Oats produced under a gluten-free purity protocol: Listing of suppliers and manufacturers
NOTE: Inclusion in this listing does not constitute endorsement from Gluten Free Watchdog. Information has been provided by the manufacturer. Gluten Free Watchdog has not necessarily tested the products listed here for gluten contamination. This listing is provided as a convenience to those consumers who wish to purchase oats from suppliers/manufacturers who source oats grown under a gluten-free purity protocol. Please contact the manufacturers directly to ask about their finished product testing protocols and their handling procedures for purity protocol oats (e.g., steps taken to prevent cross-contact with wheat, barley, and rye once in the hands of the manufacturer).
MANUFACTURERS: If you would like to be included in this listing please send an email to: (tricia_s_thompson@hotmail.com). To be included in the listing your email must state:
- That all oats used in your labeled gluten-free products are sourced from a supplier of oats produced following a gluten-free purity protocol.
- The name of your oat supplier(s).
Avena Foods
- Website: http://avenafoods.com/
- Consumer oat products:
- Only Oats™ Gluten-free Whole Grain Rolled Oats
- Only Oats™ Gluten-free Whole Grain Steel Cut Oats
- Only Oats™ Gluten-free Whole Grain Quick Oat Flakes
- Only Oats™ Gluten-free Whole Grain Oat Flour
- Only Oats™ Gluten-free Whole Grain Oat Bran
- Only Oats™ Grandma’s Oatmeal Cookie Mix
- Only Oats™ Whole Oat Pancake Mix
- Only Oats™ Decadent Chocolate Muffin Mix
- Only Oats™ Cinnamon Spice Muffin Mix
- Ingredient supplier to manufacturers
- Current gluten-free purity protocol confirmed via email July 21, 2015:
- Select growers attend workshops to learn the requirements for growing gluten-free oats
- Only pure pedigreed seed is used
- Fields used to grow gluten-free oats are
- Required to follow specified crop rotation protocol
- Surrounded by an isolation strip
- Inspected
- All machinery and equipment is either thoroughly cleaned or dedicated
- Oats are processed in a dedicated gluten-free facility
- Oats are tested using R5 ELISA Methodology
GF Harvest
- Website: http://www.glutenfreeoats.com/
- Consumer oat products:
- Canyon Oats Gluten-Free Oatmeal and Granola Cups (wide variety of flavors)
- GF Harvest Gluten-Free Whole Grain Oat Flour
- GF Harvest Gluten-Free Oat Groats
- GF Harvest Gluten-Free Steel Cut Oats
- GF Harvest Gluten-Free Rolled Oats
- GF Harvest Gluten-Free Quick Oats
- GF Harvest Gluten-Free Cookie Crisp Granola
- GF Harvest Gluten-Free Organic Oat Products
- Ingredient supplier to manufacturers
- Current gluten-free protocol confirmed via email on July 22, 2015:
- Oats are planted only on fields that have not grown glutinous grains for at least two years
- Pure gluten free seed is used for planting
- Fields are hand rogued to eliminate any possible contamination at least three times between planting and harvest
- The grower is responsible for rogueing
- GF Harvest inspectors are in every field of oats we contract
- 3rd party crop inspectors are also utilized
- Oats are harvested and transported in equipment that has been inspected and approved by us for our gluten free production
- The combines are inspected and each grower has been trained on proper cleaning techniques
- Oats are processed in our own dedicated GFCO Certified gluten-free oat facility
- A combination of RidaScreen Elisa R5 and RidaQuick Gluten testing is conducted on all incoming seed stock and after processing
- Independent lab gliadin testing is performed on each batch
Montana Gluten-Free Processors
- Website: http://www.montanaglutenfree.com/shop/
- Consumer oat products:
- Gluten-Free All Purpose Baking Mix
- Gluten-Free Raw Oatmeal
- Gluten-Free Oat Bran
- Gluten-Free Oat Groats
- Gluten-Free Cream of Oats
- Gluten-Free Toasted Oat Bread Mix
- Gluten-Free Waffle Pancake Mix
- Ingredient supplier to manufacturers
- Current gluten-free purity protocol confirmed via email on July 17, 2015:
