General Mills has announced that it will voluntarily remove the “gluten free” label from Cheerios cereal sold in Canada. “The change we are making is simply to remove the gluten-free label from future boxes,” General Mills spokesperson Mike Siemienas said said. “There is not any health risk with the products currently on the shelf.”
Cheerios were first labelled gluten free in August 2016 but The Canadian Celiac Association has been warning people with celiac disease or gluten sensitivity not to consume it. The disagreement over whether Cheerios can be safely labelled as gluten free highlights the complexities of gluten testing and how to avoid cross-contamination between grains. Cheerios are made with 100 percent natural whole grain oats, which are gluten free. However, the grain is at high risk for contamination from gluten-filled wheat, barley or rye unless a strict protocol to ensure the oats are pure is followed – from the farmer’s field right through the manufacturing process.
That said, General Mills stands by its testing process and said Cheerios sold in the U.S. will continue to carry the gluten-free label.
Click here to watch a video of the making of Cheerios from start to finish.
When my children were younger, I had convinced them one of my jobs was to drill the holes in the Cheerios. Then one day I overheard one of them telling their friend that ‘my dad drills holes in Cheerios’.
Aww that’s so cute haha 🙂