Re: Trader Joe's and mis-labeled foods

[Guest guest]

Which brand was it? Also, did you try

it? I know their soups say made on equipment shared with wheat, and I’ve

never had a problem with it. (I’m super sensitive too). I think with

the things like soup & such, they just use the same giant stainless steel

pots. Not all things made on “shared equipment” mean they have

gluten in them. (Though I tend to think they are more likely to than not).

I’m bringing this up because I

avoided the soups for over a year, and then tried one one day & I’ve

never had a problem.

I would try it before you go sending them

an email – they are VERY careful about their foods & would be

horrified if someone got a reaction. Or, if you’re not willing to try

it, how about letting us know which brand & letting one of us try it?

Lil

From: [mailto: ] On Behalf Of Naren Wadhwani

Sent: Monday, September 03, 2007

7:47 PM

Subject: [ ] Trader

Joe's and mis-labeled foods

I

recently bought a container of rice milk at Trader Joe's that is

mislabeled as gluten free. I was psyched to see this new product and

especially so when I read " gluten free " , and then I was really

disappointed and a bit ticked when I got home and read the

ingredients. It says it's processed on shared equipment with wheat,

etc. I am super sensitive to gluten and I know not to use this, but

this labeling is extremely misleading to celiacs. I still have to

contact Trader Joe's (it is their label) but I thought it best to do

so via email after sending this out to the group. I think it may

require a " group response " for them to take notice.

I also got sick the other day after eating some rice made with Harvest

Sun vegetable bouillon cubes. Their website indicates that these are

gluten free, but I don't know what kind of standard they are using. I

have been learning about new allergies I have, so I'm not as quick to

point fingers here but I'm curious if anyone has any experience with

this product (www.horizonfoods.ca). I was starving and then I made

this rice, fell asleep after eating, and woke up and got sick. It

almost seemed like a staff poisoning kind of response as opposed to

gluten, but I don't know.

[Guest guest]

well, it's the Trader Joe's brand... and it's something I definitely

wouldn't try. they only charged me $1.50 for it so I'm not too

worried about taking it back but I was going to trash it. I expect

that no product should ever be labeled gluten free if there is a

chance it is contaminated in any way. my experience with Soy Dream

products (soy drinks are not labeled gluten free but ingredients are

gluten free) is that I get a very mild reaction to them. basically

just a little bit of burping. this may be akin to the " silent damage "

which celiacs are said to experience however, and it is disturbing.

I spoke with the Soy Dream company (Hain's foods?) a while back

because I noticed the product didn't say gluten free on it, although

the ingredients indicated it was. they told me that they don't label

it gluten free for our safety because it is made on the same equipment

as gluten containing products. they said they do false runs of the

drink but they still don't label it gluten free. now this is one of

the first indications of my " ultra-sensitivity " . despite their false

runs, I'm sure I get a gluten reaction from their drinks. anyway, I'm

interested to also hear what other people think of the Trader Joe's

labeling on their rice milk.

Naren

On 9/4/07, Lillyth Denaghy Keogh-Quillan

<lillythdenaghykeogh@...> wrote:

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

> Which brand was it? Also, did you try it? I know their soups say made on

> equipment shared with wheat, and I've never had a problem with it. (I'm

> super sensitive too). I think with the things like soup & such, they just

> use the same giant stainless steel pots. Not all things made on " shared

> equipment " mean they have gluten in them. (Though I tend to think they are

> more likely to than not).

>

>

>

> I'm bringing this up because I avoided the soups for over a year, and then

> tried one one day & I've never had a problem.

>

>

>

> I would try it before you go sending them an email – they are VERY careful

> about their foods & would be horrified if someone got a reaction. Or, if

> you're not willing to try it, how about letting us know which brand &

> letting one of us try it?

>

>

>

> Lil

>

>

>

> ________________________________

>

>

> From: [mailto: ]

> On Behalf Of Naren Wadhwani

> Sent: Monday, September 03, 2007 7:47 PM

>

> Subject: [ ] Trader Joe's and mis-labeled foods

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

> I recently bought a container of rice milk at Trader Joe's that is

> mislabeled as gluten free. I was psyched to see this new product and

> especially so when I read " gluten free " , and then I was really

> disappointed and a bit ticked when I got home and read the

> ingredients. It says it's processed on shared equipment with wheat,

> etc. I am super sensitive to gluten and I know not to use this, but

> this labeling is extremely misleading to celiacs. I still have to

> contact Trader Joe's (it is their label) but I thought it best to do

> so via email after sending this out to the group. I think it may

> require a " group response " for them to take notice.

>

> I also got sick the other day after eating some rice made with Harvest

> Sun vegetable bouillon cubes. Their website indicates that these are

> gluten free, but I don't know what kind of standard they are using. I

> have been learning about new allergies I have, so I'm not as quick to

> point fingers here but I'm curious if anyone has any experience with

> this product (www.horizonfoods.ca). I was starving and then I made

> this rice, fell asleep after eating, and woke up and got sick. It

> almost seemed like a staff poisoning kind of response as opposed to

> gluten, but I don't know.

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

I am not very trusting of TJ's labeling after ending up with $13,000

worth of hospital bills after making a trail mix out of their GF Nuts

(and processing lines NOT supposedly shared with wheat products). The

nuts were on their GF list and the packaging did not indicate they are

packaged or processed in a place that also does wheat products. I even

had them call their buyer to confirm they were GF. But, unfortunately,

they made me ill and my gluten sensitivity has landed me in the

hospital emergency room many times and so did eating their nuts. I am

just saying this was my experience and may not be yours. I would use

prudence and caution with some of TJ's GF listed products. Also, my

understanding is that heat, water, soap does not remove the gluten

protein molecules only an alcohol based cleaner breaks the molecule

down. Does someone know differently?