Response to: New member questions..help! Also info on Kraft products

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I decided to reply to 's post (see below) via the list, as there is much information that may be useful to others, even though I am replying specifically to her questions. Also, note the info on Kraft; their fact sheet on gluten was new to me and may be new to others as well. PKN

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Sorry it has taken so long to reply on this, but we were out of town and then very busy when we returned.

Finding out if a product is gluten-free can sometimes be a challenge, especially in the face of conflicting information from other celiacs and the manufacturer. If this is a food I really want to eat and there is no acceptable alternative, I would suggest contacting the manufacturer and asking them about how they process the food in question and if contamination is possible. Some manufacturers welcome this type in inquiry; others don't. For the ones that don't, cross that food off your list. It just isn't worth your (or your child's) health.

Generally, I tend to trust the manufacturer unless I have evidence to the contrary or they sound totally clueless ("Don't worry, there's absolutely no MSG in our product at all."). If you are "lucky" enough to be one of those who reacts clearly and instantly, you will know if the product is problematic in spite of the manufacturer's assurances that the product is GF. Sometimes, however, it is hard to tell just what you are reacting to. If there is a product that is really important to my family that is questionable, I will try it several times with long intervals in-between. I used this method with one product my kids liked; after several tries over several weeks, I concluded that the product seemed to have occasional contamination problems (one batch would be fine, the next would cause problems), so we dropped it from our pantry and found a replacement.

As for the yogurt: I have called about the Go-Gurts and been told that they are GF. We have occasionally eaten them with no obvious problem. My personal preference is for the organic and natural foods; in that category all Horizon dairy products are GF (according to a phone call to the manufacturer a few months ago). Stoneyfield says they can't guarantee ANY of their products to be GF. Most yogurts should have a manufacturer's phone number on the container; pick a yogurt and call the manufacturer and ask questions until you are satisfied. I usually will just buy a product if I am reasonably sure by reading the ingredient list that it is GF; when I get home I call the manufacturer and ask if it is GF; if not, I return the product (save the receipt). If I have a cell phone, and the time, I call right from the store.

Ketchup: Again, we buy the organic (Muir Glen) and have had no problem. I hear that Del Monte is reliably GF and should be available in most markets in the bay area. The only time we eat Heinz is at Mc 's (I think this is the brand they have). We haven't had a problem with it so far. I see on the internet that some folks have had problems with Heinz. If this concerns you, I would suggest going for the alternative brand. Also note that some manufacturers process foods at different plants; one plant may have a problem and another not. Again, if the brand is important to you, call and talk to them.

No personal experience with the potatoes. Call the manufacturer (check the bag for the number) and ask if they process any wheat-containing products in the same plant or on the same line. Ask if contamination is possible at any point in the process.

Always go with your gut (no pun intended) feeling: if you feed something and you see a change for the worse, stay away from that product.

Vitamins: and Sons has several GF versions of their gummy vites (gummy-bear type vitamin). There are other manufacturers out there that have similar products that are GF. If you haven't already, check out whatever you are feeding him now to see if it is GF. You may be surprised to find it is. Lots of vitamin makers put "gluten-free" on the label. Just go down the vitamin aisle and read the labels (time consuming, but once you find something GF that likes you can stick with it). Emergen-C makes a great Strawberry-Fizz (it is a powder you put in water and it makes a fun, fizzy drink) multi for kids and most kids love it. We also use Liquid Health children's multi; this is not sugar-sweetened, so it is not as popular a taste. Liquid Health also has a honey-sweetened multi, but I have not tried it. If you can make it to the meeting on Saturday (see my previous post for more info or ask me for details) in Santa Cruz, Goldberg is the one to ask about vitamins of all kinds.

As to lunch meat: I have had good luck with Diestel turkey products. We have used Meyer products in the past, but not often. We haven't had any obvious problems.

