Trader Joe's just launched two new gluten-free breads trying to meet an ever-growing demand for gluten-free products at the store. A few of my readers mentioned this bread to me and then my sister bought the new white sandwich bread at her local Trader Joe's. She said it was most similar to Udi's Bread and was happy to see it readily available and on the shelves.
I was very curious to understand how the bread was produced and if it was made in a dedicated gluten-free facility so I contacted customer service. It took a few days, but I finally received this response from Trader Joe's:
Thank you for contacting us with your product inquiry. However, our bread product selections and suppliers may vary by state and/or region (as we do source our bread products locally). Therefore in order to provide you with accurate allergen information for the specific facility that makes the bread for your area, we would require the specific product SKU number or UPC code from the packaging.
We can share with you that as a standard any products that state “gluten-free” on the labeling will have undergone testing to validate the claim.
GLUTEN FREE — Per the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) gluten free labeling regulation, a product that displays a “Gluten Free” claim on the label has been validated to contain less than 20 parts per million (ppm) of gluten. If you see “Gluten Free” on a Trader Joe’s product, this means that the product has been validated to contain less than 20 ppm of gluten. Individuals with Celiac Disease or Gluten Sensitivity must avoid gluten for their health.
So, we do also invite you to contact us directly at (626) 599-3817 anytime Monday through Friday during the hours of 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. (PSt) with the specific product SKU or UPC code for further clarification. However, you can be assured that the product is indeed "gluten free" per the above standards.
It looks like Trader Joe's understands the FDA gluten-free labeling regulation, but I still do not know how the bread is produced or if the production facility is dedicated gluten-free. It seems strange to me that the gluten-free breads would be produced in different factories across the country, but this email implies that it does just that. Once I get a loaf of this bread in my local Trader Joe's, I will inquire about the particular SKU and it's source facility and report back. .
In the meantime, here are the ingredients for the new gluten-free breads at Trader Joe's.
INGREDIENTS
GLUTEN FREE WHITE SANDWICH BREAD: Water, Tapicoa Starch, Potato Starch, Brown Rice Flour, Cane Sugar, Modified Tapioca Starch, Rice Flour with Cultured Rice Flour (for freshness), Expeller Pressed Canola Oil, Whole Grain Sorghum Flour, Xanthan Gum, Yeast, Egg Whites, Tapioca Maltodextrin, Baking Powder (Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate, Sodium Bicarbonate, Potato Flour, Monocalcium Phosphate), Sea Salt, Calcium Sulfate, Enzymes. CONTAINS EGGS.
GLUTEN FREE WHOLE GRAIN BREAD: Water, Tapioca Starch, Potato Starch, Brown Rice Flour, Cane Sugar, Rice Flour with Cultured Rice Flour (for freshness), Modified Tapioca Starch, Whole Grain Sorghum Flour, Whole Grain Amaranth Flour, Expeller Pressed Canola Oil, Whole Grain Teff, Xanthan Gum, Yeast, Egg Whites, Tapioca Maltodextrin, Baking Powder (Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate, Sodium Bicarbonate, Potato Flour, Monocalcium Phosphate), Flaxseed Meal, Sea Salt, Molasses, Calcium Sulfate, Enzymes. CONTAINS EGGS.
Has anyone tried this bread yet? What do you think?
Labels: bread, gluten-free, Trader Joe's
