What's Up with Udi's Holey Gluten-Free Bread?

I was so excited to find the large loaves of Udi's Multi Grain gluten-free bread at Costco a few weeks ago. I spent $6.99, which I thought was a bargain at the time, for the big loaf. It was only when I got home did I realize that HALF THE LOAF was broken! It wasn't even really salvageable because not only were these slices broken, but there was a huge hole down the middle of these 10 slices... if I can even call them that! They were more like a broken bag of soft croutons. There was no full slice to be seen in this section of the loaf. 

Here is what Udi's had to say in response to me posting the picture above on my Instagram page.

I was frustrated by this response. This was now going to be my THIRD time that I am contacting Udi's about a problem with their products. I've had problems with holey bread. I've had problems with hole-less bagels. When I pay anywhere from $4.99-$7.99 for bread or bagels, I expect higher quality. I did exactly what Suzanne suggested above and contacted Udi's with the picture of the Costco loaf along with these pictures from previous negative experiences.

Let's play guess the #glutenfree bread brand. Hint: holes through more than half the loaf to the point of crumbs. pic.twitter.com/BSLj6E4kCa
— Erin Smith (@gfreefun) June 19, 2014

@udisglutenfree I'm a fan but this is a #glutenfree bagel fail. Looks more like a misfit croissant. pic.twitter.com/VQO38PJphr
— Erin Smith (@gfreefun) April 3, 2014

As I did more digging, I realized I had posted multiple Udi's fails to my social media before.

Hey @udisglutenfree, what's up with this holey bread? So disappointing at $5.99 a loaf. #GlutenFree #Fail pic.twitter.com/jnh6NbYgvI
— Erin Smith (@gfreefun) August 13, 2013

@gfreefun: Hey @udisglutenfree, are these bagels or hamburger buns? Kind of disappointing purchase. #glutenfree pic.twitter.com/enENNyIl
— Erin Smith (@gfreefun) February 19, 2013

This is getting downright frustrating. I post the most obvious product failures, but it is becoming too many to count. On my first two emails to Udi's, I was sent free coupons for future products. Great. I can try more broken products but appreciated the gesture. I was hoping my third email with photo evidence of the faulty products would bring about more of a response as well as a solution to the problem. No such luck!

Here is what Udi's/Boulder Brands had to say just last week:

Thank you for taking the time to contact us here at Udi's. We always appreciate hearing from consumers who care enough to reach out to us with their comments or questions.
We regret that you had a negative experience with our Udi's Whole Grain Bread. Thank you for providing the packaging coding and photo so our Quality Control Department can look into this further. 

We are passionate about offering the highest quality gluten free products that bring joy to our customers. The holes in our loaves of bread can be caused by a natural enzyme reaction with gluten free ingredients, we’ve invested in new equipment and just moved into a brand new facility to help address this. We thank you for your patience while we continue to strive for the best product possible. 

We sincerely apologize and hope you will give us another chance. We are sending you two coupons for free UDI's product of your choice. As part of our commitment to continuous improvement, we're also sharing your comments with the appropriate departments within our organization. Thank you for taking the time to reach out to us.

Great, more coupons for a crappy product. I refuse to buy anymore Udi's until they fix this problem. In the meantime, I will use the free coupons. Hey, what's free is FREE! Let's hope this next loaf is usable for sandwiches and not a really expensive bag of gluten-free bird seed/bread crumbs. I do hope that Udi's new facility helps address this issue and that the holey bread goes away real fast.

What do you think? Do you still buy Udi's gluten-free products? Are you getting fed up too? I would love to hear from you in the comments below!

Update on Udi's Gluten-Free

WOW. It has been a crazy night. It always seems that a gluten-free "scandal" erupts when I am out here in Portland. It must be the gluten-free-ness of this city that brings these stories right to me.

Tonight when I logged into Twitter, I saw a ton of reposts about an article on The Daily Meal called "Udi’s Bakery Bids Farewell to Gluten-Free with Name Change." The article was confusing and even after re-reading the press releases involved, there was still confusion. Top bloggers and very smart colleagues of mine were also confused as we continued to post and repost this one article. A lot of people that I know and trust were putting this out there in their social media channels, but it looks like not only were we confused but we were wrong.

