Many Progresso Soups are Now Marked Gluten-free!
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Oct 22 2009

Many Progresso Soups are Now Marked Gluten-free!

General Mills owns Progresso and I’m excited to report that after many months of waiting for the gluten-free soups they make to also be MSG free, I finally found three of them at the grocery store this week! As reported here last year, the company announced the news about their broths being gluten-free.

The new label states ‘No MSG Added’ on the front of the label and when I checked the back to make sure the soup was also gluten-free, I saw the term ‘gluten-free’ along with ‘no artificial flavors and another ‘no MSG added’. Under the allergen statement was another Gluten Free! The label indicates that the company does not want us to miss the ‘no MSG’ and ‘gluten-free’ markings!

The success of the Betty Crocker mixes (a General Mills company) must have highlighted the need for mainstream gluten-free labeled products in the U.S. I am very impressed with this new label. The Progresso Chicken Cheese Enchilada soup is one of my favorites and I’m so excited that it’s now both gluten and MSG free! The soup is great over baked chicken. Serve it with yellow rice and a salad (or veggies) and you have a quick easy and delicious meal for whole family!

Some other gluten-free soups in this line are listed below. The company is updating the website so to find out if your favorite Progresso soup is now lebeled gluten-free, you have to click on each soup name. Unfortunately, the following list is not complete because some of the soup links did not come up.  If the Progresso website is updated with a complete list of gluten-free soups, I will update this list. These newly gluten-free labeled soups should appear at a store near you soon – if they haven’t already!

  • Lentil
  • Manhattan Clam Chowder
  • Split Pea with Ham
  • Chicken Corn Chowder
  • Hearty Black Bean
  • Potato Broccoli and Cheese
  • New England Clam Chowder
  • 99% Fat Free New England Clam Chowder
  • Creamy Mushroom
  • Southwestern Style Chicken
  • Southwestern Style Chicken Chowder
  • Chicken Rice with Vegetables
  • ALL Broths

Check out the recipes on the Progresso website. Most of them can easily be converted to being gluten-free. Use gluten-free pasta or corn tortillas – easy interesting dinner idea abound on that site!

Please let us know if you have spotted these soups in your area. I always try to call companies to thank them for labeling their products gluten-free and I hope some of you will do the same. The customer service number for General Mills is 1-800-248-7310 and the call center is open from 7:30 AM to 4:30 PM CT.

UPDATE 10-4-10: There are now three condensed gluten-free soups available nationwide. Kim Bouldin shares the exciting news in this post.

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Article Written by:

Tiffany is considered a gluten-free advocate as well as the most discriminating gluten-free diner around. Her goal is to help others learn that there is life after a celiac diagnosis. Gluten-free dining and travel are two of her favorite things to do. Tiffany is a contributing writer and the Advertising Manager at "Delight gluten free" magazine. Check out her local blog, Gluten-Free Atlanta, for tips and tricks about living gluten-free in the ATL! Follow Tiffany on Twitter!

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  • http://celiac-disease.com Kyle Eslick

    Excellent find Tiffany! Progresso makes some of the best soups.

    Of course my favorite thing about soups is that they are easy to take “on the go” as long as you have a microwave handy wherever you plan to be.

  • http://www.glutenfreebetsy.com Gluten Free Betsy

    Oh yay! I don’t think I’ve ever seen the Chicken Cheese Enchilada soup. I seriously should buy stock in the their Lentil soup…that’s in VERY heavy rotation in my diet.

    Thanks for sharing!

    • Andrea Genaro

      Gluten free Progresso suoup contain modified food starch and in some cases wheat. Modified food starch is gluten. These soups are not gluten free. If you have celiac disease I strongly suggest you stay away from Progresso soups.

      • http://LiveGlutenFreely.com Mike Grant

        We appreciate your interest in our Progresso Soups and the fact that some are gluten free, but there does seem to be some confusion so I hope I can clarify Progresso’s gluten free labeling policy.

        Our allergen policy is to call out the top 8 allergens, which do include wheat. Therefore, if we use modified food starch that is sourced from wheat, you can be assured that our allergen statement on that product would highlight that it contains wheat – and the product would not be labeled gluten free.

        But Progresso goes one step further. If the modified food starch is wheat we will label it modified wheat starch. Also, if an ingredient is composed of a grain that is prohibited in a gluten free diet, we include the name of that grain on the label. For example, we would label “barley malt flour” instead of “malt flour”.

        I hope this information is useful to all the readers and if you ever have questions about Progresso Soups please feel free to contact us at 1-800-200-9377 or visit our website at http://www.ProgressoSoup.com

        Mike

        • http://www.glutenfreepromotions.com Tiffany Janes

          Mike – Thank you for taking time to explain that information to our readers. It is so unfortunate that people are confused about these things, but understandable since even most U.S, doctors can’t explain the gluten-free diet to patients. People go online and find a lot of outdated, incorrect information which only adds to the confusion. When Progresso soups went on sale at Publix, I stocked up on my favorite gluten-free options for the entire winter. It’s so nice to actually get a great deal on something marked gluten-free.