- Oats are planted only on fields that have not grown gluten grains for 4 years
- Pure gluten free seed is planted
- Fields are hand rogued to eliminate any possible contamination
- The grower is responsible for rogueing
- Each field is inspected by a Montana Gluten Free inspector prior to harvest to assure that the rogueing was thorough and the field is clean
- Oats are harvested and transported in certified clean dedicated equipment
- The combines are inspected and each grower has been trained to clean equipment
- Oats are processed in a dedicated gluten-free facility
- Redundant ELISA R5 testing is conducted before and after processing (since 2012 Montana Gluten-Free also uses the ELISA G12)
GfJules
- Website: https://gfjules.com/product/gfjules-instant-gluten-free-oats/
- Sells GF Harvest Organic Quick Gluten Free Oats (confirmed via email October 26, 2015)
GlutenFreeda
- Website: http://glutenfreeda.com/
- All oat products are made using oats from Avena Foods (confirmed via email November 3, 2015) (Confirmed via email on July 25, 2018 that GlutenFreeda is still using purity protocol oats)
- Product list:
- Instant oatmeal (wide variety of flavors)
- Variety Pack Instant Oatmeal
- Natural Instant Oatmeal
- Apple Cinnamon Instant Oatmeal
- Maple Raisin Instant Oatmeal
- Berry Medley Instant Oatmeal
- Brown Sugar with Flax Instant Oatmeal
- Banana Maple Instant Oatmeal
- Cranberry Cinnamon Instant Oatmeal
- Strawberry Brown Sugar Instant Oatmeal
- Oatmeal cups (variety of flavors)
- Cranberry Apple with Walnuts & Cinnamon Oatmeal Cup
- Golden Raisin & Brown Raisins with Almonds Oatmeal Cup
- Blueberries, Strawberries & Brown Sugar Oatmeal Cup
- Brown Sugar & Flax Oatmeal Cup
- Bulk oats (traditional rolled oats, quick rolled oats, steel cut oats)
- Granola (variety of flavors)
- Apple Almond Honey Granola
- Cranberry Cashew Honey Granola
- Raisin Almond Honey Granola
- Instant oatmeal (wide variety of flavors)
Gluten-Free Prairie
- Website: http://glutenfreeprairie.com/
- All oat products are made using oats from Montana Gluten-Free Processors (confirmed via email October 26, 2015)
- Product list:
- Gluten-Free Prairie Montana Mornings Gourmet Granola
- Gluten-Free Prairie The Hunger Buster (ready-made cookie)
- Gluten-Free Prairie Toasted Oatmeal
- Gluten-Free Prairie Toasted Oat Flour
- Gluten-Free Prairie Groats
Libre Naturals
- Website: http://librenaturals.com/
- All oat products are made using oats from Avena Foods (confirmed via email November 10, 2015)
- Product list:
- Granola bars
- Oatmeal cups
- Oatmeal
- Granola
- Bulk oats
- Private label
MadeGood
- Website: madegoodfoods.com
- All oats used in their labeled gluten-free products are sourced from Avena Foods (confirmed via email May 11, 2018)
- Product list:
- MadeGood Granola Bars
- MadeGood Granola Minis
Step One Foods
- Website:steponefoods.com
- All oat ingredients are supplied by GF Harvest and Montana Gluten Free (confirmed June 19, 2017)
- Product list:
- Dark Chocolate Crunch Bar
- Cranberry Pecan Bar
- Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cluster
- Whole Oats and Walnut Pancake Mix
- Strawberry Banana Smoothie Mix
- Blueberry Cinnamon Oatmeal
- Anytime Sprinkle
Glanbia Nutritionals’ OatPure™ gluten-free oats
- Website: https://www.glanbianutritionals.com/en/news-resources/news/oatpuretm
- Licensed by Coeliac UK, the Coeliac Society of Ireland, and the Spanish Federation of Coeliac Associations (FACE) to carry the crossed grain symbol
- Glanbia does not sell directly to the consumer
Please see the Comments section for statements from Nature’s Path, Bob’s Red Mill, Cream Hill Estates, Bakery On Main, and Kind. All are using mechanically/optically sorted oats.
Comments (56)
On November 2, 2015 Nature’s Path wrote the following to me in an email, “This is to confirm that Natures Path Foods has purchased the Country Choice brand name from Grain Millers. Grain Millers continue to be the supplier of our gluten free oats.”