Well, when I am wrong, I admit I am wrong BUT I also back up my wrongdoing with an explanation and some major research. I read the Daily Meal article again, I went to the Udi's renaming contest page, and read the press releases. In all of my sources of information, there was mention of Udi's Gluten-Free and even the gluten-free logo on the Udi's renaming contest page. I was confused so I went directly to the main source: Suzanne, the social media manager for Udi's Gluten-Free.

The social media manager agreed that the article was very misleading and that she was happy I reached out. Udi's Gluten-Free is actively doing damage control on their Facebook page to also clear up any confusion.

Here is what Udi's Gluten-Free has to say:

Unfortunately the article very misleading. It is about a different company, the Udi's Restaurants in Denver (www.udisfood.com),  and has been worded in a very confusing way. We are not changing our name and will not stop selling gluten free goodies!

In 2012, a local bakery in denver sold the gluten free portion of their business (the Udi’s retail breads and other baked goods) to what is now Boulder Brands. When they sold the gluten free portion they also sold the Udi’s name with it. They’ve had 2 years to change the name of the local restaurants here in Denver. They’re finally getting around to it and hosting a big contest to have Denver help them rename their local bakeries.

Nothing will change with the Udi’s baked goods that you know and love. The restaurants are just finally changing their name to avoid confusion (since their restaurants are also not 100% glutenfree)

I apologize for any confusion my previous post may have caused and I have learned my lesson to reach out to the source first. I can admit I am wrong publicly like this but I am also glad I am not alone in my total confusion. (See the Udi's Gluten-Free Facebook page for all of the other fans that are equally confused!) Please continue to support Udi's Gluten-Free and spread the word that Udi's Gluten-Free is not going anywhere!

No More Udi's Gluten-Free (UPDATED)

UPDATE: Udi's Gluten-Free is NOT changing its name or product!!! Read the updated article here: 

Update on Udi's Gluten-Free

I saw this article online today: Udi’s Bakery Bids Farewell to Gluten-Free with Name Change

Basically, Udi's Gluten Free has sold their gluten-free line to Boulder Brands and will be now sold under the name Smart Balance. In addition, they are changing the actual name "Udi's" to something new and have launched a contest called "Rename Udi's. According to their press release, "Prizes will be awarded to the top three finalists. The grand prize is party for 20, worth up to $1,000, the second-place prize is $300 and the third-place prize is $150 to use at restaurants, café, farmer’s markets or catering. In addition, the finalists will be invited to a brand party unveiling the name and to parties at each of the restaurant and cafe locations as the name is rolled out."

I think this could be very confusing to the gluten-free customer since the brand Udi's will continue making bread but just not gluten-free bread. Apparently, all of the Udi's products and restaurants will be renamed, but I still find this really confusing. How do you feel about this change? Do you think Udi's will improve or get worse under the new parent company? 

My GFF (Gluten-Free Friend) Kristen

What's a GFF? It's like a BFF (Best Friends Forever) but someone that is part of your gluten-free support system. It's your Gluten-Free Friend. Your #GFF is that go-to person who lets you vent about being gluten-free, goes out for a gluten-free dinner and/or drink with you, or celebrates being gluten-free and embraces everything that the Celiac Disease curveball has thrown your way.

The new "My GFF" program from Udi's is "aiming to help connect the gluten-free community and provide tools, recipes, and support for maintaining a healthy and joyful gluten-free lifestyle." Udi's recognizes that many deep friendships have been made over the years through a shared gluten-free bond and I couldn't agree more.

Through my eight years organizing the NYC Celiac Meetup group, my six years of blogging, and my obsession with social media, I have made a TON of gluten-free friends and I feel truly blessed about all of those connections. Out of all of the people I have met, there are only a small handful of people that have left the gluten-free friend world and have crossed over to "the other side." My friend Kristen is one of those people!

winewithkristen.com

Kristen, of the famous Wine with Kristen, is a Certified Sommelier with Celiac Disease living in New York City. We "met" via email in April 2010 about a gluten-free retreat in Vermont. Shortly after the emails started, a mutual Meetup group member invited us both to lunch. To say the meal was interesting is being very kind. (wink wink, Kristen!) Less than a month after meeting, Kristen offered to open up the doors of her lovely NYC apartment for a gluten-free snacks and wine pairing event. With her great personality and her kindness to volunteer an event in her home, I instantly clicked with Kristen .

