Is [This] Gluten Free?
Starting today (02/10/12), I will be documenting items that I need to look up during the course of any given day to see if they are gluten-free (when I have time). This serves two purposes: 1) To help people who are wondering about the same item; and 2) To expose what a pain in the ass it is to have celiac disease. For each item, I will explain my method and my verdict.
Dude disclaimer: I’m not a doctor. Not even close. If you have any doubt on any item, do your due diligence. And remember, things can change so what may be gluten free today may not be tomorrow.
Are Hebrew National Hot Dogs Gluten Free?
(05/14/2012) The hot dog is not for me…I don’t think my insides would tolerate it. But I was curious to see if they were gluten free. The company website said nothing. But every other site I came across said they were indeed gluten free. Not healthy mind you…but gluten free.
Total time spent looking: 4 minutes
Verdict: Gluten Free
Is Truvia Gluten Free?
(05/10/2012) After giving up cream in my coffee, I am now breaking my Splenda addiction. I’ll be weening myself via Truvia. But can I have it? I certainly can. Right on their website it says it does not contain gluten. That was easy!
Total time spent looking: 1 minute
Verdict: Gluten Free
Is Aunt Jemima Original Syrup Gluten Free?
(04/22/2012) A rare Sunday french toast breakfast for the Gluten Dude. So rare that the only syrup we had was the kid’s Aunt Jemima original syrup. Looked at ingredients. Yuck! First two ingredient are pure crap. Checked their website. Old, outdated and not helpful. Googled it. The consensus seems to be that it is gluten free, but I’m not convinced. Nor do I want something that ungodly unhealthy. My first dry french toast ever. Tasted great.
Total time spent looking: 7 minutes
Verdict: Unknown
Is Hormel Bacon Gluten Free?
(04/19/2012) I got a call from Mrs. Dude while she was at the store about this item. I love me some bacon! Right on the Hormel website is a Gluten Free Product List. That’s the way it’s done. It looks like the Hormel Black Label Bacon, the Hormel Microwave Bacon and the Hormel Fully Cooked Bacon are all gluten-free. Mmmmmm….bacon.
Total time spent looking: 2 minutes
Verdict: Gluten Free
Is Tribe Hummus Gluten Free?
(04/13/2012) It used to say right on the container that it was gluten free, but no more. Bummer…now I need to look it up. Here’s what it says on their site: “Tribe Hummus does not contain any gluten or wheat ingredients, and there is no gluten or wheat present in our manufacturing process. Although we are not certified “gluten free,” hummus is naturally a gluten-free food. Periodically, we test our products for gluten to be certain the levels meet the proposed FDA limits.” I guess we’re good.
Total time spent looking: 3 minutes
Verdict: Gluten Free
Is Miracle Whip Gluten Free?
(04/03/2012) Modified corn starch, spices and natural flavor add up to one confusing label for us celiacs. They even claim “Our secret ingredient is our mixed up blend of spices.” Yikes! Seems to be a lot of varying opinions online. A lot of “they say it’s gluten free, but it may contain soy.” Wait…hold the presses! Home run. Just found on the Kraft site itself. All Kraft products will state a gluten ingredient if it includes gluten. Miracle Whip does not. It’s safe.
Total time spent looking: 7 minutes
Verdict: Gluten Free
Is McCormick Taco Seasoning Gluten Free?
(03/27/2012) A few tricky ingredients listed: Whey Solids, Potato Starch and Spices. I found this on their website: “When WHEAT is the source, it will always be called out within the ingredient statement, and listed in bold.We do not maintain a list of gluten-free products, as our formulas change from time to time.” All other websites I checked said it is indeed gluten free, including a person who called the company directly in October 2010. I’m giving this one a passing grade.
Total time spent looking: 9 minutes
Verdict: Gluten Free
Are Craisins Gluten Free?
(03/22/2012) The ingredients are simply cranberries and sugar, but I need to be sure. One website said they think so. One website said yes. But the Ocean Spray website said that they’re juices and sauces are gluten free. But that two of their Craisin brands do indeed contain gluten. But they didn’t say anything about the basic Original Craisins. I’m not convinced they’re gluten free. Rats. Update on 05/11/12: Several people have commented (below) that their bag of Craisins now says Gluten Free. I guess I can change my verdict.
Total time spent looking: 7 minutes
Verdict: Gluten Free
Are Mentos Gluten Free?
(03/12/2012) No ingredients listed. Their website says yes they are gluten free. But it doesn’t seem that simple. As of 2007, they use wheat glucose syrup as an ingredient, but they say it passes the gluten-free test due to the small amount used. But they manufacture on a facility that handles wheat. So even though the company says Mentos are gluten free, I would not risk it.
