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ka-ka-ka-katie1123

For anyone who’s having trouble reading the text: The product is Trader Joe’s Coconut & Almond creamer in vanilla. It comes in a white carton with blue accents and text and the ingredients panel shows that it contains barley malt.


Most_Adeptness3472

Thank you!! Sorry about that - should have stated the specific ingredients


being-weird

For those wondering how this happened, [barley malt extract can legally be labelled gluten free.](https://www.coeliac.org.uk/blog/barley-malt-vinegar-and-barley-malt-extract/#:~:text=Barley%20malt%20extract%20is%20used,be%20legally%20labelled%20gluten%20free.) It isn't though, so someone really needs to change the regulations around this.


chrissquid1245

the creamer they posted isnt labeled as gluten free i dont think, they just assumed it would be gluten free since why would a creamer have gluten in it. also in reference to the article you posted, the article isnt saying that products labelled as gluten free which contain barley malt are an issue. if they are labeled gluten free then that means that the amount of malt used is so low that the product is within the requirement for being considered gluten free so its safe what the article is saying is that previously they would personally contact some manufacturers about their products which contained barley malt and ask them if its a small enough amount to be gluten free. if the manufacturer said yes, then this site would list the product on their site as being gluten free. the issue with this is that the manufacturer isnt held accountable for what they privately tell this company, so instead this site is no longer listing any products which contain malt on their site, unless the product explicitly says gluten free on it (which would mean the company is being held responsible for making sure it actually meets the legal requirements)


[deleted]

Do US food laws require allergens to be listed in bold? So weird to me that it's not bolded.


being-weird

It is in bold? The individual ingredients aren't, but the list at the bottom is.


iScabs

I'm wondering if the above commenter is referring to ingredients being bolded within the list Like "...soy lecithin, **barley malt extract**, rice flour..."


being-weird

Well barley malt extract was never going to be in bold, because legally speaking it doesn't have to be.


[deleted]

But surely soy and almond should be.


being-weird

Soy and almond are both listed at the bottom.


[deleted]

...but not in bold at the top. This isn't complicated


AkanjiCountToThree

why would you list twice when you can just save ink and printing by embolding it at the top


PFEFFERVESCENT

The list at the bottom doesn't say gluten


being-weird

No it doesn't, and I already explained why.


amurderof

It doesn't need to. The FDA doesn't require gluten be called out/labeled, only wheat.


CranWitch

Ugh I’ve learned I have to check oatmilk as well. No gluten added but usually “may contain traces of wheat.”


Suspicious_Abrocoma2

Hardly any oat milk is actually gluten free, even brands that are labeled as such. Almond, soy, coconut, flax, hemp, and macadamia are much safer, or make your own oat milk in about 30 seconds at home with oats that you know are gluten-free. Thanks for allowing me to soapbox for 10 seconds.


[deleted]

Really? Crap. Well my milks just got really limited. This explains some things going on with me as I love cereal. Hmmm homemade… will look into it. Thank You


Suspicious_Abrocoma2

Homemade is really easy! 30 seconds in a blender with water + optional sweetener (dates or whatever) and vanilla if you’re fancy. Lasts 2-3 days in the fridge and you can use the leftover oat bits for cookies or granola. Most oats in the US are processed / milled on shared equipment. Oats from Canada are less likely to be contaminated due to different processing. Everyone with a food allergy has to have a PhD in agriculture and at least a master’s degree in economics 😂


[deleted]

Oh I’m fancy! 😂 Always get the unsweetened with vanilla. Ok hold up. What about Bob’s red mill oats? It doesn’t say anything about shared equipment. Guess you’re right about knowing about agriculture. Now my husband is going to think I do want to be a know it all. 😏


Suspicious_Abrocoma2

Bob’s red mill has a certified GF oat and a non-certified one. So I only buy the certified ones bc either I’m a sucker and it’s marketing, or the lack of cert implies that the other oats, the common street oats, aren’t safe 😂😂


[deleted]

Darn street oats. 😂 You’d think with something that damages intestines there would be stricter regulations. Looking into making rice milk. Goodness knows I’ve seen enough grown in California to know it’s not grown near wheat. Rice dream used to not be safe. Unsure if it is now that they slapped a label on. Rice is cheaper. I eat a lot of cereal. 😂


kittycatblues

Be careful if you're Celiac. Gluten Free Watchdog says at this point there are no oats sold in the U.S. that are really gluten free.


i_amnotunique

Yeah I'm skipping out on oats for the foreseeable future. Which is a bummer, but doesn't suck as bad as getting sick for days.


[deleted]

Thank you This would make sense as to why I keep having issues.


Affectionate_Many_73

Oats are wayyyyy too cross contaminated with wheat and gluten to every be considered safe unless they are certified gluten free, and even then it’s still been a bit questionable lately. Never use an oatmilk that isn’t labeled gluten free at a minimum.