Kristen and I on the porch at Good Commons

Over the past three years (which actually seems quite longer) Kristen and I moved from "Meetup friends" to real life friends. We started inviting each other out for dinner or drinks and talking less about our gluten-free lives and more about family, friends, and life in general. Towards the end of 2011, Kristen and I decided to work together to help plan a gluten-free retreat at Good Commons in Vermont. It was during this time of planning, emailing, and coordinating lots of gluten-free goodness that our friendship grew even stronger. It was a no-brainer to me that we would be roommates during the retreat weekend after all of the hard work we both put into coordinating the event. We ate well, drank well, and decompressed in the woods in Vermont together with 12 other gluten-free friends.



It was also at this time that I realized Kristen was truly someone I could count on. Not only was she stellar in helping to plan the Good Commons weekend, but I was dealing with a lot of stress in work and life in general and Kristen was an awesome listener and advice giver during this time. I trusted Kristen and confided in her, which was quite different from any other people I met through the Meetup group. I guess that is when Kristen officially became my GFF.

Kristen helping me celebrate my 34th birthday

Kristen and I meet regularly for food, drinks, and gossip in New York City. She lets me vent about the Meetup shenanigans on a regular basis yet stays out of the gluten-free drama. One thing I always admired about Kristen is that she dines out all the time, travels the world, and never lets Celiac stop her. This is how I try to live my life so Kristen's attitude towards Celiac resonates strongly with me. We are planning a fun-filled overnight in Atlantic City this fall and I am sure we will be friends for years to come.

I saw Kristen just last week at an Omission Beer and Udi's party here in New York City. Since Udi's is featuring #GFFs, I figured it was most appropriate to end this post with a picture of us at the Udi's party.

Cheers to you Kristen and thank you for being such an awesome GFF!

Do you have a #GFF? Share your story in the comments below and then head over to the Udi's Facebook page to share your story there too!

Gluten-Free at Summer Streets NYC

Three Saturdays a summer, New York City becomes even more awesome than normal. Summer Streets closes down Park Avenue from 72nd Street all the way down to the Brooklyn Bridge. For those of you unfamiliar with NYC, this is a HUGE deal. This is nearly 7 miles of no cars. No honking horns, no crazy taxi drivers, no buses spewing their fumes. These 6.9 miles are pedestrian, biker, roller blader, and skateboard bliss. This is honestly one of my favorite events of the year and each year this gets better.

What made the 2013 Summer Streets kick-off so great this year? Certainly not the weather. (I donned my bright yellow poncho to avoid the rain!) It was the abundance of gluten-free options at the Whole Foods Market City Picnic at the Midtown rest stop at 25th Street and Park Ave. This year, there were at least five companies giving out gluten-free samples. This is practically unheard of at public events. Usually you can only get this many gluten-free samples at a gluten-free vendor fair.

Thanks to Whole Foods NYC and Summer Streets for hosting the event. And a special thanks to the gluten-free vendors including Udi's Gluten-Free, Applegate Farms (Udi's gluten-free buns with the hotdogs would have been a nice bonus!, Garden Lites, Honest Tea, CalNaturale Svelte, Organic Valley, Cabot Cheese, SweetLeaf Iced Teas, and Nature's Path. (I know I am missing a few, but I can't remember who?!)

Weather permitting, I will be at Summer Streets again tomorrow.
Will I see you there?! Come find me!

 

Gluten-Free Cookbook Sponsored by Udi's Gluten-Free

Looking for delicious ways to go gluten-free? Download Delicious Living's free cookbook loaded with recipes for desserts and baked goods as well as entrees.

Download the Gluten-Free Cookbook sponsored by Udi's Gluten-Free today!