CELIAC Archives

Celiac/Coeliac Wheat/Gluten-Free List

CELIAC@LISTSERV.ICORS.ORG

Options: Use Forum View

Use Monospaced Font
Show Text Part by Default
Show All Mail Headers

Message: [<< First] [< Prev] [Next >] [Last >>]
Topic: [<< First] [< Prev] [Next >] [Last >>]
Author: [<< First] [< Prev] [Next >] [Last >>]

Print Reply
Subject:
From:
L and N Matsui <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
L and N Matsui <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Sun, 27 Apr 2003 02:08:49 +0000
Content-Type:
text/plain
Parts/Attachments:
text/plain (109 lines)
<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>>

Dear listmates (THIS IS THE ORIG. POSTING-SEE RESPONSES AT END),
I wanted to report that after having an isolated instance of diarrhea, I
immediately suspected based on my prior day's food diary, Haagan-Dazs
chocolate sorbet bars. According to the companys's written response, it
declares all sources of gluten on Nestle Brand labels "even if present as
part of another ingredient". However, in pursuing this matter further, I
called the customer representative who I had previously spoken with who told
me that the "wrong letter" was sent to me since it had not addressed my
question. She commented that even though her signature was on the letter, it
was her manager who had sent out a general letter. The letter was supposed
to address my question of whether the natural vanilla contained an alcohol
and if so, what was the alcohol derived from? Based on the ingredients on
the box ("water, sugar, corn syrup, egg whites, lowfat cocoa and cocoa
processed with alkali, fruit pectin, natural vanilla, salt"), the one
ingredient I suspected was natural vanilla. The customer representative
revealed that the natural vanilla was extracted with a "grain alcohol" but
she did not know whether it was distilled and the type of grain. In the
initial first call, she also commented that if the vanilla contained an
alcohol, that it would only be in "parts per thousand". When I asked if I
could receive a written response about the "natural vanilla" ingredient, the
customer representative once again affirmed that her manager would decide
what letter was to be sent out again. After this exposure, I had increasing
fatigue for several days in addition to this isolated instance of diarrhea.
I was disturbed to discover that the company could not tell me the type of
grain in the alcohol based natural vanilla and whether it was distilled; If
my questions could not be answered, I wondered how the company could assure
that the product is GF based on its labelling practices? It can't because
the company already states in its letter that "we do use shared equipment
when producing products". I asked that the customer representative forward
my comment that the "natural vanilla" should be investigated for containing
gluten and that if it does, it should be disclosed on the label.
Contact info: www.nestleusa.com or 1-800-767-0120
P.S. Although, the product states that it "may contain traces amounts of
milk protein", I have no effects of diarrhea with my own homemade chocolate
mousse made from scratch with lactase enzyme and can eat small amounts
without lactase support. However before I went gluten-free over a year ago,
even infrequent and small tests of dairy foods with lactase enzyme would
cause intense digestive symptoms.

Laura Y.

UPDATE:  After receiving the following responses, I called Haagan-Dazs back
and spoke to a program manager who denied gluten to be in the "natural
vanilla" but she is currently escalating my question for further research.
She did admit that it was extracted with an alcohol but denied it to be a
grain alcohol, didn't know if the alcohol was distilled, claimed that the
customer service representative was incorrect, and told me that she was the
program manager who sent me out the original general letter response which I
told her had not addressed my question of whether the "natural vanilla" was
extracted with a grain alcohol and it's source.  She claimed that this
original general letter was the correct letter when in my previous call, the
customer svc. rep. claimed that the incorrect letter had been sent out and
that if I asked my question to be addressed again, the same manager would be
the one to send out the letter again.
My response to no. 1 below, is that I feel it's better to be safe in regards
to our health then sorry after the fact and I'm only trying to warn others
of an isolated and rare case of diarrhea that I am certain was this product
as I still keep a food diary and it was this food diary which helped me
discover that wheat was the culprit before seeking an official diagnosis.  I
like you have had many reactions since going GF that I'm aware were not
gluten-related.  Also, each one of us has a right to make our own informed
choices and make reasonable decisions.  Yes, companies may make mistakes and
we just have to be alert to such a risk.  You also have a right to voice
your own opinion.  Thank you all for your responses.  Laura Y.

1)So what are you saying, there is or is not gluten? Also, if the "grain
alcohol" has been distilled, even if it's from a wheat source, it should be
almost impossible to get gluten from it. I have found that my system is just
plain sensitive, especially now that I am GF. I have little things that go
on all the time that mimic symptoms. I dismiss them when I know all I have
eaten is fruit, etc. I know it's difficult but I would caution making
blanket statements with out definite answers. We all have to decide how and
what to eat that suits us individually. I think it would be sad to scare
someone off of products that are required to back up labels and further
narrow their diets by a simple misunderstanding. Companies are not perfect,
nor are the people who we speak with when we call. They are human just like
us...


2)If you are sure it was the sorbet, I would suspect cross-contamination. If
Nestle is like other ice cream producers, the white ice creams are run first
during the morning, then other flavors with additives like cookies, and
usually the chocolates are run last (so any other flavors or colors don't
show up). They do clean the lines between runs, but you can't guarantee that
one batch might not have some leftover cookie particles in it. I don't know
if grain alcohol that is not distilled would ever be used in flavoring. Are
there any other suspicious foods that might be the culprit?


3)Cocoa processed with alkali is also to be avoided according to CSA.

4)What about Edys sorbet it is made from fruit and not gluten and or wheat.









_________________________________________________________________
Add photos to your e-mail with MSN 8. Get 2 months FREE*.
http://join.msn.com/?page=features/featuredemail

*Support summarization of posts, reply to the SENDER not the CELIAC List*

ATOM RSS1 RSS2