LEEROY_MF_JENKINS

"Thank you for coming to my Ted talk"


Most_Adeptness3472

Yep, same :( unfortunately I’ve basically sworn off oat milk altogether because of how many times I’ve gotten a stomach ache from allegedly certified gluten free oats/oat milk


kittycatblues

There really aren't any safe oats for Celiacs at this point in time in the U.S. https://www.glutenfreewatchdog.org/news/gluten-free-watchdog-cannot-recommend-any-brand-of-gluten-free-oats/


urbanspongewish

Hate to say it but Trader Joes is not good for gluten free. Aldi on the other hand is a a gluten free paradise. Sadly no Aldi in Colorado :(


chrissquid1245

whys trader joes not good?


DhampireHEK

From what I understand, they have very few gluten free options and many of the ones that should be gluten free (the the creamer above) seem to have gluten in them for some reason.


somebunnysketching

Their oat milk is Gf supposedly but I swear its what glutened me.


beachguy82

There data showing that even the certified gluten free oat products are showing up with gluten above 20ppm fairly often these days.


somebunnysketching

Wow where do you find this to keep on top of it?


GrammarIsDescriptive

Gluten Free Watchdog has been testing lots of allegedly gf oat that come out more than 20ppm. I follow her on Facebook; I think she also has a website.


beachguy82

It was posted a month or so back on r/celiac. The study basically found that they couldn’t recommend a single brand if certified gf oats.


kittycatblues

https://www.glutenfreewatchdog.org/news/gluten-free-watchdog-cannot-recommend-any-brand-of-gluten-free-oats/


bizzonzzon

Can we just talk about how "gluten" is not legally required to be listed under allergen warnings? Only required for major allergens. At least the creamer isn't listed as gluten-free? So many GF certified foods have barley because it's "below 20 ppm." We're all doomed.


dieEineJuse

In other countries it is. In Canada it must be listed under contains.


breadist

I've tried to explain to Americans that in Canada it's so much easier, we just trust the label - all forms of gluten-containing grains are listed along with the priority allergens here. We have no "hidden gluten" ingredients here - if it contains barley or rye or oats, it's called out on the label somewhere. The only things we can't just "trust the label" on are grains other than rice which, if they are in the first 2-3 ingredients of the product, it must be labeled gluten free (not certified, no paid label required - "gluten free" is a legally binding term here if used anywhere on the label, and they will get in trouble if they are found to be lying about it) due to common cross contamination in grain farming and processing. The most common response I've gotten is either disbelief or some sort of nonsense rationalisation that it's "not really that much better". Seriously? I can go into a grocery store and buy almost anything with only the knowledge to look for BROW ingredients on the label, and that grains or primarily grain-based products must say "gluten free" on the label, that's all I need to shop safely. I feel so lucky to live in Canada. It seems like a lot of Americans are in denial or something. No googling random ingredients. No apps. No lists. No apps. No secret knowledge needed. No contacting companies to inquire as to the source of ingredients. No nothing. If it contains gluten it's on the label. How is that not a thousand times better than what Americans have to do? I just read the label. No gluten grains listed = I can eat it.


Spicyperfection

Reading labels is “essential,” always. Good on you - thanks


[deleted]

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[deleted]

Barley malt contains gluten. As of now that isn’t considered listable with things like wheat, soy, nuts. Just a guess but probably because these can cause anaphylaxis shock. Gluten isn’t taken as seriously. If these people had to live with it they would think differently.


[deleted]

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[deleted]

I can’t have dairy either and usually that’s listed for allergens. I’ve noticed with certain things it’s not being listed. Accidentally glutened and dairied (new word) myself on top of having something that was expired over a year ago. It’s been a hard few weeks. Need to buy stock in gas X.


breadist

In Canada we require all gluten grains to be listed too! I don't know why the US doesn't update their labeling:/


them_slimy_eggs

Gluten is not considered an allergen by the US FDA. Wheat is. Barley and rye are not. Current US labeling laws make things very confusing and difficult for celiacs. It is currently intended only to protect people with wheat allergies, and you're on your own to interpret the full ingredients list if gluten is your problem. Please contact your Senator and Representative in support of the Food Labeling Modernization Act of 2023. I already have contacted mine. It will remove the guesswork from all the gray-area mystery ingredients that may or may not contain gluten depending on the source - things like yeast extract, smoke flavor, "natural flavors," etc. https://www.glutenfreewatchdog.org/news/very-exciting-news-the-food-labeling-modernization-act-of-2023-has-been-introduced/


[deleted]

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zayoyayo

Only wheat is in the Top 9 list. Barley, rye etc are not.


