diet is a difficult leap)? Having said all of that, I truly appreciate you, Dude, and your efforts to continue these conversations that are so helpful, and like you I hope one day ‘gluten-free’ will always mean gluten-free.
Thanks and I agree. My point was not to call them out, but I see how people have taken it that way. I’m all about opening up discussions to help our community.
I agree with many of the posts above. People get sick for any number of reasons and very often it isn’t the gluten.
Maybe they need some of those 99% gluten-free labels you posted awhile back.
I saw some Bob’s products in my local store in the UK and wondered. I am off grains except rice at the moment though, so not yet.
We are already ‘blessed’ with 20ppm regulation here. When I was eating processed gf foods I got sick quickly, but I don’t know if it was the ingredients or possible cross contamination. I am still doing the mother of all elimination diets, and it would be months for me to test all the ingredients singley to bother and try something processed. Let alone work out cc.
I am sticking to wholefoods for now. Nothing with an ingredient list more than one thing, except my Parma ham, which has salt.
My greatest desire since being gluten free, and having a nut free child is simply the information to make up my own mind. I just spent 40 minutes trying to find out if an Easter egg he was given was ok.
Information, information, information
Mw
I suspect that their legal department wrote their response. I would have liked to have seen more along the lines of “we make every effort to prevent contamination,” but their lawyers might not have allowed that.
Having been an analytical chemist a couple of careers ago, the assay that they use to determine the amount of gluten in a product has a minimum amount of gluten it can detect (the limit of detection). If there’s more than the limit of detection (20 ppm), then the assay should find it.
If there’s less than 20 ppm, however, the assay will be unable to find it. The only way to determine if there is gluten at a lower level is to use a more sensitive assay. Based on what I’ve read, the most sensitive assay that is commonly used has a limit of detection of only 5 ppm, and I’m sure it’s more expensive.
Unfortunately, many of us may be more sensitive than that.
I posted on Facebook – I’ve only ever had a problem with one Bob’s Red Mill product – their brownie mix. I’m perfectly comfortable with the rest as I don’t react to it at all.
I wish the label “Gluten free” meant zero gluten, but in all practicality, I don’t think its possible. I don’t even think there’s a test to measure 0 gluten, and even if there was some, we might still have stuff that has some gluten. If you have a bakery in your grocery store, the fruit department could easily have fruit that says it has gluten in it because of the airborne flour. At some point, we have to say – what’s it worth to test all of this? Are we all willing to pay a lot of additional money for a specialty store to ensure everything is completely gluten free? I can tell you the answer to that one – all the specialty GF stores around me have closed. Only the health food stores and the grocery store are left.
What we need is an inexpensive test so that we can figure this out on our own, and have the market testing much more often. I test my blood sugar four times a day and it costs me $20/month with insurance. There should be a way for me to test my meal for gluten within the same price range (well, maybe up to my highest copay of $75. Restaurants could afford to test more than what little they are doing now, and we could hold them accountable to a standard of results – say that 20 ppm standard for calling a dish gluten free. ELISA tests are great, but at the price they are, they can only be reserved for the most special of occasions or the things you are absolutely dying to know about.
If we push for more testing options, something constructive could come out of all of us whining about the labeling laws (myself included….not on a high horse here). Its not like Congress would/could do anything about the laws right now…they can’t even pass a budget for a whole year.
Agreed Connie. My post was more directed at our stagnant government and the labeling laws.
And this is why I’m done with pre-packaged mixes. I’ll still use Bob’s single grain gluten free flours, but the mixes have always made me sick – and there’s a few others that do the same, actually only one brand doesn’t and it’s made with guar gum, I figured it out to be the xanthan gum, working on gum free flour mixes and if I can’t figure it out it’s nut free, egg free paleo (???hahaha seriously!!!) for me….good times….
