We know that lots of different families want to enjoy Cheerios together. That’s why we worked hard to remove stray wheat, rye, and barley grains from our oat supply.
It All Starts with Oats
Cheerios have always been made of oats, which are naturally gluten free. However, conventional farming practices as well as common grain handling procedures allow chances for gluten containing grains (like wheat, barley, and rye) to co-mingle with our gluten free oats. To make Cheerios gluten-free, we have to separate the oats from grains that contain gluten, which are different sizes and shapes. Our cleaning house can sort 3.5 million pounds of oats every day.
Oats for All
Learn more about why we chose to create a grain sorting system to allow us to keep our oats gluten free.
Testing Our Oats
From the field to the bowl, the journey our oats take to become Cheerios is long. Along that journey, we process and test our oats using methods recommended by the North American Society for the Study of Celiac Disease and the Celiac Disease Foundation. For more information about celiacs and oat consumption, visit this page at Celiac.org. Because of the potential for gluten-containing grains like wheat, barley, and rye to co-mingle with our oats, we use a state-of-the-art mechanical and optical sorting process to remove those gluten-containing grains from our oats. Every batch of oats and finished product is sampled and scrutinized by a team of technicians to ensure the health and safety of our consumers that have gluten intolerances or allergies. Our oats are then skillfully milled into oat flour that is verified to be gluten free through continuous sampling and empirical testing. We then test multiple composited samples of finished product to ensure that every production lot meets the FDA’s standard for gluten-free foods.
The People Behind the Process
Gluten-free Cheerios exist because the people who make them care deeply about what they do. Meet the team behind the project and see how they make gluten-free Cheerios possible.
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