Grain Millers’ oats are mechanically sorted.
I wonder if they will “keep things the same” as they were. Nature’s Path told me, in an email, that their own brand (and I guess Envirokidz, too) are on shared equipment. I have the email, but where’s the disclaimer on the packages and boxes of food. Not there!! I emailed that I cannot tolerate food on shared equipement, and they wrote back saying that I would not be able to safely eat their products. Makes me wonder about Country Choice, then.
On November 12, 2015, Bob’s Red Mill wrote the following to me in an email (bottom line–BRM is using both purity protocol oats and sorted oats in their gluten-free oat products):
Dear Ms. Thompson,
Thank you for your inquiry regarding Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Oats. For over 30 years, Bob’s Red Mill has been committed to providing the very best in gluten free flours, cereals, baking mixes and grains for our friends on gluten free diets. For all of our gluten free products, we thoroughly batch test every product in our quality control laboratory upon delivery, during production and after packaging. We adhere to a standard of no more than 19 parts per million of gluten. Should a test show that a product exceeds that limit, it would be simply rejected and made unavailable for distribution to anyone. Every step in the production of our gluten free products is done in a separate gluten free packaging division complete with specialized machinery to make sure that our products maintain their purity. By going to these lengths, we’re able to ensure that people with wheat allergies, celiac disease and gluten intolerance can trust that our products are safe to consume.
Oats require special care to ensure that they are safely free from gluten. Bob’s Red Mill only sources from oat suppliers who are committed to practices for eliminating the presence of gluten. Our suppliers are innovative in controlling the presence of gluten by either avoiding crop rotation with gluten containing grains or using optical sorting technology to remove grain containing gluten. Regardless of our suppliers’ chosen methods for meeting our gluten free specification, we require that each lot is tested and confirmed gluten free before authorization for shipment to Bob’s Red Mill. To ensure that they stay just as gluten free as the day their seedlings sprouted from the earth, we test each batch in our quality control laboratory when they arrive from the farm, during production and once again after they are packaged in our dedicated gluten free facility.
This worries me. I’ve used Bob’s Red Mill oats before, and not had an issue. But I’m not comfortable using a mechanically sorted oat product. I truly believed they were certified gluten free oats. I will be sticking with Aveena for my oats going forward. Thank you for the work you do!!
Remember too, that certified gluten-free does not mean the oats are purity protocol.
Have you checked out the gluten-free oats at Trader Joe’s? I’d love to see a review of them.
We tested Trader Joe’s oats in 2011. Their source of oats may have changed.
Note to manufacturers: If you are sourcing “gluten-free” oats from either Grain Millers or La Crosse Milling, these oats are commodity oats that have been mechanically/optically sorted.
Any update on Trader Joe’s gluten free oats?
I do not know the source of Trader Joe’s gluten-free oats.
Update on Trader Joe’s gluten-free oats: Based on a recent Fearless Flyer, Trader Joe’s gluten-free oats appear to be produced under a purity protocol. Here is the link to the information http://traderjoes.com/fearless-flyer/article/2788. Thank you to the consumers who sent me photos and links.This community is fantastic!
I had to give away my trader joe’s GF oats a month ago because I was suddenly bloating, getting migraines, and was foggy after switching brands to these because they were cheaper. I guess you get what you pay for.
I live in Nova Scotia, Canada. I have been living with Celiac Disease for 23 years. These are the oats I have been using: http://www.creamhillestates.com/en_about.php They follow a purity protocol. Have you heard of them? Thank you for your work. I follow and listen to you and GlutenDude.
Hi Sandy, Yes I am very familiar with Cream Hill Estates (they are good people) but there is a reason why they are not included in the list of suppliers of oats grown under a purity protocol.
Dear Tricia,
I would like to know the reason why Cream Hill Estates oats are not included in your list. I live in Ontario Canada, have celiac disease and DH, and these are currently the only bulk oats that I can find to purchase from my local whole foods store. If there is an issue with their purity, I would like to know. Thank you.
Carrie, Cream Hill Estates has not provided me with a public statement for posting. Please contact them directly and ask whether their oats are grown under a gluten-free purity protocol or whether they are mechanically and optically sorted. Note: I have just reached out to Cream Hill again for a statement about their oats. If one is forthcoming, it will be posted.