I never buy any prepackaged gluten free baked goods and bake everything from scratch. I regularly use Bob’s sorghum flour, millet flour, brown rice flour and tapioca starch without any problems. I used to buy the gluten-free oats and switched to another brand only because they were cheaper. Also buy the teff grain and occasionally multi-grain GF bread mix. Never ever had any problems with any other Bob’s products. And I’m really sensitive.
I was going to write this same thing–almost verbatim–so I will just say
Same here!! (thanks, Else!) 🙂
No problems with BRM, except the ones that use garfava flour–I hate the “beany taste”.
And there is no problem for celiacs using xanthan gum. There is no wheat gluten in it, but some people may find that too much of it in a recipe may give you bowel issues. It has a laxative effect.
oh yes, I forgot about the beany flour! We used to use it as our all purpose mix but after a few baking disasters (like beany chocolate molton cakes – yuck!) we prefer to make our own mixes.
Thanks, as always, for your knowledge Irish.
I have tried the cookies, pancakes, brownies, haven’t tried the pizzas because we can get them frozen. The thing with gluten is you can inhale it just by the kitchen,
walking thru grocery stores, almost everywhere. I found gluten cutters 1 time and it worked for trace amounts. So I tried to mimic it with a dropper of peppermint and lactase used for lactose intolerance. When I had lactose intolerance I used lactaid which I found out was on the right track. The science is right behind us. It won’t be long before its disclosed how to digest gluten.
I’ve had to eliminate some grains, seeds, and even coffee because of cross-reactivity with gluten.
http://blog.primohealthcoach.com/blog/bid/79586/18-Gluten-Cross-Reactive-Foods
Just when you conquer gluten, then there’s more 🙁
I havea printout of the chart taped inside a cabinet door so I won’t forget which ones I have identified and eliminated.
People respond to different foods for a variety of reasons. Who knows exactly why one person may respond to a food (or a product) and another doesn’t. In general, I avoid baked goods and processed food. I wouldn’t call it a specific diet (like Paleo, etc.), it’s simply my lifestyle (plant-heavy, seeds, nuts, brown rice and GF oats on occasion, a small amount of meat (very picky about the sources), very little dairy or sugar, and so on). If you choose foods that have no label, there’s less to worry about. Finding what works for you is definitely a process.
Melissa
Totally agree Melissa. I think we tend to jump to the conclusion that it’s always gluten that’s getting us…understandably so. But it could be something else but we so conditioned to blame gluten. The question is…how do we know?
If you want to eat these sorts of foods, consider joining GlutenFreeWatchdog. Products are tested to 5 ppm, and the more people that join, the more tests can be done. I also have some home test kits I use occasionally. They test to 5ppm. This is the level that works for our GF eaters! Some certified to 10ppm (GIG certification) seem to work too.
When I was diagnosed with celiac- last summer, I started buying flowers most of the time from Bob’s Red Mill. Till now I don;t feel better,even though in my house there is no gluten at all. Now I start wondering if it is because of BRM products? I am being tested for other food allergies at the moment as well. Waiting for results. But since my diet is already quite complicated – I am vegan, gluten free girl- I will cry my eyes off if some other foods come to my forbidden list. I-just like Gluten Dude- wish that label “Gluten Free” meant it is 100% Gluten Free. I hate pick up package of food that says Gluten Free,but on the back you read “Produced in the facility that handles wheat, gluten..” Or that it may have less than 20mmp of gluten. I just want to buy food that is safe and tasty. Is it so much to ask? I want to be healthy!
hate to tell you this Adalinka, but you will not get better being vegan. I know I am pushing a lot of buttons, but my patients who are vegan and have food allergies only develope more and more food allergies. they also do not get rid of the allergies with allergy treatment. I think it is because vegans lack cholesterol and B vitamins. maybe iron too. cholesterol protects your immune system. you need more of it.
I have not had a problem with Bob’s Red Mill (i’ve been eating their new muesli, and it is fantastic). That being said, I don’t use a lot of mixes. I do use their single flours. And I am pretty sensitive to gluten.