Total time spent looking: 4 minutes
Verdict: Unknown
Are Bellino Sun Dried Tomatoes Gluten Free?
(03/05/2012) Ingredients check out ok…except for the unknown “spices”. I visit my good friend Google and bam!…the first result is the company website’s “gluten-free” page. Love that. Yep…they are gluten free.
Total time spent looking: 1 minute
Verdict: Gluten Free
Is McCormick Cocktail Sauce Gluten Free?
(02/27/2012) What’s shrimp without a little cocktail sauce? But can I have it? Ingredients show high fructose corn syrup (why? why? why?) and natural and artificial flavors. No answer there. The company website does not say. But Cecilia’s Marketplace and many, many others say it’s fine and that McCormick will say an item contains gluten if it does. So I’ll trust the experts on this one.
Total time spent looking: 6 minutes
Verdict: Gluten Free
Is SkinnyGirl Cosmo Gluten Free?
(02/24/2012) A friend brought a bottle of the SkinnyGirl Cosmo to the Dude ranch. I was curious how it tasted as I can make a killer cosmo on my own. But does it have gluten? Because it’s alcohol, it does not have to list the ingredients. All it says on the bottle is the vague “natural flavors”. No information about gluten on their god-awful website. According to Erin on Gluten Free Fun, the Skinnygirl Margarita is gluten free. But I cannot find anything about the cosmo. Ah well, time to make my own. It is 5:00 somewhere.
Total time spent looking: 12 minutes
Verdict: Unknown
Is Signature Cafe Roasted Chicken Gluten Free?
(02/17/2012) Ingredients look somewhat safe, except the dreaded “spices” and “natural flavorings”. Doesn’t specify on the company website. Let’s Google. One discussion (between 2 people) says yes, except for possible cross contamination. Another said they called Safeway and they were vague and said to ask the deli people at the store (who didn’t know what gluten was). Bottom line: I have no idea.
Total time spent looking: 6 minutes
Verdict: Unknown
Is Trident Gum Gluten Free?
(02/16/2012) I have been chewing Trident gum forever (not the same piece) and I believe it has always been gluten free. But when they came out with new packaging, I figured it was a good time to check up on it again. Easy pickings. Right on their site, it states that all trident gum is gluten free.
Total time spent looking: 1 minute
Verdict: Gluten Free
Is Progresso Tomato Parmesan Soup Gluten Free?
(02/12/2012) The Dude wants some soup. Found a nice can of Progresso Reduce Sodium Tomato Parmesan. Ingredients seem to be ok but I’m not 100% sure so I go to the Progresso website. On top of the site there is a “Gluten Free” link. I assume this will list their gluten free items. Yippee! I click the link. It takes me to a totally different site. Huh?? Oh…but on the bottom of the page, you can view all reduced sodium soups that are gluten free. Nice. This one is NOT listed. I wish I knew which ingredient made this not gluten free.
Total time spent looking: 10 minutes
Verdict: NOT Gluten Free
Is Theraflu Sinus & Cold Gluten Free?
(02/11/2012) Still feeling lousy. Need meds. We’ve got some Theraflu Liquid Sinus & Cold. Off to the races to see if it’s gluten free. Hmmmm…a lot of sites say the Theraflu Cold & Cough is gluten-free. The Theraflu site says nothing (arghh!). Cannot find anything about this specific product. Rats.
Total time spent looking: 13 minutes
Verdict: Unknown
Is Target Brand Sudafed Gluten Free?
(02/10/2012) The Dude is feeling under the weather today and Mrs. Dude wanted to give me some Target brand Sudafed. None of the ingredients made it clear. Looked online and could not locate anything with certainty. Called Target customer service. They did not know. They connected us to their “ingredient specialists”. They also did not know. But they said they will look into it and call us back…within a week (by which time of course I’ll feel fine).
Follow up note: We received a phone call on 2/14 and it is indeed gluten free.
Total time spent looking: 20 minutes
Verdict: Gluten Free
48 Comments
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Who is The Gluten Dude?
Somebody who's been gluten-free for five years due to a diagnosis of Celiac disease, where the doc said my numbers were "off the charts". Someone who can steer you in the right direction when it comes to going gluten-free. And someone who will always give you the naked truth about going gluten free. I didn't find freedom, a better life or any of that other crap when I got diagnosed. With all due respect to Hunter S. Thompson, I found fear and loathing of an unknown world. But if I can share my wisdom, tell my stories and make the transition easier on you, I've done my job.
