Oh dear, another one …
The Health Store has withdrawn its Japanese Rice Crackers, due to a labelling error. One of the ingredients, soy sauce, is correctly listed, but the components of the soy sauce – including wheat – are not listed. It is therefore not gluten free, and not safe for coeliacs to eat.
Problem items
The Health Store Japanese Rice Crackers 125g
* Batch codes: 7101 – best before date: 11/11/07
* Batch codes: 7142 – best before date: 22/11/07
* Batch codes: 7190 – best before date: 09/01/08
* Batch codes: 7218 – best before date: 06/02/08
* Batch codes: 7257 – best before date: 14/03/08
The Health Store has undertaken a recall of the affected batches. They are sold in health food stores.
If you have some of these rice crackers, don’t eat them. For more information, see the Food Standards Agency site.
You probably already know that most soy sauce is wheat-based, and therefore not acceptable on a gluten free diet. I know that if I’d spotted soy sauce on a label I wouldn’t have bought it, though it is possible to buy gluten free soy sauce, usually a Japanese tamari sauce such as Sanchi Tamari or Meridian Tamari. I think I’ve even seen Meridian in some supermarkets …
I’ve written a book summarising what we’ve learnt over 20 years of dealing with the gluten free diet, and it might be just what you’re looking for. It packs the lessons we’ve learned into what I hope is a helpful and straightforward guidebook. It’s available on Amazon, as a paperback or for your Kindle… |
carrie says
thanks for the warning! I love your gluten-free site!
Nicola says
I bought from the “free from” section of Tescos some Red Deli Japanese Mini Rice Crackers which have the gluton free logo on the front and also state on the back that they are gluton free (with a big orange tick next to it).
After noticing that both times i had some i felt sick afterwards I checked the ingredients and noticed in the soya sauce break down wheat!!!!!!!!!
I will be taking the pack in to Tesco’s and complaining. I am apalled that they are advertising as gluton free and the fact that i was really poorly after eating them.
thanks
Lucy says
Hi Nicola – I’ve never seen these Red Deli Rice Crackers in our little Tesco. I’ve just been into their online shop to have a look at the product. It says that “the wheat and gluten is broken down during the natural fermentation process” and that it complies with the Coeliac UK standard.
I’m not sure I understand that stuff about the fermentation process. Soy sauce is definitely something to wary of, and it catches a lot of people out, though you’d expect the manufacturers to understand this. Perhaps they treat the soy sauce in a different way to normal soy sauce, somehow? Whatever they’ve done, it doesn’t sound like it was a suitable product for you. I won’t be buying it; thanks for pointing it out.
Poor you. I hope Tesco manages to sort this out for you.
Kate Talbot says
I think you should contact Humdinger Foods to double check because they do say on the packet that the contents are suitable for coeliacs and that the contents comply with the coeliac UK standard. You may have got an upset tummy from the chilli content, it can be rather spicy.
Kate Talbot says
Try Clearsprint rice crackers, they are made with Tamari soy sauce.
Lucy says
Hi Kate – thanks for the information. It’s particularly good to know that rice crackers can be found that are made with Tamari; I’ll look out for those!