That being said, I only use their flours that say “gluten free”. Otherwise I use Arrowhead Mills. Speaking of gluten-free flours, does anyone have a source for sweet rice flour?
Catherine,
I use Nuts.com (certified GF)
http://www.nuts.com/cookingbaking/flours/sweet-white-rice-flour-gluten-free.html
Shipping charges are high, however, but their GF selection is HUGE–
and everything is fresh and delicious.
Good stuff , IMHO
Cheers, IH
Had been using Bob’s since my daughter was first diagnosed about ten years ago. (That and Mrs. Robin’s – for those who remember her.) I used to pour through Bob’s catalog and was so happy to have found a company that had so many gluten-free choices for us.
But lately, I just don’t know. Maybe it’s that we as a family have become much more sensitive to gluten. We suspected the flour. Didn’t want it to be that. Really, really didn’t, but I stopped using Bob’s flours and we’re all feeling good again.
For some 20ppm might be okay. For us it’s not.
Celeste,
and for everyone else who is gluten free: I do not have celiac disease; however, I had many many food intolerances that are just as bad or worse-gluten being one of them. So I am gluten free and I do use Bob’s Red Mill products. I made the brownie mix a few times and loved it. However, I then began to develop stomach symptoms, bloating and gas. So I took a look at the ingredients and noticed there is Sorghum flour in it. Well I tested positive for Sorghum flour in my food intolerances and so I really think this is the problem with this particular product. My point being that if you have not been tested for other food intolerances, you may not know that it’s the sorghum, you may assume that there’s just gluten in the product. In addition, xanthum gum also gives many people the same symptoms. So my advice is that other than gluten, you might try being tested for other foods as well.
I once found their brownie mix on sale and decided to give it a try. I thought I might have had some cross contamination somewhere (I live with my boyfriend who is sweet but not careful) because after each one I had to hall ass to the ladies room. About a month later my mom sent me a gift set, brownie mix included. I really wanted something sweet so I made the brownies and was very careful…I got sick after just one. I honestly thought it was something I ate earlier, still new at this. Nope. The rest of the gift set is still unopened. Sorry, mom!
100% AGREE! There is nothing more infuriating than seeing a product that says gluten free on the label but on the back in tiny print says “may contain gluten” or ” is processed in a facility that also processes wheat”..UM hello that is not gluten free and not safe for celiacs or those who are gltuen intolerant! Why do they even bother making GF products celiacs and gluten intolerant people can’t eat- what is the point??? I have to wonder who their intended client base is then? How much money I have wasted in the early days on such products only to get sick for 2 weeks after eating it. UGG!- live and learn..
On Bob’s Red Mill- We can’t eat any of their stuff- we have gotten sick every time we tried any of their poducts- which really ticks me off because they are the only brand that is readily available in every grocery store and is also reasonably priced ..but oh well…
Sorry, but I have to say it one more time…Bob’s Red Mill CERTIFIED GF products..never bother me… I eat those oats every single day in a granola bar I make for the hubs and me …..and if any trace gluten were involved…I’d be dead by now
IMHO, of course. To each his/her own.
The testing regime here in Australia is much more stringent requiring 0 parts per million to qualify for the gluten free label. if you want to buy Bob’s products, do it through bioliving.com.au
The only products available are those that register no gluten through the tests.
I’m happy to hear this, but at the same time a bit troubled by it. Why can’t we get completely gluten-free Bob’s Red Mill Products here in the US? I love so much about this company, but I really think they could go one step further with their gluten-free line. We had do stop using many of their products but would use them again if they had 0 parts per million.
I’d never heard about this before. Thanks for sharing.
Interesting……this bio something company in Australia has a way to test for 0 gluten…..wonder why no one else in the world has it? Maybe because there is no test for 0 gluten?
And just a reminder….if something tests for 5 parts per million or less…it could be 0 or 1 or 2….. it does not mean it has any. It’s just a limitation of the way these tests work.
Thanks, Lima bean.
I keep trying to say this on GDude’s site, but maybe if someone else points it out too, it will help to clarify it further.