Carrie, A statement from Cream Hill has just been posted.
Thanks so much for all the work that you do to advocate for us celiacs! I found you through @glutendude.
My pleasure, Carrie.
Sandy, A statement from Cream Hill has just been posted.
Thank you so much. I appreciate your work so much. It’s so important to have the facts,
You are most welcome, Sandy. Thank you for the kind words.
SO, are Bob’s Red Mill’s oatmeal oats safe?
If it is important to you that the oats you eat are grown under a gluten-free purity protocol then choose one of the brands included in the list. There is no way for a consumer to know whether the oats purchased from BRM are purity protocol or mechanically/optically sorted.
Thank you for letting us know. i had thought that Bakery on Main oats were pure, have you heard anything about them? Thank you!
I do not know the source of Bakery on Main oats. If you contact them be sure to ask if they source ALL of their oats from a supplier of oats grown under a purity protocol (if this is important to you).
Have you checked Kind gluten free granola products?
Cindy, Please contact Kind by email and ask them if they source ALL of their oats from a supplier of oats produced under a gluten-free purity protocol or if they source oats from a supplier who mechanically and optically sorts commodity oats. If you receive any information from Kind in writing, please report back.
I contacted Kind about the source of their oats (purity protocol or sorted). Here is their reply:
“All of our snacks, including those containing oats, are gluten free. We adhere to stringent guidelines and conduct regular testing to ensure our snacks contain less than 20ppm of gluten.
I hope this information helps. Please don’t hesitate to reach out with any additional questions.”
When I replied with the comment that they hadn’t answered my question, this was their further response:
“While specific sourcing information is considered proprietary by nature, please know that we work closely with our oats suppliers to ensure we are holding ourselves to industry best practices – both from a sourcing and testing perspective.”
You may want to draw your own conclusions from that.
Statement from Cream Hill Estates provided via email on March 31, 2016:
“Cream Hill Estates sources our gluten-free oats from a mill that successfully uses extensive mechanical and optical sorting to minimize the likelihood of gluten cross-contamination in their products. The mill uses both select commodity and purity protocol oats and does frequent sampling throughout the process from arrival of the oats at the mill to finished product, and we are satisfied that cleaning, sorting, sampling and testing at the mill produce gluten-content results that are well within acceptable limits for celiac disease (CD) and wheat sensitive consumers, including CD members in our own family. The mill provides us with test results for each lot number, an 1,800 pound tote bag, and we also do random independent third-party gluten testing of representative samples obtained by us from those totes. Test results from the mill and from third-party testing are always less than 10 parts per million (ppm) of gluten with the vast majority being less than 5ppm using S-ELISA and R5-ELISA test methodologies. Our products are certified gluten-free by the Gluten Free Certification Organization (GFCO). Our dedicated gluten-free manufacturing and packaging facility in Montreal is also free from any of the top 8 food allergens identified by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the 10 priority food allergens identified by Health Canada. As a finished food supplier to consumers and an ingredient supplier to manufacturers, we guarantee the purity of our products.”
Hi Tricia, Thank you for all you do! I was just looking into Cream Hill Estates, and I’m not sure if they posted this on your website before/after they emailed you. From their wording it kind of makes it sound like the oats are pure but they double check their work via sorting and throw away anything questionable. So confusing 🙁
http://www.creamhillestates.com/en_purity_process.php
Hi Jessica, What you are reading on the website of Cream Hill Estates is outdated information. They have not updated their website since changing the source of their oats. The latest information is included in the statement provided to Gluten Free Watchdog.
That is so frustrating! Thank you for providing the correct information!
Thanks so much for all your work. Does anyone know anything about Kashi’s oat source? I have not had issues with their other g-f things, but am trying to find info about their oats, with very little luck.
Thank you for your article and work on this. We buy gluten-free oats from Azure Standard out of Oregon. I hope they are acceptable.
Do you know about Vitacost gluten free oats? They are certified by Gluten Intolerance Group (GIG). Is that a reliable organization?
Sarah, You will have to contact Vitacost and ask them if they are sourcing ALL of their gluten-free oats from a supplier of purity protocol oats (if this is important to you). GFCO certifies products containing oats that are purity protocol and mechanically/optically sorted.
Hi there, any update on Bob’s red mill? They are still using a mixture which means their oats are not really gluten free? So appreciate all you do!
