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A client found Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cinnadust at Costco and was wondering if it was gluten-free. I thought I would research it and other Cinnamon Toast Crunch Products to find out which ones are gluten-free and which are not. Here’s what I found…
P.s. Need help with label-reading and knowing if products like this are gluten-free? Sign up for my FREE USA Food Label-Reading Class where I show you EXACTLY what you need to look for on a food label to stay celiac-safe in the USA. Stop stressing over grocery shopping in just 4-simple steps with this FREE training!
When talking about if Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cinnadust is gluten-free, it’s important we know what gluten is. Gluten is a protein found in barley, rye, contaminated oats, and wheat. It may be helpful to remember the acronym “BROW” when trying to remember what foods have gluten.
In baked goods, gluten holds things together working as a binding agent. It gives texture and chew to foods.
Most people can safely eat gluten. However, some people have gluten sensitivity or celiac disease which means they need to avoid gluten. It can cause digestive issues such as diarrhea and nausea as well as nonintestinal symptoms such as rashes, headaches, or joint pain.
We know Cinnamon Toast Crunch has wheat in it and is not gluten-free. However, Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cinnadust did not have any obvious gluten in the ingredients nor an allergen statement or advisory. Cinnadust did, however, have natural flavors in the ingredients.
In the United States companies are only required to list if ingredients are derived from wheat, but not the other 2 gluten containing grains, barley and rye. (However the The Food Labeling Modernization Act of 2021 is working to change this).
Because there was no allergen statement, I knew the natural flavors weren’t derived from wheat but I didn’t know if it was from barley or rye. And because Cinnadust is Cinnamon Toast Crunch flavored, the risks of the natural flavor being derived from gluten were high (Learn more about how to check food labels for gluten here).
So, I called the company. The company told me the following: “This product has not been tested or analyzed to be gluten-free… it is company policy to declare if ingredients are derived from wheat, barley and rye on the label”. (This phone call was made September 2021)
So there you have it, there are no gluten containing or derived ingredients in Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cinnadust.
Now for some, because the product has not been tested for gluten, this product will remain unsafe. However, in most cases, a gluten-free claim or certification is not required for a product to be celiac-safe.
Because this product doesn’t contain any high cross-contact risk ingredients like oats, I would say in most cases it’s safe. However, assess the suitability of it for yourself (or better yet, include your celiac dietitian who’s aware of you celiac health status into the conversation)
My client enjoyed the Cinnadust on a bowl of gluten-free rice chex. Yum!
Want to buy some Cinnadust for yourself?
(This is an amazon affiliate link where I will make a small commission at no cost to you if you order it)
All Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereals contain gluten in the form of wheat. That includes Apple Pie Toast Crunch, Chocolate Toast Crunch, Cinnamon Toast Crunch Churros, French Toast Crunch, Sugar Cookie Toast Crunch, and Dulce de Leche Toacst Crunch.
Cinnamon Toast Crunch Remix Snacking Mixes are also not gluten-free. They contain wheat in the ingredients. The same applies for their Soft Breakfast Bars and Treat Bars.
The Cinnamon Toast Crunch Instant Oatmeal does not contain gluten containing ingredients. However, because oats are at high risk for abuse in the gluten-free space and general mills has the worst reputation with abusing oats, their Instant Oatmeal would not be recommended for celiacs.
Additionally, the oats in their Instant Oatmeal aren’t certified gluten-free or purity protocol and thus, they are not considered celiac-safe. You can learn more about oats and celiac in my blogpost “Are Oats Celiac-Safe“.
Have another Cinnamon Toast Crunch Product you want to add to the list? Contact me and I’ll look into and add it!
Looking for a Cinnamon Toast Crunch gluten-free alternative? Check out Cinnamon Rice Chex (affiliate link)!