Kellogg’s Rice Krispies Gluten Free
Kellogg’s Rice Krispies Gluten Free sent me some samples to try and I have to say so far it’s a big fail. Three main reasons: they have not had this product certified by any of the known gluten-free companies, there is no gluten-free nor allergen information on the box and there is no gluten-free nor allergen information on the website.
This is what the website has currently: http://www.kelloggsnutrition.com/util/faq.aspx, which is clearly not updated as they are now offering gluten-free. Then there’s a subsite for the new GF – which is here and has no information about gluten-free. Nada. The box says nothing but ingredients. No FALCPA, no voluntary "may contain" statement.
I asked the Kellogg’s representative who sent me the product specifically for that information and this is what they told me via an email:
Kellogg’s Rice Krispies Gluten Free cereal is made with whole grain brown rice and contains less than 1 gram of sugar per serving, and it is also fortified with vitamins and minerals, including vitamins A, C, D and E, B vitamins, and iron. As for testing the cereal for gluten, to ensure the gluten-free status, the product is made in a separate production facility that has been making gluten-free items for nearly a decade. Every batch of product is tested for gluten, as is the production line.
That's not an answer that would allow anyone with a severe wheat allergy nor celiac disease the knowledge to try this product with any kind of confidence. Kellogg’s sent me an early peek at a new product so maybe their website isn't ready, I thought. But no, not for a major brand like Kellogg’s- there is no excuse not to have their allergen information ready on their site or to have contrary information on their major home site *and* for a representative to tell me about vitamins when I asked about allergens.
So, fail, Kellogg’s, major fail as a first step if you want to serve the food allergy and celiac disease communities.
What we need: quality food allergen and gluten-free practices in place in your facility, transparency of those practices and clear, quality information readily available on your website about those allergens, ingredients and practices.
Need help? Call me.
This is what the website has currently: http://www.kelloggsnutrition.com/util/faq.aspx, which is clearly not updated as they are now offering gluten-free. Then there’s a subsite for the new GF – which is here and has no information about gluten-free. Nada. The box says nothing but ingredients. No FALCPA, no voluntary "may contain" statement.
I asked the Kellogg’s representative who sent me the product specifically for that information and this is what they told me via an email:
Kellogg’s Rice Krispies Gluten Free cereal is made with whole grain brown rice and contains less than 1 gram of sugar per serving, and it is also fortified with vitamins and minerals, including vitamins A, C, D and E, B vitamins, and iron. As for testing the cereal for gluten, to ensure the gluten-free status, the product is made in a separate production facility that has been making gluten-free items for nearly a decade. Every batch of product is tested for gluten, as is the production line.
That's not an answer that would allow anyone with a severe wheat allergy nor celiac disease the knowledge to try this product with any kind of confidence. Kellogg’s sent me an early peek at a new product so maybe their website isn't ready, I thought. But no, not for a major brand like Kellogg’s- there is no excuse not to have their allergen information ready on their site or to have contrary information on their major home site *and* for a representative to tell me about vitamins when I asked about allergens.
So, fail, Kellogg’s, major fail as a first step if you want to serve the food allergy and celiac disease communities.
What we need: quality food allergen and gluten-free practices in place in your facility, transparency of those practices and clear, quality information readily available on your website about those allergens, ingredients and practices.
Need help? Call me.
Comments
http://glutenfreeoptimist.blogspot.com/2011/04/review-new-rice-krispies-gluten-free.html