Ah, Kraft. When I went to the internet to look up Mayer I saw that they are owned by Kraft Foods (seems like every time I turn around, Kraft is on the label of another food brand; I wonder if it has always been owned by them and I never knew it, or if Kraft has been buying up most of the major food brands out there: things have come a long way from when I though all they made was mayonnaise and processed cheese). I went from there to the Kraft fact sheet on "Choosing Gluten-free Foods." On reading it, I was actually very pleasantly surprised. In the past, Kraft has been, shall we say, very crafty about identifying gluten in their foods, if not downright reluctant to even discuss it, much less be pinned down on the subject. Basically, I stayed away from any food with the Kraft label if I could avoid it; they had very few products they would declare absolutely gluten-free. Since the last time I was in touch with them, things seem to have improved greatly.

In their statement ( http://kraftfoods.com/kf/HealthyLiving/articles/allergiesandsensitivities.htm ) on gluten they say:

If a Kraft product contains gluten, a source of

gluten will be listed in the ingredient statement, no

matter how small the amount.

This is a phenomenally definite statement for Kraft. Judging by their past reluctance to assure me that all but a very few of their products were GF, I would say this amounts to an absolute guarantee of gluten-freedom (?). So even though they don't come out and say the words "gluten-free" (I think it's sort of like that Happy Days episode where the Fonz kept trying to say "I was wrong" but he just couldn't get the words to come out), I believe they are doing their best to tell us which products do contain gluten; and this is clearly stated on their label (they are a bit ahead of their time with the food labeling law, and even go a step farther by including barley, rye, and oats). The only question they left untouched was the contamination issue, something few manufactures are eager to discuss. If you are concerned about contamination, you will have to address this in a product-by-product method. As I said above, call the 800 number on the package and ask what else is made in the same plant, and if gluten could be a contaminant. From the information you get, you will just have to make the best judgment you can and keep alert for signs of gluten. Since this statement covers "all Kraft products, including Mayer and Nabisco," there are a huge number of products from these brands whose labels we can now trust.

A few words on contamination. It is a very tricky subject. Any time there is loose flour in a factory it is almost impossible to avoid contamination. Flour can stay airborne for 36 hours. This means that in order for a product that is manufactured in a place where loose flour is handled, the factory would have to completely shut down for two days and clean all equipment and every surface before making a product that would be gluten-free. Then the first several batches that come off the line should be discarded. Some factories that make GF products do this successfully. A lot depends on the consciousness and diligence of the manufacturer. So in any case where loose flour is handled, I would be very concerned about contamination. Other than handling loose flour, my concern would be much less, depending on the situation. If something that contains wheat is produced on the same line, that is also a red flag.

I know all this sounds like a huge amount of work, and it is. But once you have identified a group of foods likes that are gluten-free, you can stick with those and add more gradually as you go along. I hope this makes things a bit less confusing. If you are still struggling or have more questions, do let me know.

Pam Newbury

Santa Cruz Celiac Support Group

831-423-6904

-----Original Message-----From: laura_horvath [mailto:laura_horvath@...]Sent: Saturday, August 21, 2004 11:50 PM Subject: [ ] New member questions..help!Hello,First, let me introduce myself...I am and my 2 year old son was recently diagnosed (with me probably following closelybehind). I am in the high state of confusion of trying to figure out what is GF and not GF. ANy thoughts on the following products would be very helpful...1. Yogurt - LOVES Yo-Baby yogurt but their website says they cannot gaurantee their yogurts are GF except for their plain yogurt....so far, he does not like the plain with fresh fruit mixed in...I can't seem to get a straight answer on the other yogurts in the market (go-gurts, lucerne/safeway brand, yoplait, other kids yogurts, etc.)...does anyone have any suggestions????2. Ketchup - My son loves ketchup...I've read both Heinz and Huntare GF but am concerned about contamination...any opinions?3. Frozen potatoes (tater tots, etc.) - again, ingredients I thinkare GF (ore Ida at least) but concerned about contamination - anyexperiences?4. Vitamins - I want to put my son on a iron/complete vitamin - anyluck finding a GF vitamin that a 2 year old will eat?5. Lunch Meat - again, lots of confusing information...anyexperience or recommendations for lunch meat ( Meyer, WholeFoods, etc...)...6. Kraft foods - I think they are very misleading...Their info line sounds like a law office saying things like 'we clearly identify products for known allergens' but never actually say the product is gluten-free....any thoughts on Kraft products like cheeses, lunch meats, etc....THANK YOU (from a very confused mom!!!)Cheers!