Jen
97 days ago
Did you ever go to this website: http://www.foodfacts.com/ ? It still lists modified food starch and caramel colorings as gluten. Type in the Progresso soup you mentioned and you will see that mod. food starch is the only one that comes up as gluten. Perhaps Progresso is using this antiquated info? Definitely not worth finding out the hard way though!
The Gluten Dude
97 days ago
Definitely not Jen. Wheat is not listed as an allergen so it must be some hidden barley or rye. Ahhh…the joys of celiac.
Mandi
2 days ago
What can you tell me about Whey protein…everything I look up seems to suggest that Whey protein IS Gluten Free…but..I’m just not so sure..it seems to be in EVERYTHING!!
Rachel
93 days ago
thanks so much for starting this! It would be cool if some of us could share our verdicts on “gluten free” products, too.
The Gluten Dude
93 days ago
Thanks Rachel. I’ll see what I can do.
Melissa Booth
88 days ago
Often liquid meds are gluten free if they are clear. Many pills are not though. If all else fails liquid Benadryl is gluten free and will dry you out. I actually do not know of any cold meds with gluten.
Most soups are not gf. Make your own. If you need a base try the Better than Boullion product. For tomato– Hunt’s tomato products are GF and they are very good about labeling. I have been having issues with Udi’s products. I know they are GF but I am reacting to something in them. Not sure what it is.
The Gluten Dude
88 days ago
Thanks for the input Melissa. Good tips!
gourmetgroupie
87 days ago
Melissa,
I am gf/df for years and have found I have a reaction to tapioca. The starch and flour are used alot in commercially prepared breads and pastres. My tummy’s reaction to tapioca flour is almost as bad as to gluten. The starch does not seem to be as bad; but I try to stay away from it in general.
Michelle Wood
4 days ago
Melissa,
Udi’s bread has at least 3 different corn ingredients, and their reps cannot guarantee that they are not genetically modified. Corn is a very inflammatory food, doesn’t digest well at all, and most corn is sulphited. Many people have reactions to the way the corn is processed. Tapioca can also be sulphited, causing more sensitivity to a person. Look up some videos on Dr. Peter Osborne’s site called http://www.glutenfreesociety.org, and you’ll see that corn and other GF grain substitutes have proteins in them that behave like gluten or gliadin. It may be worth your while to skip bread and grains all together!
sebastian
66 days ago
can you make a list off all ingredients that people with celiac disease can´t eat!
The Gluten Dude
66 days ago
Hey Sebastian. There are tons of those lists online, but I will certainly try to put one together and add to my site. Thanks.
sebastian
60 days ago
Okej, that would be great! and is it gluten in beer?
The Gluten Dude
60 days ago
All beer has gluten, unless it’s a specially made gluten free beer. There are a few decent ones on the market.
sheila nardi
3 days ago
bards is the only gluten free beer I have found and it is not bad at all
The Gluten Dude
3 days ago
I just discovered New Planet and it rocks. See if you can get your hands (and mouth) on it.
sebastian
56 days ago
Okej thanks, How about the big food change, do they serve their stuff with gluten free bread? Like Mc Donalds, burger king ? Iknow they do it in sweden
Else
56 days ago
In Canada, it says “gluten free” right on the package of Craisins. I eat them all the time without any problems.
The Gluten Dude
56 days ago
That’s interesting. I wonder why they wouldn’t do that in America. Perhaps they are made differently here and they’re not gluten free??
Sassy Celiactivist
55 days ago
I was going to say the same thing. I think if they are made in a different factory, that can make a difference and/or possibly labeling laws are different? It’s strange, but there are a lot of indiscrepancies between US and Canada. For example, I’m pretty sure Mars bars are gluten-free in the US, but not in Canada. Weird that the ingredient formula would actually be different for the same bar (barley is used in Canada).
Lesley
51 days ago
Its the same with Lea and Perrins worcestershire sauce. European and Canadian made are not GF due to the use of malt vinegar..However it has come to my attention that its American counterpart is made with white distilled vinegar and therefore in fact GF. Of course I advocate label reading but I would be interested in knowing if this is in in fact true.
Thanks for the fun and informative list dude. Its a gluten minefield out there sometimes
The Gluten Dude
51 days ago
It is indeed a minefield!!
Melissa
56 days ago
I think often it depends on where they are manufactured. Not long ago I was reading about some chicken or hamburger helper type products. They used to be gfree but they switched manufacturing facilities and may now get cross contaminated so they changed the labeling. On the subject of g free resteraunts they are just now starting to address gluten here and they are NOT using any gluten free substitutes. On the subject of McDonalds I even react to their fries
generally speaking the only place I feel comfortable eating anything more than a plain salad or baked potato is chipotle! Otherwise I carry nuts, and trail mix with me! Homemade beef jerky is good too! When I am out eating is definitely a challenge and stress inducing!
