Great Value Products Before the Packaging Change
I am a bit disappointed. Just last May I raved about how great the Great Value gluten-free labeling was at WalMart, and now they’ve changed things, lowering the number of items it considers gluten free. What surprises me the most is that they’ve nixed some of the most basic options they had…rice? Really?
In most cases it appears to have happened with the change of the packaging for this generic WalMart brand. Back in May I showed you the picture of the items I had in my house that were labeled gluten free, but now these products look very different. The packaging is now white with blue lettering – very generic. You can see the sample picture of the new logo in the picture off to the side.
The company still has in place its gluten-free labeling (most of it actually now says “naturally gluten free food”) the number of items is just reduced. But it makes you wonder why some of these most basic items are no longer considered gluten-free. Especially if they’re using the term “naturally gluten free food”, what’s more
After the Great Value Packaging Change
naturally gluten-free than rice? Well since this is the “instant” rice version, my guess is somewhere there may be a concern in processing. But really isn’t the processing just precooking and dehydrating?
So here’s my snide comment for the day…when a naturally gluten-free product isn’t considered gluten-free, has it been “unnaturally glutenized”? Think about that. How companies screw up perfectly good foods for the rest of us. Not sure how this happened (allegedly) to the instant rice, but WalMart doesn’t want celiacs to eat the instant rice for fear of gluten-poisoning. So I guess we won’t.
Anyway, the list includes other foods besides rice, like syrup, baking soda, creamy peanut butter, all jam/jellies, mayonnaise, corn chips, and beets – just to name a few. You can see the entire list at Cecelia’s Marketplace. Administrators at Cecelia’s Marketplace also gave out this phone number for you to express concerns about this change. 1-877-505-2267.
Be careful. In the investigating I did online, the peanut butter information still said it was gluten-free.
While I am ranting a bit about this, the other side of the coin is that this company is really stepping up and labeling generic items well for our community. I am thankful for this. I certainly can’t find this kind of service at Target or my local grocery store. I just wish some simple foods, like some of the few I’ve listed above, could just be listed as gluten-free. Why is it so difficult? (Sigh).
Tags: celiacs, gluten-free, Great Value, groceries, label, labeling, shopping, WalMart
March 20th, 2011 at 4:30 am
I came across your page because I was looking for a way to get a hold of WalMart so I could Yell at them and let them know I do not plan to shop with them anymore. Just as fast as they started to carry GF and healthier food options they took them back off their shelves. I live in a small area with not a lot of store choices. I drive 2 hours to Trader Jo’s to get some great GF foods and I am thankful that Kroger has really picked up the product choices at the store near us.
Thanks for your post it was helpful
Wanda
September 13th, 2011 at 9:03 pm
Apparently those items are still gluten free but they don’t test each batch for gluten so they aren’t claiming it as gluten free.
http://answers.walmart.com/answers/1336/product/10315887/questions.htm?expandquestion=227947
August 29th, 2012 at 1:13 pm
In the litigious society that we live in you want to yell at a company for not labelling food that might get cross contaminated as gluten free.
I blame us. If people weren’t so quick to sue because they were gluten by a product with no gluten in it’s ingredients, but may still have gluten due to cc then maybe Walmart could label as no gluten ingredients used in product. But this type of labelling may not stand up in court. What would you do?
I loved it when they stated gluten free but I understand why they changed.
September 18th, 2012 at 11:22 am
It may be that instant rice is “pearlized” (dusted with barley powder)to keep it from sticking.
All I can say for sure is I accidentally broke my habit of eating instant (brown) rice every day, over a weekend, ten days ago, and noted at the end of the two days I was in better shape than usual…
and so for a week broke out the old (aluminum) rice cooker and have been cooking brown rice from a package.
And doing better! Less fatigue, fewer bowel movements per day, and less tender “stomach” — didn’t even mind doing a modest amount of situps and pushups, which usually kind of hurt. Joint popping and snapping also reduced…
In my experience, getting off gluten-free (and for me dairy-free) is a catalytic reaction, just a small amount triggers much of the symptom set, and more just sort of deepens or darkens the distress. so? If it doesn’t say gluten-free, that may be for a reason!?
February 12th, 2013 at 10:05 am
Are the pink lemonade and Peach Tea Instant Packets from Great Value Gluten Free as well.
March 24th, 2013 at 6:59 pm
I am gluten free and have been for many years. I am getting gluten from somewhere in my diet, and I don’t know where. I eat a lot of the Great Value rice cereal and Great Value corn cereal. I am suspicious that cross contamination from them is the culprit. I am not postive yet though.
June 15th, 2013 at 6:02 pm
I know this post is older, but I want to add a comment for those searching the internet currently like I was when I found this post. 🙂 I just bought GV pizza sauce instead of making my own this time. It always said ‘gluten free’ before and now it doesn’t – the packaging is even different again from the blue and white. There is nothing overtly noticeable in the ingredients, but I liked it much better when it says gf. Probably won’t buy it again. I tend to avoid unlabeled products. From the link posted above, it seems wm is getting away from labeling their stuff. Bad move.
@ Florence – Stop eating those cereals. They have malt in them and that is almost always sourced from barley. Also, the ingredient list says, “may contain trace amount of wheat.” Most corn flakes have gluten because of that malt. You need to find brands that explicitly state Gluten Free.
November 20th, 2014 at 12:19 pm
I am very happy with the large selection of gf products at the Troy, MI Walmart. The Great Value gf shortbread cookies are wonderful. Product of Germany. Pls continue to carry these items. Thank you