Review of Wegmans

Hi so nearly every Wegmans listing I’ve seen on here has a review claiming that all the sushi is “gluten free”… while I’m glad there are people who have had a good experience :) I would like to clarify what the deal is with the sushi and other hot bar items to avoid any Sensitive Celiacs showing up and being disappointed.

The sushi is actually labeled as “no gluten containing ingredients”. Wegmans has a great system for denoting different levels of safety for those that follow a gluten-free diet (linked their guide below).

Wegmans marks things as either gluten free, gluten free with oats, or no gluten containing ingredients.

According to their site the requirements are pretty stringent for items they mark with their actual “gluten free” and “gluten free with oats” labels. The regular GF one is as follows:

“Before assigning the Gluten Free Wellness Key, we work with our suppliers to verify the following:

-The product’s ingredients are not derived from wheat, rye, barley or oats. While oats are naturally gluten-free, some individuals do not tolerate oats or are advised to avoid oats when beginning a gluten-free diet.

-The supplier shall ensure the manufacturing environment, product processing, production scheduling, and GMPs are in place to prevent the cross contamination of gluten into gluten-free products.

-The final product must have <20 ppm gluten from unavoidable gluten present due to inadvertent cross-contact.

*if there is any doubt or the supplier cannot guarantee gluten-free status, the product will not be labeled as gluten free.*”

It’s important to note that this is the label that would denote celiac safe - not the “no gluten containing ingredients” that the sushi displays. They even say on the site: “this does not mean the item is gluten free” and it seems to say no precautions are taken to prevent cross contamination in these items.

See below: “Made with No Gluten Containing Ingredients (ITEMS MADE IN OUR STORES)

Our stores have different layouts that make it difficult to implement company-wide protocols to prevent cross-contact with gluten. Therefore, we cannot guarantee that any food that is produced, sliced, packaged or served in our stores would be gluten-free.

Made with No Gluten Containing Ingredients does not mean the item is gluten-free. It means that it does not have wheat, rye or barley ingredients but may contain gluten due to shared preparation areas (shared preparation areas include ovens, cutting boards, utensils, grills, and fryers).

We identify these items by listing “Made with No Gluten Containing Ingredients” on specific products or department signs.”

It sounds like these products (such as the sushi) are really intended for those that are gluten intolerant or for those that aren’t damaged by cross contamination. I absolutely hate to burst anyone’s bubble I just felt it was important people have all the facts so they can make an informed decision.

I have worked at a wellness grocery store that had a hot bar and other in house items that also displayed the “no gluten containing ingredients claim” and I watched in horror as they made the gluten free sandwiches at the same time, on the same cutting board, with the same knife, as the normal fully gluten sandwiches. This label, in my experience, is not meant for us.

https://www.wegmans.com/health-nutrition/feel-your-best/gluten-free-diets/

How confident are you that this establishment takes safety precautions against cross-contact?

— Not at all