I’m Canadian and thought your Canadian audience might be interested to know of this recent recall by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) of a Bob’s Red Mill product due to undeclared gluten (link below). I don’t know what BRM’s track record is like on this score overall but the variety of comments your audience has submitted suggests this might have occurred before.
http://inspection.gc.ca/about-the-cfia/newsroom/food-recalls-and-allergy-alerts/complete-listing/2013-09-06-r8304/eng/1378929738776/1378929766673
In case your Canadian audience is unaware, they can click on the link on this page marked “Stay Connected” for information on how to subscribe free via email to such CFIA advisories. Presumably folks outside Canada can also subscribe but obviously the advisories only apply to goods sold within our borders.
I’ve been subscribed for several months and get emails almost daily (about ALL types of food recalls, not just GF mishaps, but you can select which types you want to receive). Generally the foods in question have already been removed from retailers and restaurants by the time the emails go out but might have already made their way into people’s kitchens before this so it does provide a useful service — to Canadians at least; presumably this service has an American counterpart.
Ok..this is very concerning. I will indeed follow up on this. Thanks for sharing.
I recently went totally grain free (not quite Paleo) because I suspected I was reacting to certain grains. I felt great for that week. I was particularly relieved that my brain fog was lifting! Hurray!
Then I made some almond flour “Paleo” muffins with Bob’s Red Mill products. This week I’ve been struggling with brain fog, fatigue, and a gluten rash. Always takes me a few days to realize my symptoms are “glutened” symptoms, probably because of the fog.
I’m going to leave the muffins alone and report back how I feel in a few days.
PS: I enjoy the blog. It’s good to “yeah me too!” with other Celiac’s. Need support trying to solve this crazy puzzle.
Hi everyone !
I wondered if any of you knew a mill that is certified gluten free… (other than Bob’s)…
thanks =)
Hodgson Mill! Certified by Celiac Support Association(less than 5ppm). Best gluten free out there!
I reacted to their almond meal with the typical glutened rash on my face on either side of my lips/chin. 🙁 Very very itchy!
I feel my best on meat, vegs, and small amount of fruits. It sure makes life hard though when everyone else around you is enjoying all the “typical” foods and desserts.
When I first started a ‘gluten-free’ diet, I made a batch of coconut cookies using their baking soda. The following day, I woke up very ill and had what felt like tonsilitis. For years, doctors thought I was getting tonsilitis when it was infact a very inflamed and swollen uvula which also made me feel incredibly exhausted and barely able to function (on top of other health issues). I can’t remember if I emailed Bob’s at the time but I think their baking soda contains corn. Happy to say I’ve had no throat problems for almost a year since avoiding all grains, even the so called gluten free ones. I believe I have Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity.
When I eat more than a serving of biscuits, cookies, or cake thorough out the day, then the next morning I notice a reaction. I feel better without any grains, but I am hungrier and not always satisfied. I haven’t given up Bob Mill’s flours yet, but if I can’t eat them in moderation I may have to.
Here it is two years later and I am looking back at this post wondering if it was Bob Mills products after all or other things called for in making the biscuits, etc. I am using Bob Mill’s products without symptoms now, but I have eliminated xanthan gum. I noticed reactions in other flours when I used xanthan gum so I just stopped. I don’t recall the research of why it would bother me. I am so busy trying to figure out how to eat and still feel good and have energy that sometimes I don’t dig for the scientific reason of why or why not, because I don’t have the time. If I don’t have a reaction by the next morning I am good to go. I grind the Bob Mill’s GF oats and make a delicious honey bread, sometimes, I am not a big bread eater since I have become GF. I like the Bob Mill’s 1 to 1 flour to and mix it with ground oats too.
I’ve never had problems with BRM in the past, but lately whenever I use mixes that aren’t certified gf I get symptoms … same thing this week with the biscuit and baking mix. Sigh.