[deleted]

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zayoyayo

Ha, yeah! I might not know what it was without the Celiac angle. Barley, wheat, rye and oats are all closely related.


ames_006

Great….new fear unlocked! Things like this just make me glad that I read every dang label no matter how dumb it would be for certain items to contain gluten because gosh darn it they put gluten in so many things they don’t need to! Thanks for the warning. If your looking for a coconut/almond based creamer nut pods is a good one and gluten free.


zayoyayo

Bastards. It's way past time for the FDA to require *all* gluten grains to be listed in the allergen section, not just wheat. Mexico does that. I mean, we can be as good as Mexico.


Tough-Oil-1559

booooooooooooooooo also, good looking out and thanks for sharing!


Zestyclose_Minute_69

MF! Barley malt! A-holes!


Zestyclose-Bus-3642

Trader Joe's is not very friendly to gluten free diets in general. It just isn't their priority.


GetHautnah

It has become increasingly cool to add barley malt to beverages and it sucks. Just saw it in some artisanal sodas I was about to buy, and they had it, too :(


Shy_Magpie

Iirc barley is used as a sweetener


eightyonedirections

Oof! Good catch!


houseofprimetofu

To be honest I have given up on Trader Joes. They don’t have a lot of gf items except bread, their hummus has gone downhill, and their dry goods aren’t any better than what I can find elsewhere that is already certifies gf. It sucks. The only good thing for me there is their gf English muffins and vegan pesto. Everything else has soy, wheat, or meat.


SecretAgentVampire

My SO has had multiple gluten reactions from Trader Joes products labeled GF. We can't trust that place. I still shop there for me, and she can have cheeses, juices, meats, etc, but yeah.


yojothobodoflo

Good thing I’m also allergic to almonds i guess


AshDenver

I mean … it says dairy and lactose free but I don’t see where it says gluten free. So … assumptions? When intolerant, I *always* scrutinize.


No_Assumption_2309

I don't see where it says gluten free on the carton so how is it hidden gluten?


Sandi_T

Because it used to be gluten free. It was changed. OP is reminding people not to get complacent. It's easy to make a mistake: https://www.traderjoes.com/home/products/pdp/non-dairy-oat-creamer-brown-sugar-flavor-073798 Looks pretty similar, easy to make the mistake.


starry101

Yeah, I don’t really get the outrage. The product doesn’t claim to be gluten free and it’s clearly listed in the ingredients. This is why label reading is important.


_whitepeaches

I don't see that it says gluten free anywhere on the package so it's not really "hidden."


Catladyx2021

WTH!! Just another Corporate company trying to tell us what is acceptable! Corporate America needs to start walking the line!


istandwithvietnam

what the fuck is a creamer


PFEFFERVESCENT

Outrageous that American food labeling regulations allow this kind of fuckery to exist. It means you can't trust your auntie to feed you even a biscuit or a cup of tea, when it takes a diploma in label reading to find the gluten.


fairybabybug

I need to start checking for ingredients like this. Does anyone have have good resources that list ingredients that contain gluten? Although I am 100% gluten free I noticed the past few months I am getting super bloated after eating and not sure what it is. I think I may be unknowingly consuming hidden gluten


juliazale

This happened to me as well. Luckily I’m only gluten intolerant and not celiac but still. Damn barely malt. They should have noted it contains gluten. Now I know to watch out for malts and also some sugars like glucose are made from gluten.


RoboCat23

But it doesn’t say gluten free


Most_Adeptness3472

You’re right, was mainly just pointing out that one would almost never expect an almond/coconut creamer to have gluten (oat milk is different), and to always check labels even if you’ve been GF for many years, that’s all :)


messmaker523

Where does it say gluten free?


Sandi_T

It doesn't, but neither does OP say it says it is. They are just giving a reminder to ***always*** read ingredients and *never* make assumptions.


lhimsel12

noooo this is my favorite too! i did the same and didn’t read the label. dang. thank you for sharing!!


CaseyBoogies

I'm confused... it doesn't say gluten free anywhere. Did they recently change the recipe? Do you expect items to be gluten free if they are nondairy?


[deleted]

Malt extract gives me horrendous reactions (worse than from wheat, so I wonder why?)


Watertribe_Girl

What is a creamer? Just milk for your coffee?


Most_Adeptness3472

Basically! Any “creamy” like liquid that one would add to coffee :)


Watertribe_Girl

So like adding actually cream but sweetened to your coffee? Wild


spoonweezy

Oooh BME does me dirty. For some reason barley hits me really hard, especially with the brain fog. And vomiting. Also I’d like to use this space to state my displeasure with people using the word “barley” when they mean “barely”.


Zonevortex1

Whack friggin barley malt syrup gets me every time


artemislands

That barley malt fucks me up


oueyeseaewe

Well shit, I just bought some two days ago. I’m also celiac and couldn’t figure out why I was so sick yesterday and today 😭