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Here are most of the responses I've received about my postings on hidden
gluten in canned tomato products. I'm still not certain there is or there
isn't. But there is definitely something in them that bothers me as well as
some others. It might be a good place to consider if you are having
problems that you cannot trace otherwise. Sorry it is not more conclusive,
but like most of the discussions on this list, the manufacturers make it
difficult for us to draw certain conclusions either way. -vance

All the comments below this are quotes from others [except for the editor's
notes]:

AGREEMENTS AND FURTHER IDEAS:
some people seem to think that tomato products and the tin cans
produce a reaction in some people.  I posted a couple years ago on acid
reflux and got that as a reply. Perhaps, also, the canned tomatoes are a
different variety from your home canned ones and have more acid in them.

As I recall, tomato paste has wheat in it, so any tomato product that
has tomato paste in it is NOT gf!

Any chance that you are reacting to the can, or the lining of the
can?  Just a thought.

Natural flavoring in Heinz Ketchup, I have no doubt is malted barley.
I suspect that all tomato and vinegar combinations have some malt
for the flavor.

I agree with this rather controversial hypothesis [Ed: that msg has
unlisted gluten]. There are other possibilities. I am of the understanding
that when a material is used during processing, but does not materially
add to the nutritional value, and is not 'intended' to end up in the food,
it is not considered an ingredient. Witness the nearly universal practice
of using flour in candy factories to prevent sticking to belts, so most
know that candy bars have gluten, even when wheat is not an ingredient.
I also believe that the reaction many have to 'Minute Rice' may be due
to the use of flour paste glue in their boxes as another example.

Another can of worms, the list owners seem to react harshly to these
anectdotal reports [Ed: spec. Canned tomatoes bother me but not home
cooked], but I for one have a physiological response that is pretty
specific. When I accidently ingest gluten, aside from the gastro reaction,
I have urine that foams, and that smells like, well like barley soup or
similar, I cannot descibe it concisely, but it is very distinctive. Many
other things including Soy, Dairy, Canola, Potatoes, Beans, Peas, Peanuts,
Apples, Pears, can give me a G-I reaction to varying degrees. But when an
reaction includes the urine changes, if I dig I find reason to believe
there was wheat, rye or barley contamination. Remember the Quaker Rice
cake fiasco, I thought maybe it was just flour used to keep the bags from
sticking closed. Later it turned out to have been puffed wheat accidently
mixed into the puffed rice.

THANKS for posting on hidden gluten in tomato products.  I'd been having
trouble every time I made tomato soup (which I make with canned juice)
and while I suspect the garlic salt was the true culprit, I'm going to
make other soups until I figure this out better.

   Could the gluten be coming from citric acid? We have had a number of
entries in the past on citric acid and I believe this is frequently an
additive in tomato products.

DISSAGREEMENTS AND ARGUMENTS AGAINST GLUTEN IN CANNED TOMATOES:
That's not true.  Glutamate is NOT gluten.  While MSG can be made from a
gluten grain, it isn't.  There certainly are valid reasons to avoid MSG, but
gluten is not one of them. [Ed. note: I didn't say glutamate was gluten]

I think canned tomatoes would fall under what the FDA calls standardized
foods.  Might want to call FDA to find out what's allowed in them.  If they
have extra ingredients, they probably shouldn't.   Don't think any flour
would be needed in processing (get the skins off) since a quick scald should
do it.

QUESTIONS: [which seem to be answered above]
This is news to me. Just curious. What gluten-containing ingredient is in
canned tomato products, why is it there, and why isn't it listed? You said
"almost all."

can you please tell me what is it in canned tomatoes that has gluten???
i have canned tomatoes a lot in salsa, etc and always thought it was
fine

Could you please identify which ingredient is the gluten
found in almost all the canned tomato products you speak of?

I just look at several cans in my cupboard can could not, for
the life of me, find the gluten.

GF SUGGESTIONS FOR PRODUCTS [From these suggestions it does seem that
recently there are some GF brands of tomato products, though there were
none listed that I could find a couple of years back]:
I called S & W brand canned goods said when I called that all of their
canned fruits and vegetables were GF except for the pickled beets which
had a non GF source of vinegar.  They also make Libby's.

Healthy choice tomato sauces are also GF according to the company 8
months ago was when I checked.  Carol in NJ

Hi Vance!  If you have the current CSA guide start looking on page 72. I
still have the 3rd edition and they start on page 60 in there.   There are
tons of listings of canned tomato products.  There are also listings in the
Tri-County Celiac Sprue Support Group.  Take care, Karen from Central NY, USA

CSA 4th Edition--Contadina  T. Paste and Puree.  Verified 1-98.  Am
holding a can now the only ingredient listed is Tomatoes.   Hope it
helps. They also verified Del Monte 12-98. al varieties excet Picante &
Salsa.

I have a whole list of processed tomatoes in my copy of the 4th edition of the
CSA/USA commerical products listing.  Let me know if no one else emails you
this list (it's pretty long and a lot of typing ;-)
The brands listed include:  Contadina, Dei Fratelli, Del Monte, Domestic
Tomatoes, Eden, Hunt's, Muir Glen, Rotel, S&W and Star Cross.  There are
various products under each brand...

What about Muir Glen tomato products ?  I thought all of their products were
gf and they are organic too!  It is one of the best tomato products I've ever
used.  ( I come from a VERY Italian family who never used anything but
imported italian tomatoes until I found these.  Someone told me the other day
that all tomato products in the U.S. have chicken hormone added to them so
the only safe ones to use are the imported (from Italy) or the Muir Glen.  I
don't know how true this is, but I thought I'd pass it to you as a point of
interest.

I think your best bet is to buy Italian canned tomatoes rather
than American - they are tomatoes and sometimes a little salt.
Period...