Gluten Free Winston-Salem: Update: some, but not all, M&M's may no longer be gluten-free

Thursday, December 2, 2010

Update: some, but not all, M&M's may no longer be gluten-free

Scott Adams on Celiac.com has a new post on a recent change to the labeling of all types of M&M's, which now state "May contain Wheat".

"I just got this bit of bad news today. Unfortunately I've received some warnings from celiacs who have found that M&M's may no longer be gluten-free. A call to their customer service line still indicates that all M&M's are gluten-free (except for the new Pretzel M&M's), however, when you actually speak to a real person they will indicate that all M&M's are made on shared lines and may be cross-contaminated due to the fact that the pretzel M&M's are made on those lines. I certainly hope that this is not the case, but early indications lead me to believe that this may be so. I urge everyone to share your disappointment with this by calling them directly at: 800-627-7852."

Update from Sarah Ann Harwick 12/03/2010:

"Because we seemed to be getting different answers from the MARS company, I decided to call back and speak with a manager about the recent "may contain wheat" warming I found on the Mint M&M's.

Only the Mint and Speckled (both holiday specials) are produced on the same lines as the pretzel M&M's, and although they do clean the lines between production, there is the possibility of cross contamination, which is why they now have the wheat warning on them.

She said all of the other M&M's are still gluten free."

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Celiac Disease by the Numbers

1 out of every 133 Americans (about 3 million people) has CD.
97% of Americans estimated to have CD are not diagnosed.
CD has over 300 known symptoms although some people experience none.
Age of diagnosis is key: If you are diagnosed between age 2-4, your chance of getting an additional autoimmune disorder is 10.5%. Over the age of 20, that rockets up to 34%.
30% of the US population is estimated to have the genes necessary for CD.
2.5 babies are born every minute in the USA with the genetic makeup to have CD.
There are 15 states in the US with populations less than the total number of Celiacs in the US.
CD affects more people in the US than Crohn’s Disease, Cystic Fibrosis, Multiple Sclerosis and Parkinson’s disease combined.
500,000 new Celiac diagnoses are expected to occur in the US by 2012 -- thanks to efforts to raise public awareness of the disease.
People with CD dine out 80% less than they used to before diagnosis and believe less than 10% of eating establishments have a 'very good' or 'good' understanding of GF diets.
It takes an average of 11 years for patients to be properly diagnosed with CD even though a simple blood test exists.
The average cost of misdiagnosis is $5,000 - $12,000 per person per year. Improving the time to diagnosis could save the health care system millions of dollars annually in unnecessary medical care.
A recent study by Packaged Facts projects that the sales of GF food will reach $2.63 Billion by 2012.
GF foods are, on average, 242% more expensive then their non-GF counterparts.
The smallest amount of gluten which has been shown by a biopsy to cause damage to a Celiac is 0.1 gram per day - or 1/48th of a slice of bread.
The Food Allergen Labeling & Consumer Protection Act became law in 2006 allowing for easier reading of food labels for those with CD. What took so long?
12% of people in the US who have Down Syndrome also have CD.
6% of people in the US who have Type 1 Diabetes also have CD.
Among people who have a first-degree relative diagnosed with celiac, as many as 1 in 22 people may have the disease.
There are currently 0 drugs available to treat CD.