Thank you Triumph Dining for doing great research on Thanksgiving turkeys. The Triumph Dining Blog uncovered new information about Butterball turkeys. The blog says Butterball’s Fresh and Frozen whole turkeys are gluten free, but the stuffed turkey is not. But now the gravy packet in many of their items is gluten free too!
The writer states the only downside to this whole new gravy packet is that they’re only putting it inside specialty turkeys.
“The woman I spoke to made it clear that this new gravy concentrate is only available in some of the Butterball specialty items like Ready to Roast turkeys, ‘Lil Butterball turkeys and whole turkey breasts. You would think the company would include this item in the traditional frozen whole turkeys, but for now they are not doing so – unless the person I spoke to was confused.”
So for now, the gluten-free packet is NOT available in their traditional frozen turkeys. But one slightly twisted moment came out of another conversation with Butterball officials.
“Additionally, she told me the new [gluten-free] packet is included with the stuffed whole turkeys. That’s right – a gluten turkey with a gluten-free gravy packet. There is a learning curve for companies too when it comes to the gluten-free diet. I give them credit for trying. When I mentioned that they might want to offer the gravy with a whole turkey that is not stuffed, the representative explained that if the response to this gravy is positive, that might be something the company will do later.”
If you go out to buy the Ready to Roast, ‘Lil Butterball or whole turkey breasts, be sure to double check the gravy packet ingredients. Butterball officials say there could still be some products in stores with the “gluteny” gravy. Wheat flour as an ingredient should be your first indicator. If it’s gluten-free it should say rice flour instead.
To see a complete ingredient listing and more on the repeated conversations Triumph Dining had with Butterball, check out their blog.
Another option is to just toss the packet and make your own with the turkey drippings and your gluten-free flour mix!
Tags: gluten-free, gravy, packet, Thanksgiving, turkey
November 13th, 2010 at 8:07 am
It makes no sense to put a gluten free gravy with a stuffed turkey…. They’re kind of missing the whole “no gluten” point of gluten free.
November 24th, 2011 at 6:12 pm
UGH TOO MUCH SALT I’ll not try the gravy again, gluten or no gluten.