Cheerios' Gluten Free labeling needs to be removed!

Cheerios' Gluten Free labeling needs to be removed!

The Issue

Sitting in the ambulance with my 9 month old son, in June of 2017, is an experience I hope to forget. He is allergic to eggs, wheat, gluten and barley. So what happened? He's not old enough to have a large variety of solids and we have a gluten free home. All he had was some Cheerios. We all know Cheerios. It's a super kid-friendly snack and prominently labeled, well advertised, as gluten free. Could it have been the Cheerios? No way. 

Yes way.

Through community research, anecdotal conversations with allergists and feedback from people with Celiac, it is clear Cheerios are a risk many are no longer willing to take. Mechanically sorted oats carry the risk of traces of wheat - enough to cause anaphylaxis.  Ask around and you will find people who have had reactions to Cheerios. Whether it is an allergy, Celiac disease or a sensitivity, people in the know are staying away from Cheerios. How is this allowed? General Mills needs to remove this labeling from their packaging or commit to a drastic change in their process. Ingredients should highlight "gluten free oats". If not, then the misleading of the public needs to stop. Celiac Disease Foundation, your name is on the box. I know GM sponsors you but is it worth it?

FDA are you listening? 

Sign now to make this change and keep people, most importantly kids, safe.

3,973

The Issue

Sitting in the ambulance with my 9 month old son, in June of 2017, is an experience I hope to forget. He is allergic to eggs, wheat, gluten and barley. So what happened? He's not old enough to have a large variety of solids and we have a gluten free home. All he had was some Cheerios. We all know Cheerios. It's a super kid-friendly snack and prominently labeled, well advertised, as gluten free. Could it have been the Cheerios? No way. 

Yes way.

Through community research, anecdotal conversations with allergists and feedback from people with Celiac, it is clear Cheerios are a risk many are no longer willing to take. Mechanically sorted oats carry the risk of traces of wheat - enough to cause anaphylaxis.  Ask around and you will find people who have had reactions to Cheerios. Whether it is an allergy, Celiac disease or a sensitivity, people in the know are staying away from Cheerios. How is this allowed? General Mills needs to remove this labeling from their packaging or commit to a drastic change in their process. Ingredients should highlight "gluten free oats". If not, then the misleading of the public needs to stop. Celiac Disease Foundation, your name is on the box. I know GM sponsors you but is it worth it?

FDA are you listening? 

Sign now to make this change and keep people, most importantly kids, safe.

Support now

3,973


The Decision Makers

The Supporters

Featured Comments

Avatar of Heidi
Heidi, Thomson
4 months ago
My celiac husband and son have had a reaction each time they tried cheerios. They are clearly cross contaminated! For someone with a high intolerance for gluten, this is a big deal! And so frustrating when my son goes to a friends house or school function and is served these because they are labeled as “gluten free.”
Avatar of A
A, Bridgeton
1 year ago
Oats are not guaranteed to be gluten free for all products. Cheerios are not a gluten free brand, maybe a gluten intolerant brand at most. They cannot be considered gluten free and shouldn't have a g l uten free label.
Avatar of Cynthia
Cynthia, Bellingham
1 year ago
Please, please stop harming people with celiac disease by labeling potentially gluten-contaminated food as gluten free. Small exposures over time add up to serious health problems for celiacs. You may be meeting the letter of the law in terms of gluten free labeling, but your practices are certainly violating the trust and endangering the health of...

Petition updates

Share this petition

Share this petition in person or use the QR code for your own material.Download QR Code
Petition created on October 10, 2018