As far as I know, Bob’s Red Mill continues to use both purity protocol oats and mechanically/optically sorted oats in their oats labeled gluten-free.
Ok so what does that mean? Are they or aren’t they safe? So frustrating and confusing. Thanks
Yes, the situation with oats right now is very complicated and we will be writing a new post soon. Based on numerous studies, moderate amounts of oats (approximately 50 grams) NOT contaminated with wheat, barley, or rye can be added to the diets of the vast majority of individuals with celiac disease. A small percentage of people appear to have an immune response to the oat prolamin avenin. For this reason, oats should be added to a gluten-free diet in consultation with your dietitian or doctor.
Bakery On Main oats: A subscriber to GFWD asked Bakery on Main about the source of oats used in their gluten-free products. A brand and communications marketing associate responded in part (via email on May 22, 2016), “Bakery On Main’s top priority has always been to provide great tasting products that all those with Celiac Disease can trust and know are safe. We recently decided to soon begin using the mechanically sorted oats in some of our products only due to the fact that the supplier that we will be working with has been third party certified gluten free by the GFCO.” Please contact Bakery On Main for more information.
Hello,
I am looking for oatstraw tea from a gluten-free oat source.
Any recommendations?
Thanks very much,
Lori
Lori, I have never heard of tea made from oat straw. Do you have any product links?
Hi Tricia – do you have any information about Arrowhead oats? This list is fantastic, thank you so much for this hard work.
I have been using BRM GF oats for years and have no problem with any Celiac related symptoms due to contamination but I may not be as sensitive as others – I was diag in 7/05 with Celiac Disease and have followed a strict GF diet to the point of making my own bread and other goodies. The problem with GF oats is availability and cost – there are many outlets that sell the listed GF products and once in a while you can get them on sale which helps but I use BRM in all of my recipes. I’m willing to take the chance that they are safe.
Hi, do you know if whole foods bulk oats are gluten free?
Michelle, if you are referring to oats sold in bulk bins, all naturally gluten-free grains sold in bulk bins should be avoided due to the risk of cross contact. Regarding oats specifically, only oats labeled “gluten-free” should be eaten by someone with a gluten-related disorder.
I ate a bowl of Only Oats Gluten-Free oats by Avena Foods today after taking a 4-month break to see iif it was the cause of past symptoms. Well 30 mins later, I am now experiencing all the symptoms I have when I eat gluten — muscle pain and stiffness, dry eyes, achy joints…
I’m going to take a few weeks’ break and try Bob’s Red Mill gluten-free oats. If I get a “glutened” reaction, I may have to give up on oats entirely. 🙁
Eugenia, I am sorry to hear this. Please notify your physician. You may be among the minority of people with celiac disease who can not tolerate a protein in oats called avenin.
Response from Kind about oats used in their products (dated July 26th, 2017) – They use a mixture of purity and cleaned oats.
“Thanks for reaching out to our customer service team about this question. We work closely with our suppliers to ensure we’re upholding ourselves to best practices when it comes to gluten free oats. A significant amount of our oats are produced under a purity protocol process while the remainder undergo sorting and lab-tested visual inspection methods. All of our oats are held to our suppliers’ specifications of <10 PPM, which is within the FDA guidelines of <20PPM."
When asked about third-party certification (dated July 28th, 2017)
" Yes, the supplier that uses laser sorting/inspection is third party certified by QAI/NSF."
Thank you so much, Al for posting this information!!
Any information on if “Purely Elizabeth” oats and granola use purity protocol oats? Thank you in advance!
Please contact Purely Elizabeth for an update. In September 2016, Shirley of gluten free easily posted the following https://www.facebook.com/gfeglutenfreeeasily/posts/10154462725014435:0
It appears from their website that Nairn’s gluten free oat products (from Scotland) are made from oats produced with a purity protocol. I have asked them via their “contact us” page to post their information here.
Thank you so much, Tricia, for providing this information. I am currently on an “oat challenge” to be able to eat oats again (assuming I pass the blood test at the conclusion), and it is important to me to eat the safest oats possible during this period to avoid skewing the results of the challenge. It would be impossible to do this without your support.
Thanks for contacting Nairn’s Oatcakes, Helen. Good luck with your oat challenge.