Gluten Free Canada Claim Removal

Each serving of Cheerios products in Canada are gluten free, as defined by the current regulatory standard of containing less than 20 ppm of gluten. General Mills Canada has made the decision to voluntarily remove the gluten-free label from our Cheerios products in Canada until Health Canada and The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) publish a consistent testing protocol for products containing oats. At this time the product is not changing, just the label on the box. We look forward to labeling the Cheerios products in Canada as gluten free once consensus is reached on a consistent testing protocol for products containing oats.

Why are you removing the GF label from the products?

While Gluten-Free Cheerios products comply with the gluten-free standards in Canada and the United States, we have made the decision to remove the gluten-free label from our Cheerios products in Canada until the government agencies publish a consistent testing protocol for products containing oats. At this time the product is not changing, just the label on the box.

When will the label be removed from the Cheerios boxes?

We are removing the label from packages as soon as possible, and it will flow through to stores over the coming months.

Is there a problem with the product that you are removing the label?

No. A serving of our Gluten-Free Cheerios products comply with the regulation, containing less than 20 ppm of gluten. At this time the product is not changing, just the label on the box.

Are you removing all the GF product from store shelves?

No, the change we are making is simply to remove the gluten-free label from future boxes. There is not any health risk with the products currently on the shelf. At this time the product is not changing, just the label on the box.

If consumers have celiac disease and they have Gluten-Free labelled Cheerios products in their homes, should they not eat them?

Our Gluten-Free Cheerios products contain less than 20 ppm of gluten. We recognize that the introduction of new, higher fiber foods, such as oats, can cause some digestive symptoms for certain consumers. We recommend individuals talk to their doctor if they are especially sensitive to gluten or have other intolerances/allergies, to determine what level is acceptable for their specific medical condition.

If you have any additional questions, please contact General Mills Canada Consumer Relations at 1 -800-516-7780 or fill out the Feedback Form on our website.

Les consommateurs canadiens peuvent nous joindre par téléphone, au 1-800-516-7780 ou en utilisant le formulaire pour Commentaires sur notre site web.