Greta
45 days ago
This is cool of you to share your hard work. I feel like I should do this too. Took me nearly 20 minutes to figure out if my celiac son could eat the McKenzie Country Pork Sausage which my husband was serving. Finally found on their site a list of gluten containing products with a statement that all other products were gluten free. It was not on the list, so I let him eat it. No reaction. Verdict: Gluten-free.
The Gluten Dude
45 days ago
If I had started this list when I was diagnosed, it would have about 1000 products on it by now
Christine
35 days ago
Came across this while voting for the Foggy Awards. Congratulations on your nomination. I am always “googling” when I have a particular product to see if it is gluten free. Im still a newbie . Diagnosed in March with celiac and lactose/dairy intolerance. Keep adding items – takes the guesswork out of it.
The Gluten Dude
35 days ago
If I had started this when I was first diagnosed, I’d have a million items on it already. I’ll do my best to keep adding more.
Sorry to hear about the diagnosis. Be patient. It gets easier…
Rachel
32 days ago
Damn, I didn’t realize that craisins were possibly contaminated. Sigh. Some of the hardest things to find gluten free are dried fruits and nuts.
Bjohn
32 days ago
I google products, too. I type stuff like ‘Miracle Whip gluten free’ and get lots of responses. Or I type broader queries like ‘gluten free bacon’ and some cool lists come up that way. But I have also found it helpful to call the toll free number listed on many products so I can ask them directly (especially since I have other intolerances I have to know about, too). Calling is especially helpful when it comes to OTC products like Tylenol or cold medicines etc.
Bjohn
32 days ago
But here’s a word to the wise that kind of shocked me when I first learned about it. Let’s say you pick up two bags of pecans in the grocery story. One says ‘processed in the same facility with products containing peanuts, wheat, and soy.’ The other bag doesn’t say anything. Now in the past, my first reaction to the warning was usually to think ‘No way am I going to buy the one with the warning on it, because it could be contaminated.’ Then I listened to a radio podcast from Julesglutenfreeflour and found out that my reaction was probably the wrong one. The radio guest was a gf blogger (sorry, don’t remember her name) who spends HOURS of her time researching candy to find gluten free options for her children at Halloween and Easter. Therefore, she has a LOT of experience talking to manufacturers. She said it’s important to ask companies what their ‘manufacturing practices’ are, not just ‘is this product gluten free.’ By doing this, she has found that a warning on the label can actually be a good thing, because it at least lets you know that the company is ‘allergen aware.’ Sometimes that means they are also more likely to take allergen precautions. Meanwhile, when she called the companies that didn’t have the ‘scary warning’ on their product, she found that they were often clueless about gluten, allergens etc. and were LEAST likely to take precautions. It completely makes sense to me now, but prior to hearing her SAY it, the warning had the opposite effect on me…as I’m guessing it did/does for many people.
Bjohn
32 days ago
When I call a manufacturer and they tell me that they post the warning because they want sensitive consumers to have all the facts, but they also want to assure me that they take every precaution to ensure that their GF products are not contaminated…I appreciate that! Some precautions I’ve heard of include running their GF lines (and ONLY their GF lines) the first week of every month. And they do it AFTER they have torn down every piece of machinery and cleaned the factory from top to bottom. When they get done running GF, only then do they bring out the wheat and other allergens to run their other products. Some places run their GF products in a totally different wing, but they still post the warning label to let consumers know there is a slight chance of contamination. And let’s face it, I’m sure some lawyer wanted to coI now LIKE calling to talk to the manufacturer. If they tell me they post the warning because they want their customers who are sensitive to know all the facts, but they also want to assure me that they take every precaution possible to protect their GF foods from bever their A**, too. But I appreciate the info either way. Like I said, the idea that the product with the warning might actually be the better choice was a revelation to me, so I have tried to pass this along. My suggestion: Read labels, google, and call the manufacturer to ask about their manufacturing practices.
