<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>>
Moral of the story: Don't mess with the mom of 2 celiac boys when she's sleep
deprived! I'm usually not so direct with these type of responses, but I just
hate that "here's how to reach Celiac organizations" response when we ask a
company if their product is gluten free. It doesn't answer the question of
ingredients that could be either/or and it doesn't address cross contamination
issues. Sarah does point out that Land O Lakes does a good job with some of
their products, but I felt that their answer on this one was lacking. I'm going
for my nap now. :)
THIS WAS MY ORIGINAL QUESTION TO LAND O LAKES:
> Is the Land O Lakes Ultimate Cheddar cheese dip in the 3 oz. serving cup
gluten
> free? I can't find it on your website anywhere.
>
> Thank you,
>
> Amy Roberts
______________________________________________________________________________________
THIS WAS THEIR REPLY:
> From: "[log in to unmask]" <[log in to unmask]>
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Sent: Tue, November 16, 2010 9:42:55 AM
> Subject: Re: Land O'Lakes Ref #: 775341
>
>
> Thank you for visiting the Land O'Lakes Web Site and taking the time to
contact
> us.
>
>
> To date, the FDA and USDA have not defined the term "gluten free." Since there
> is no official FDA or USDA definition of "gluten free" that Land O'Lakes, our
> suppliers and our consumers can use for a common understanding, we can only
>make
> the recommendation to read the ingredient label on the product in order to
make
> your own determination. Additionally, as required by the FDA, when a product
of
> Land O'Lakes contains any of the 8 major allergens, we state on our product
> packaging "Contains (name of allergen, e.g., Milk)".
>
> The LAND O LAKES® Ultimate Cheddar Cheese Dip Cups is a complex product with
> multiple ingredients from various sources/suppliers. This complexity makes it
> difficult for us to ascertain the presence or absence of gluten.
>
> Listed below are organizations that can provide more information about food
> intolerances:
>
> Celiac Sprue Association: www.csaceliacs.org or toll free 1-877-272-4272
> The Gluten Intolerance Group: www.gluten.net or 253-833-6655
> International Food Information Council Foundation: www.foodinsight.org
>
> This information does not imply any endorsements or affiliation with Land
> O'Lakes, Inc.
>
>
> Please let us know if we can be of assistance in the future. If you need to
> respond to this email, please use the "Reply" button.
>
> Sincerely,
> Land O'Lakes Consumer Affairs
>
> Case: 775341
________________________________________________________________________________________
THIS WAS MY ANSWER TO THEIR RESPONSE
> To the Listserve and to Land O Lakes:
>
> Thanks for your reply. I guess I won't be buying any of your products until
>you
> figure out if you can label your products like the other manufacturers out
> there do. Any product with more than 20ppm of gluten is not safe for folks
>with
> celiac disease, like my two sons have. Cross contamination is also a
> great concern for Gluten Free shoppers. I personally don't care if the USDA
>has
> it's act together yet or not, I just know that if one of my children consumes
> gluten, that they get very ill. The 8 major allergens includes wheat, but it
> is not inclusive of all gluten sources, so the labeling that you currenly
> provide is not helpful to celiacs.
>
> Your response was also no help at all, except that I now know that you are not
>a
> manufacturer that can be trusted by celiacs. I will be forwarding your
>response
> to the Celiac Listserve, which will get this information out to celiacs
> worldwide. I am well aware of the major celiac organizations. For
> manufacturers to include that information in their responses is very
irritating
> and insulting, when all we want to know is if your products and their
> ingredients are safe for our families or not, and if there is any risk of
cross
> contamination in your facility. Obviously, in your case, you are not willing
> to provide that information.
>
>
> Statistically, only 3% of celiacs have been diagnosed, so more potential
> customers will be seeking this information. You may want to consider changing
> your current stance on this issue.
>
> Thank you,
>
> Amy Roberts
____________________________________________________________________________________
AND THESE ARE SOME OF YOUR RESPONSES TO THE POSTING:
I'm so surprised by this. I have called there before and been told
things did not contain gluten. And they have an extensive list of
recipes on their site for gf folks.
http://www.landolakes.com/recipe/collection/62/gluten-free-holiday-cookies
We made several of them last year and love them.
I'll have to look into this more. Let me know if you hear anything more.
Thanks!
Sarah Ann Harwick
______________________________________________________________________________________
Ms. Roberts, as a longtime celiac, I understand the challenges we face to find
gluten free/lactose free products.
Your email to Land o lakes was perfect...
Thank you for sharing it.
Bruce Hoffman
_________________________________________________________________________________________
I hope you send your letter to the President of the Company.
Mary in MI.
________________________________________________________________________________
I just wanted to say thanks for writing such a great response. I feel that you
got the point across without insulting them or being rude. You made our
frustrations clear and also emphasized that blame should not be put on other
areas because other companies manage to label their products. I appreciate
reading your response because I am still learning out to stand up for myself and
declare what I need for my body. Thank you again.
Kreisa Damos
_____________________________________________________________________________________
BRAVO!!! Guess you told them!
Karen Burkhart
Fremont CA
_______________________________________________________________________________________
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