        • Eric

          I just ate the Progresso Chicken Rice with vegetables and had a huge reaction. Really appreciate the explanation but something isn’t right as far as being that soup being “gluten free”.

          • http://www.glutenfreepromotions.com Tiffany Janes

            Eric – I’m sorry to hear that. Just to be clear – were you eating the canned soup labeled gluten-free? The only reason I ask is that someone else ate a cup of soup from the line and just assumed the soup was gluten-free even though it was not marked as such. They were eating a soup that contained gluten. Some of the canned soups are marked gluten-free, including the Chicken with Rice and veg. that you mentioned, but the same flavor in the cup is not gluten-free. If you were eating the canned soup, you might want to report this problem to the company. They probably keep records of these complaints and if they determine it’s not on isolated issue, they might look into manufacturing procedures to see if they can improve how ingredients are handled. .

      • GFthree

        Could you please point me to where this information was found. I now would wonder if ANY item in the store like some cereals and some mixes which are marked as Gluten Free are indeed gluten free. I was under the impression to be labeled Gluten Free there had to be certain situations in place to guarantee no wheat could even be near where the item labeled Gluten free was being made/packaged.

        • http://www.glutenfreepromotions.com Tiffany Janes

          Unfortunately in the U.S., there are no such regulations re: gluten-free manufacturing practices. There are guidelines which companies can observe or not. Guidelines are not law and it doesn’t look as if the FDA is going to rule on a gluten-free labeling law anytime soon.

      • Sharon

        It is my understanding that modified food starch can be considered gluten free IF made in North America. If made elsewhere it may or may not have gluten.

        • http://www.glutenfreepromotions.com Tiffany Janes

          It doesn’t matter where it’s made – it matters where it’s sold. If sold in the U.S. ALL forms of wheat (but not all forms of gluten) in a product must be called out on the labels. Since barley and rye are not used to make modified food starch, it’s easy to know if the modified food starch in products contains gluten or not. If it says modified food starch with no (wheat or made from wheat) is also noted, the modified food starch in that particular item is gluten-free. Again, that is for products sold in the U.S. no matter where they were made ;)

      • Gus

        I had problems yesterday after a can of Cream of Mushroom. I have not noticed problems with the other Progresso soups but I’m going to pay more attention.
        As we know, when we have an episode, we have to be a detective to isolate the possible causes. I am very strict about my diet and I think I am more sensitive than most.
        Cream of Mushroom is off of my list.

  • Tiffany Janes

    Betsy – too funny about the Lentil soup! Since it was the only one I could find without MSG from that line, I’ve also had it weekly for a long time now. Even though MSG is gluten-free, it didn’t agree with me once I started eating more whole foods and less processed ones.

    General Mills is definitely the top dog of the Big 5 food companies in the U.S. now. The success they are having in our market will surely bring Kraft, Uniliver and Con-Agra (and others) up to speed as well!

  • Jane Freeberg

    Help. Husband is celiac. I’m trying to turn Progresso creamy mushroom soup which is diluted into something like Campbells cream soup, which is undiluted to use with some easy favorite recipes that my husband misses. I’d love to please him.

    • Evelyn Bowman

      Just made my hubby a delicious tuna casserole with the cream of mushroom soup. Just don’t add the water or milk as you would with the concentrate. Barrin tahat, you can make your own concentrate from a recipe I found on the celiac site. It was super easy.

  • Cindy

    Jane, I had the same problem when I had to switch from Campbell’s to Progresso. I tried a couple of different things to “thicken up” the Progresso. One of them was to simmer it for a while to get some of the water out of it first. It takes a while, so you have to plan ahead for this. The second method is heat it up while stirring in a little rice flour or cornstarch to thicken it. Unfortunately, neither of these techniques are going to reproduce the really thick consistency of Campbell’s, but the end result is usually satisfactory enough to use in most recipes. Bon apetite!

    • Renee

      I had the same problems wtih the progresso soup for casserole dishes thank you for your information now I can make my tuna noodle casserole since I finally found noodles Thank You Renee

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  • http://www.glutenfreepromotions.com Tiffany Janes

    The new condensed cream of mushroom (or chicken or celery) soups from Pacific Natural Foods are fabulous! They were $2.43 for a small 12 oz. box at Whole Foods but were worth every penny! Much better than Campbell’s (though not as thick) since there is nothing but real ingredients in them ;)

  • Andrea Genaro

    Your soups are not Gluten free if they contain modified food starch. Modified food starch is gluten. People with Celiac disease cannot torerate any amount of gluten. