A Taco Bueno mistake.

We recently went to Taco Bueno thinking we remembered the chips and cheese "nachos" to be gluten free. They are not. Grace had a bad stomach ache shortly after eating them and looked at me pitifully and said "Celiac."

UGH!

Apparently their chips are fried w/other stuff - including flour tortillas. Lesson learned - the HARD way.

Info from Heinz

Right after getting the Celiac diagnosis I contacted Heinz regarding gluten free products - I was especially interested in the Delimex Taquitos since Grace has always loved those. I was really glad to hear they are gluten free!

Here is the prompt response I got.

"November 24, 2008

Dear Sandra,

Thank you for your interest in Heinz Products. We certainly understand how difficult it can be to find foods that meet the requirements of a restricted diet.

As you requested, the following is a listing of all of our products that do NOT have gluten containing ingredients. If the product you asked about is not on this list, then it may contain gluten containing ingredients. Also, please note that recipes can change without notice. Therefore, we recommend you always check the ingredient statement on the label.

HEINZ PRODUCTS:
Heinz BBQ Sauces (Original, Chicken & Rib, Garlic, Honey Garlic Only)
Heinz Chili Sauce
Heinz Cocktail Sauce
Heinz Horseradish Sauce
Heinz Ketchup
Heinz Organic Ketchup
Heinz Reduced Sugar Ketchup
Heinz One-Carb Ketchup
Heinz No-Sodium Added Ketchup
Heinz Hot and Spicy Ketchup Kick'rs
Heinz Mustard (All Varieties)
Heinz Pickles (All Varieties)
Heinz Peppers (All Varieties)
Heinz Relish (All Varieties)
Heinz Sloppy Joe Sauce
Heinz Tartar Sauce
Heinz Traditional Steak Sauce
Heinz Vegetarian Beans
Heinz Distilled White Vinegar
Heinz Red Wine Vinegar
Heinz Apple Cider Vinegar
Heinz Apple Cider Flavored Vinegar
Heinz Red Wine Vinegar
Heinz Garlic Wine Vinegar






Jack Daniel's BBQ Sauces (Original #7, Honey Smokehouse, Hickory Brown Sugar, Spicy BBQ Only)
Jack Daniel's EZ Marinader -- Teriyaki Variety
Jack Daniel's EZ Marinader -- Garlic & Herb Variety
Jack Daniel's Steak Sauce (Both Varieties)
Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce
Lea & Perrins Traditional Steak Sauce
TGI Fridays Salsa (All Varieties)

CLASSICO PRODUCTS:
Classico Red Sauces (All Varieties)
Classico Alfredo Sauces (All Varieties)
Classico Pesto Sauces (All Varieties)
Classico Bruschetta (All Varieties)

DELIMEX PRODUCTS:
UPC CODE: PRODUCT NAME:
1769600012 Taquitos, 36 ct. Delimex Chicken
1769600018 Tamales, 12 ct. Delimex Beef
1769600019 Tamales, 12 ct. Delimex Chicken & Cheese
1769600024 Tamales, 6 ct. Delimex Beef
1769600028 Taquitos, 25 ct. Delimex Beef
1769600029 Taquitos, 25 ct. Delimex Chicken
1769600048 Taquitos, 36 ct. Delimex Beef
1769600095 Taquitos, 12 ct. Delimex Beef
1769600096 Taquitos, 12 ct. Delimex Chicken
1769600155 Tamales, 15 ct. Costco Beef
1769600159 Tamales, 20 ct. Delimex Beef, Costco
1769600180 Taquitos, 60 ct. Delimex Beef
1769600186 Taquitos, 60 ct. Sam's Club Beef
1769600214 Taquitos, 25 ct. Delimex 3-Cheese
1769600565 Tamales, 20 ct. Beef, Sam's Club
1769600684 Taquitos, 66 ct. Costco Beef
1769600685 Taquitos, 66 ct. Costco Chicken

ORE-IDA PRODUCTS:
UPC CODE: PRODUCT NAME:
13120XXXXX- ALL VARIETIES of Ore-Ida® Tater Tots®
1312001879 Ore-Ida® ABC Tater Tots®
1312000080 Ore-Ida Golden Patties® (9 ct.)
1312000258 Ore-Ida® Golden Fries® (32 oz.)
1312000278 Ore-Ida® Golden Fries® (5 lb.)
1312000286 Ore-Ida® Golden Crinkles® (32 oz.)
1312000291 Ore-Ida® Golden Crinkles® (5 lb.)
1312000296 Ore-Ida® Pixie Crinkles (26 oz.)
1312000377 Ore-Ida® Cottage Fries (32 oz.)
1312000392 Ore-Ida® Southern Style Hash Browns (32 oz.)
1312000428 Ore-Ida® Country Style Steak Fries (28 oz.)
1312000455 Ore-Ida® Zesty Twirls (28 oz.)






1312000469 Ore-Ida® Potatoes O'Brien (28 oz.)
1312000647 Ore-Ida® French Fries (8 lb.)
1312000654 Ore-Ida® Country Style Hashbrowns (6 lb.)
1312000784 Ore-Ida® Steam N' Mash Cut Russets®
1312000785 Ore-Ida® Steam N' Mash Cut Sweet Potatoes®
1312000786 Ore-Ida® Steam N' Mash Three Cheese Potatoes®
1312000787 Ore-Ida® Steam N' Mash Garlic Seasoned Potatoes®
1312000483 Ore-Ida® Golden Twirls® (28 oz.)
1312000484 Ore-Ida® Zesties® (2 lb.)
1312000800 Ore-Ida® Steak Fries® (28 oz.)
1312000801 Ore-Ida® Shoestrings® (5 lb)
1312000828 Ore-Ida® Shoestrings® (28 oz.)
1312000829 Ore-Ida® Shoestrings® (40 oz.)
1312000833 Ore-Ida® Country Style Hashbrowns (30 oz.)
1312000854 Ore-Ida® Hash Browns (5 lb.)
1312000862 Ore-Ida® Country Style Hashbrowns (6 lb.)
1312001012 Ore-Ida® Potato Wedges with Skins (24 oz.)
1312001036 Ore-Ida® Crispers® (20 oz.)
1312001176 Ore-Ida® Waffle Fries® (22 oz.)
1312001190 Ore-Ida® Steak Fries® (3.75 lb.)
1312001260 Ore-Ida® Extra Crispy Crinkle Cut (26 oz.)
1312001280 Ore-Ida® Extra Crispy Seasoned Crinkle Cut® (26 oz.)
1312001417 Ore-Ida® Extra Crispy Fast Food Fries (26 oz.)
1312001461 Ore-Ida® Country Fries (30 oz.)
1312001492 Ore-Ida® Fast Food Fries (4 lb.)
1312008564 Ore-Ida® Golden Crinkles® (8 lb.)
1312008572 Ore-Ida® Golden Crinkles® (8 lb.) CLUB

SMART ONES PRODUCTS:
UPC CODE: PRODUCT NAME:
2580002011 Smart Ones Broccoli & Cheddar Potatoes
2580002247 Smart Ones Lemon Herb Chicken Piccata
2580002254 Smart Ones Fiesta Chicken
2580002360 Smart Ones Santa Fe Rice & Beans
2580002904 Smart Ones Creamy Tuscan Chicken
2580002907 Smart Ones Grilled Chicken in Garlic Herb Sauce
2580002915 Smart Ones Home-Style Chicken
2580002918 Smart Ones Chicken Santa Fe

Again, we appreciate you taking the time to contact us. If you need further information, feel free to call us at this toll-free number (1-800-255-5750). Our offices are open Monday through Friday from 8:30 AM until 6:00 PM, Eastern Time.

Heinz Consumer Resource Center
Heinzconsumeraffairs@us.hjheinz.com







When contacting us, please refer to the following reference number: 002927498A

HEINZ/JNEEL

P.S. - For your convenience, here's a recipe for a barbecue sauce without gluten-containing ingredients:

Heinz Ketchup Basic Barbecue Sauce

½ cup Heinz Tomato Ketchup
¼ cup water
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons Heinz Apple Cider Vinegar
2 tablespoons Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce
1 teaspoon chili powder
½ teaspoon celery seed
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon hot pepper sauce

In saucepan, combine all ingredients.
Simmer, uncovered, 10 minutes.
Brush ribs or chicken with sauce during last 10 minutes of grilling or broiling.

Makes about ¾ cup of sauce."

Gluten and Ricos Nacho Cheese Cups

I just got the following email back from the lovely lady at Ricos about the Ricos Nacho Cheese Cups (like pudding cups - but w/nacho cheese sauce).

"We just received the gluten test. The smallest laboratory test that can be tested for gluten is 5ppm which is parts per million. No gluten was detected for this.

Just so you know the proposed FDA guideline for gluten free is as follows:
* An ingredient that is derived from a prohibited grain and that has been processed to remove gluten, if the use of that ingredient results in the presence of 20 parts per million (ppm) or more gluten in the food or
* 20 ppm or more gluten

So this cheese is considered gluten free.

We appreciate your business and if you have any other questions please contact me."

As with anything not specifically gluten free you will just need to make a decision deciding on sensitivity. It does add another choice for many.

Ricos Nacho Cheese sauce - a good thing.

I remember years ago my church used to work at the Ft Worth Convention Center in the concession stands. People would volunteer and the money went to the church. I got to go with my Mom to things like the circus, horse shows etc. Something else I remember fondly - gooey, vivid yellow cheese poured over crisp tortilla chips - ball park nachos! Creamy goodness at its best.

Sam's Club came to town and I got a card. Imagine my surprise when I saw they had VATS of nacho cheese sauce you could purchase for your very own nachos at home!! I never got it however because - honestly - who needs a vat of nacho cheese sauce?

Years later I was asked to get a vat of nacho cheese sauce for a meeting - I gladly trotted to Sam's and got it and put it into my crock pot - HOPING for left overs - I wasn't disappointed.

One day I was walking through Walmart and saw not only did they have the vats they had soup can sizes of Rico's Nacho Cheese!!! I was in heaven. That said - I decided to only use it for recreational or social use - not for personal use. About once a year I took it to casual parties - no one was disappointed.

Since I have a picky eater I was excited to see they had little individual cups of Rico Cheese sauce - perfect for school lunches! I never purchased it however for some reason. After Grace was diagnosed I checked the small cans - it appeared to be gluten free!! Yippee!!! I then checked the little individual cups and I was so disappointed - it had Maltodextron and MSG - Dadgumit!

I got on the Ricos web site and it said "I am happy to tell you that Ricos cheese and popcorn are gluten free." What??? I immediately shot off a friendly email to Ricos and quickly received a personal response. It stated that Celiac questions were becoming one of their number one questions and she knew that the #10 cans and 12 oz cans of Ricos cheese is gluten free however the individual cups have not been tested. She is sending off a request to the lab to have them properly tested and will get back to me. What??? Really??? They took my request that seriously?? I couldn't believe the customer service!! Not only did she send me this email she sent a follow up email stating the cheese was sent to the lab, the tests take about 6 days and she will contact me when they came back. Honestly I have to say I have so much respect for this company right now based on customer service alone.

With this info in hand I purchased one of the 12 oz cans and am putting into small containers for Grace to take to school with chips - she loves it.

I will update this whenever I hear back from Kara at Ricos. Yes - I know there is no natural cheese this color and honestly I am some what of a cheese snob - however I consider this to be a completely different food all together. You may think it is is junk food - and it may be - but to me it is a little florescent glob of heaven atop a corn chip - Grace agrees.