I made meatballs the other day with Bob’s gluten free oats in them. I got sick. It was definitely the meatballs and definitely the oats, because I had the oats separately and got sick as well. I also had the meatballs on a gf hero roll and with brown rice pasta, which I eat often with no reaction. Maybe it’s just that it’s oats, but I’m disappointed.
Just curious, Ken, have you tried any other types of GF oats without getting sick? I’ve noticed on BRM oats packaging that it mentions some celiacs cannot tolerate even the purest oats (i.e., as free as humanly possible from wheat contamination). I’m reading through Peter Green’s book lately where he claims something like 2% of all celiacs cannot tolerate any kind of oats whatsoever.
I have the opposite problem (for lack of a better word) in that I don’t experience any digestive symptoms from being glutened (or at least I didn’t before the GI told me last year I had to to give it up, and I haven’t dared to cheat since). While I certainly don’t envy anyone with gluten sickness, being digestively asymptomatic means some foods might be causing myself damage without my body giving me any message (pain) about it.
I’m starting to think that there could be many unDXed asymptomatic celiacs out there who don’t know the harm they’ve done to themselves, until getting DXed later on with something even more serious.
John,
This is the first time since before I was diagnosed, and the last. In a way, I envy your lack of symptoms, but only because right now I can live without the headache, mood swings and same raging pain in my gut that first led me to get diagnosed last year. But yeah, I guess knowing when I get glutened is better than not knowing.
First I want to respond to the oats comment. First, just because you had a reaction to oats does not mean they are not gluten free. Oats have similar proteins as wheat. Gluten free can still make you ill.
Second, I made waffles a few weeks ago with Bob’s gluten free all purpose flour…. I became very ill…. I heard so many good things about Bobs. I am very disappointed…. Now that Jules has gone out of business I don’t know what to do.
Stephanie, there’s a light at the end of that tunnel. http://glutendude.com/celiac-awareness/when-bad-things-happen-to-good-celiacs/
Guys,
May I just interject here for a second? I am not doubting any of your symptoms…not at all.
Yet, I would like to point out that the book Real Life with Celiac Disease by Melinda Dennis, RD and Daniel Leffler, MD– who both work with celiac patients in Boston– have a chapter devoted specifically to oats. (chapter 21) Its written by Tricia Thompson, RD who is a watchdog for gluten and a highly respected celiac nutritionist.
They include Bob’s Red Mill in the five major producers of gluten free oats in North America (see page 156)
I do not think they would suggest this company if they felt it was
a hazard to a celiac’s health.
Maybe you are just intolerant to oats –which is entirely possible especially if you are less than 2 years healing your gut.
Give it some time and try again later.
It’s not because of gluten.
also, meant to link for you to the Univ of Chicago Celiac Research Center
Q Do oats contain gluten?
!A: A large body of scientific evidence accumulated over more than 15 years has proven that oats are completely safe for the vast majority of celiac patients. Oats are not related to gluten-containing grains such as wheat, barley and rye. They don’t contain gluten, but rather proteins called avenins that are non-toxic and tolerated by most celiacs (perhaps less than 1% of celiac patients show a reaction to a large amount of oats in their diets).
Oats can be in a celiac’s diet provided they are selected from sources that guarantee a lack of contamination by wheat, rye or barley.
Some who add oats to their diet may experience GI symptoms. This may actually be a result of the increased fiber that oats provide instead of a reaction to the oats themselves.
Hope this helps! 🙂
IH
Bobs Red Mill xantham gum is derived from wheat. All of their mixes have the xanthem gum in them. It makes my celiac family very ill, and yes i know it to be only Bobs red mill xanthem gum. I have done vast experiments on my family to see what was still causing them to be sick. I live near Bobs and have personally spoken to them about this problem, and pleaded with them to change their source. They told me that many people allergic to corn are happy tabour their xanthem gum. I said that was great but we are dealing with gluten, not corn. I told them that they are making people very sick labeling these products gluten free, without disclosing that the source of their xanthem gum is wheat. They argued that they test, blah blah blah. I am making it a personal crusade to get them to change this. Even though my family stays away from it, many people still make foods and feed it to them unsuspecting because it is labeled g.f. Please help me in contacting Bobs about this issue, maybe with more voices we will be heard. Thank you, Heidi
I would recommend switching Hodgson Mill. They have their gluten free products certified by Celiac Support Association(less than 5ppm). Much better!!
oh and my family too cannot have oats, mimics the same symptoms of gluten. and yes even G.F oats.