Bjohn
32 days ago
My last post got garbled…I don’t know why. Here is what it was supposed to say: When I call a manufacturer and they tell me that they post the warning because their want sensitive consumers to have all the facts, but they also want to assure me that they take every precaution to ensure that their GF products are not contaminated…well, appreciate that! Some precautions I’ve heard of include running their GF lines (and ONLY their GF lines) the first week of every month. And they only do it AFTER they have torn down every piece of machinery and cleaned the factory from top to bottom. When they get done running GF, only then do they bring out the wheat and other allergens to run their other products. Some places run their GF products in a totally different wing, but they still post the warning label to let consumers know there is a slight chance of contamination. And let’s face it, I’m sure some lawyer wanted to cover their a**, too. But I appreciate the info either way. Like I said, the idea that the product with the warning might actually be the better choice was a revelation to me, so I have tried to pass this along. My suggestion: Read labels, google, and call the manufacturer to ask about their manufacturing practices. You might be surprised to find that they take enough precautions to satisfy your concerns.
The Gluten Dude
30 days ago
Lots of great info Bjohn. Thank you!!
Sue
30 days ago
I’ve been gf for 8yrs. I had no help from anyone when I received my diagnosis, actually told by my doctors “you’re on your own” and later “you know more about the disease than I do”. I found a site that listed gf safe and unsafe food lists. Since then a lot of foods have moved from the unsafe list to the safe list. I have permanent damage to my intestinal tract (thank you for misdiagnosing me for over 40yrs). I eat a very strict gf diet and have found so many other allergies/intolerances. I have found that most of the foods moved from the unsafe list to the safe list have made me very sick. Starches are a problem, esp. pre-gelatinized starch which is a cheap filler in medications. I wish instead of listing a product as gf they would actually list how many ppm their product has and let the buyer make their choice safely. 1ppm makes me sick. But really think about it, you eat 3 gf products in 1 day that have 20ppm, that’s 60ppm in 1 day and your damaging your intestines and might never know. My doctor told me I’m the lucky one because I know when a product contains gluten, others don’t know the damage they are doing to themselves if they don’t have any reaction. So, for those of you who don’t, beware what you eat because there is a lot of food on the shelves listed as gf that’s not really gf! Examples: corn starch – estimated that 90% of all corn starch is contaminated; natural smoked bacon – a barley rub is used on the meat before smoking to help the meat absorb more smoke flavor.
The Gluten Dude
30 days ago
That would be awesome Sue if they could list the ppm. I find it unreal that it can say Gluten Free as long as it’s below 20ppm. Gluten free should mean just that…gluten dang free.
Lisa
27 days ago
My giant bag of Craisins from Costco is marked “gluten free” on the bag.
The Gluten Dude
27 days ago
That’s interesting Lisa. Are you in the U.S.?
Rachel
24 days ago
Dude! Love the list and really enjoying your site! Keep it up!! Celiac bloggers unite!
Terry
19 days ago
Are Mentos GF? Whenever I’ve tried them I feel ill. They may have very little gluten in them, but they bother me.
The Gluten Dude
19 days ago
I have Mentos marked down as an Unknown. And if they make you feel ill, I think that answers the question. Stay away from.
Lisa
16 days ago
Hi, there! Just wanted to let you know that because of you, I emailed Wrigley company this morning to inquire into the gluten free status of their gum products and was pleasantly surprised to receive an answer within in an hour. Not only did they address my concerns about what was IN the gum, they addressed all my concerns about cross-contamination from where the materials are stored to what is in the wrappers around the gum itself! I was very impressed with the depth of their response and will be happy to forward the email to you, if you would like to include them in your list.
Susie Bishop
10 days ago
A good substitute for S Y R U P is sifted (GF) powdered sugar and lemon. It makes great toping for F R E N C H T O A S T . Simply make your french toast (I make it in a George Foreman Grill), therefore using little to no butter or oil. When cooked, butter with GF butter which I buy at Whole Foods. Then sift GF powdered sugar ont it, and then squeeze fresh lemon on top.
D E L I C I O U S. ENJOY!
The Gluten Dude
9 days ago
Nice…will indeed try that.
Lori R
9 days ago
In response to the above post concerning Craisins – I, too, have a large bag that I bought at Sam’s Club in the US that is labeled gluten free.
The Gluten Dude
9 days ago
Thanks Lori. I guess it craisins are indeed gluten free then. I changed my verdict above.
Bjohn
2 days ago
http://blog.julesglutenfree.com/2012/01/gluten-free-beer-tasting-notes/ I don’t drink beer, but I remembered forwarding this article about gf beer to my son. I believe Jules (the author) has done an update about newer options that just came out, too….probably somewhere on her blog.
The Gluten Dude
2 days ago
Thanks. Just found New Planet. Am once again a happy beer drinker.
Bjohn
2 days ago
My son drinks Redbridge, which seems to be the most commonly available. It is in grocery stores. But others are usually available in health food stores and organic groceries.
manuela
2 days ago
mentos are NOT glutenfree. at least here in germany.