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Gluten in WFHO
I had a sample of the chocolate Vega Whole Food Health Optimizer tested and it came back positive for gluten in the amount of 30.5 ppm. It was lot #41458701. That was using the lab BiaDiagnostics, which has worked closely with the FDA in developing the gold standard for gluten testing. They test for all three strains of gluten down to 5 ppm. I also did a home test using EZ Gluten on the natural flavor lot #41458400 and it tested positive as well. I alerted Sequel on May 7th. They then sent a sample from their retention lot to be tested at their lab. This is the email that I received yesterday:
"Hi Jason,
I just received the attached gluten lab results for our manufactured bulk lot no. 41426500, which was used in our packaged lot no. 41458701 (see attached Certificate of Analysis). The lab results came back as between 3-10 ppm of gluten.
I am just waiting for confirmation from the lab that the ELISA test method is an AOAC/CODEX approved method that detects gluten from barley. I will let you know as soon as I get this information.
If you would like us to test a sample from the tub you purchased, we will need you to send the entire tub to us (to my attention) at:
Sequel Naturals
33 -1833 Coast Meridian Road
Port Coquitlam, BC V3C 6G5
Attn: Michele Gurney
Please advise if you have any other suggestions on how you would like us to investigate this further so that you are satisfied with the conclusion.
I’m leaving the office at noon today but you can reach me next week if you want to discuss this further.
Kindest regards,
Michele"
I wrote back:
"I just talked to Thomas Grace from Bia Diagnostics. He says that it makes sense that two samples from different areas of the same lot could test at different levels. It's called hotspotting. He says it should throw up a big red flag that both tested samples contained gluten. He is also concerned that an exact level was not reported and suspects that they are not using the gold standard method. He has worked with the FDA in developing the standards in the US. He is giving the company you used a call to find out what method they use. He gave me the number of the guy he works with at the FDA. The lab is actually very close to my house.
Is it my understanding from your email that you don't intend to investigate further unless I do something? Even though you found gluten in a product that is not supposed to have any? Did you test the other lot that I tested with EZ Gluten? Several other people with Celiac and gluten intolerance have reported having problems on your forum. I'm a little confused that you seem to be willing to let this drop."
And this was from Thomas Grace about the method used by the lab Sequel uses:
"I have not heard back from them but they seem to be using the “Old” AOAC method from Neogen which does not detect Barley unless it is above 200ppm. This method was first recognized by AOAC in the early 1990”s but is no longer considered an Official AOAC method. Seehttp://www.neogen.com/FoodSafety/pdf/ProdInfo/Page_802002Y_1209.pdf and check the cross reactivity for Barley. "
So the upshot seems to be that there is indeed gluten in their product, which has tested as high as 30.5ppm by the gold standard of tests, and as low as 3-10ppm by an out of date test that would not detect the gluten from barley. I'm not sure what the company is going to do about it. By law, a product only needs to test under 20ppm to be listed as gluten free.There is a push to get this lowered to 5ppm which still might be too high for people with celiac. Sequel seems to be willing to accept the result of their lab as final word and let it rest. If I want to press matters they want me to ship my bottle to them at my own expense.
If you have Celiac or gluten intolerance, I advise that you stop taking Sequel products and email the company that you want them to fix the gluten contamination, whether it is 30ppm or 5ppm. I'm sure most people who take these products do not read this forum and thus have no way of knowing that they are being glutened. We have a responsibility to protect them. If you have been having digestive problems using the products, you should get yourself tested for celiac disease and gluten intolerance.
Jason
Tags: Gluten
Views: 70
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by dana on -
Thank you Jason .. As a person with celiac disease your diligence to this matter is soooooooooooooo appreciated!!
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Permalink Reply by dana on
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dana said:Thank you Jason .. As a person with celiac disease your diligence to this matter is soooooooooooooo appreciated!!
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Permalink Reply by Kyle Morgen Garrett on -
Hmm. A little disturbing.
I consume quite a few Vega products regularly and have a gluten allergy. Makes me wonder about the rest of the line.
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Permalink Reply by dana on
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hi there dana here ... I look back over the last 4 months when the products became a staple in my diet and I realize I have had a reaction since then .. i just kept saying to myself -- oh this is the detoxification process going on ... and since I ahve ahd celiac disease for 35 years un diagnosed .. surely I have a lot of toxins .. now I realize I was likely consuming gluten .. oh so sad and frustating .. i kept thinking why am i so slow to heal ... well now i know why .. because i was still consuming that which triggers my immune system .... I know that many people will do jsut fine with 20 ppm but for me that is not the case .. it seems we need better labelling requirements .. ie. exactly how many ppm is in a product and eliminate the use of the terrm gluten free as it is a misnomer ..
sending love and light to us all
dana
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Permalink Reply by Jasond on
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I wonder if the contamination comes from the Vega Whole Food Smoothie Infusion, which contains wheat grass and Barley Grass. It's very hard to keep those gluten free. Maybe it's made on the same equipment.
Kyle Morgen Garrett said:Hmm. A little disturbing.
I consume quite a few Vega products regularly and have a gluten allergy. Makes me wonder about the rest of the line.
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Permalink Reply by dana on
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i was thinking the same thing
Jasond said:I wonder if the contamination comes from the Vega Whole Food Smoothie Infusion, which contains wheat grass and Barley Grass. It's very hard to keep those gluten free. Maybe it's made on the same equipment.
Kyle Morgen Garrett said:Hmm. A little disturbing.
I consume quite a few Vega products regularly and have a gluten allergy. Makes me wonder about the rest of the line.
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Permalink Reply by Jasond on
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Update.
It seems that the lab Sequel Naturals was using to test was using an older test. It doesn't detect barley gluten in amounts less than 200ppm. It seems that no lab in Canada, or at least none that Sequel could find, use the updated test that detects down to 5ppm.
They finally sent samples to BiaDiagnostics in Vermont who worked closely with the FDA in developing the gold standard of tests. The sample from the lot that I had came back at only 8.7ppm. A test of another lot came back at less than 5ppm(which is as low as the sensitivity goes, so essentially negative.) So there is definitely gluten in the lot that I had problems with and that BiaDiagnostics tested at 30.5ppm. Perhaps the spike in my samples could be explained by hotspotting, little pockets of greater concentration. By law, the product can be listed as gluten free. Sequel has been very responsive to my concerns and sent samples to many labs and had several different lots tested and are going to be using Biadiagnostics from now on for their testing.
Now the question is, can a person with celiac safely consume something that is only 8.7ppm? I'm thinking not, since I had such a big reaction. There is a push to get the law down to 5ppm.
In any case, kudos to Sequel for their response and feedback.
Jason
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Permalink Reply by Rob on -
The fact that so many people are experiencing problems with Vega products should ring the warning bell for anyone considering buying a Vega product. Elixirs have a long history of having ill effects on the gullible consumer. Thank you Jason for helping to bring some serious content issues to light.
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Permalink Reply by Magnus Lundstedt on
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Hey there i train 6 hours a day as a professionel soccer player in sweden i began to thrive for 6 months, is gluten-milk allergy, and now i know why i am tired all the time, thought it was my training thanks for the investigation, Always appriecate people like you!
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