Wow! This is a very useful page and I really enjoyed reading article and all users’ comments. Buy Gluten free flour and Wheat free flour at our online store at reasonable prices. Thank you for sharing valuable information.
I am gluten free and also am a naturopathic doctor. I do believe that Bob’s Red Mill Products are safe. Many patients who are celiac think they got “glutened” when they ate something that was not homemade. It usually turns out that they are sensitive to more than just gluten. Here are some things that my patients have tested sensitive to IN ADDITION to gluten: xanthan gum, other gums, sorghum, arrowroot, corn starch,citric acid, dried beans (Bob’s Red Mill often uses garbanzo beans in their mixes), baking soda, almonds, bananas etc. etc.
the problem is that when people go gluten free, they feel sooooo much better! but if there is still some level of inflammation from something (a parasitic infection, candida overgrowth, another food allergy) then they will start noticing the ill effects of other foods they start consuming in larger quantities than before. In addition, many women have endometriosis, whose symptoms can mirror gettine “glutened”. One patient had giardia and kept thinking she was gettting gluten cross contamination.
If you dont’ fix the leaky gut, you won’t get over your digestive symptoms. and if you haven’t been tested for absolutely EVERYTHING you are eating, you likely do not know about your lesser allergies. In addition, there are other diseases that can cause abdominal pain and diarrhea.
Stick with Bob’s Red Mills products. Once I got a bag of their cornmeal and I understand it’s organic and there was a problem with it. I called their number and they very quickly sent me a replacement coupon. And I buy there stuff all the time.
I had the recent experience with Arrowhead Mills, them you should avoid!
I will NOT buy Arrowhead Mills products. We got a ripped 16 oz bag of their Oat Flour so I called Arrowhead Mills (The Hain Celestial Group, Inc.) customer service line. They promised me in January they would me a coupon for another product.
When no coupon ever arrived we called back. They told me that it was my tough luck. And they changed their mind!
So I won’t buy another product from Arrowhead Mills ever!
Usually when you have some product like this they just send you a coupon. But I guess Arrowhead Hills (The Hain Celestial Group, Inc.) doesn’t care!
I’m fairly sure I’m reacting to: Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies.
It’s not a strong reaction like I get with normal wheat contamination but it’s a half reaction. My stomach is upset and I feel slightly sick. It’s a total pain because everything the cookies touched has to be vigorously scrubbed down and tested (soaking it in water, drinking the water and seeing if I react). Some kitchen tools eg my nice, new silcone baking pans/spatulas may need to be thrown away. I have bought other Bob’s Red Mill products and been fine – Mighty Tasty, Buckwheat cereal, green pea flour, potato starch, potato flour, xanthan gum, others.
I was just diagnosed with Celiac’s about a min th agho but had kicked out all of the gluten a month before that. I also have allergies to dairy and eggs. I’ve had to be very strict with my diet because of this which means meat, veggies, fruit. That’s it. Last week I bought the bob’s red mioll oats because my daughter is going back to schjoo! And needed breakfasts to go. Long story short I ate them hoping I’d be okay and I’ve been in pretty serious pain this last week. So I won’t be eating those again ever. But I have had no mproblems with ytheir other gf flours.
Hello,
Is BRM’s 13 bean soup mix GF? I react to it.
If it is, can anyone point me to a GF bean mix?
Regards,
Dom
I just saw that product and its packaging on their website. While the 13 constituent beans are all inherently GF themselves, the packaging notes that the product is “manufactured in a facility that uses… wheat.” So, use at your own risk of cross-contamination. I wouldn’t recommend it for anyone with any type of gluten sensitivity or wheat allergy. Better off to buy all the beans separately from contamination-free suppliers and combine them yourself.
i realised i am allergic to beans..
Hello Gluten Dude,
I was diagnosed with Coeliac (British spelling) disease early last year. I then went ans spent 4 months in the USA. I stuck to a “gluten free” diet and still was feeling very ill. I moved back to New Zealand and have remained gluten free and started feeling much better. I know there is some possibilities that I still was just unwell and not healed, as I know healing takes awhile, but I think it is for a different reason. I looked in to the requirements for gluten free products in NZ and learned that we have a much stricter requirement here
Standard: 1.2.7 : Nutrition, Health & Related Claims – relates to Gluten Free labelling on food products.
Schedule 1 – For the food to be labelled as gluten free, the food must not contain –
(a) detectable gluten; or
(b) oats or their products; or
(c) cereals containing gluten that may have been malted, or their products.
Current testing methods can measure the level of gluten in food down to less than 3 parts per million (<3pmm). Thus foods advertised as being 'gluten free' and displaying the Crossed Grain symbol must not contain detectable gluten ( i.e. <3ppm).
I am happy knowing that when I buy gluten free products in NZ they truly are gluten free and ok for me to consume. I don't know what I am going to do when I go back to the USA and visit my family. I guess just eat vegetables. -_-
I live in the USA and I too have celiacs. I only eat veggies, meat, some rice, and very very rarely eat any of the “gluten free” products because they always make me sick. I also have a dairy and egg allergy so I am more restricted than some. I am hoping that cutting everything out for long enough will allow me to have dairy again but it is very easy to get contamination from processed “gluten free” foods in the USA. They are just not strict enough here.
Sick. Every time my friend bakes with Bob’s Red Mill flour I get sick. And it’s not my imagination or anything else. I get a severe gluten reaction like I have had a slice of pizza. I don’t really care why because I am never buying their products again. The reaction is seriously not fun.
My daughter gets extremely ill from their Almond Flour. On the toilet and vomiting after any amount of it. I won’t buy their products again.
I became EXTREMELY ill after eating bob’s gluten free rolled oats. I heard that they are a mix of purity protocol and cleaned contaminated oats? It was one of the few GF packaged foods I’d experimented with since my diagnosis 2 years ago. Either way, I will not be buying any of their products again and it has deterred me from enjoying any other packaged foods.
I am not celiac, but I do have a sensitivity to gluten which I discovered last year after doing Whole 30. I now try to avoid gluten if possible, but so badly wanted to have another “healthy” option for breakfast, so I decided to try Bob’s gluten-free steel-cut oats yesterday. I’m sorry to report that yesterday was one of the most miserable days I’ve had in quite a long time. Severe abdominal pain and some of the worst gas I’ve ever had. So disappointed. I also bought their gluten-free bread mix and pizza crust mix. Hope they really ARE gluten-free…
Only Oats Pure Gluten Free Steel Cut Oats from Canada might be the best answer. I’ve never tried them, but they seem to be as close as you can get to gluten free. Here’s an example of their stats so to speak,
less than 5ppm of gluten (where as Bob mills is at or around 20ppm!)
Processed in a gluten-free mill and facility which includes vigorous healthy checks at every stage of processing.
Excellent source of iron and fiber
Non-GMO
Free of major allergens
Kosher
Again, it’s not “100%” as it seems that is impossible, but I think that’s as close as you’re going to find. What do you think?
It is the second time for a very bad glutening on Bob’s single grain flours. I stopped using their mixes long ago–just don’t feel good after eating them but not an out and out reaction, but I still use the single flours. Last night I used their brown rice flour (gf)–new large bag, and had a very strong reaction. I am searching and searching thru the ingredients, but the only thing it could be is the flour. I live in Korea and it’s pretty easy to order their products here from the States, but now it makes things so much harder. Very upsetting. 🙁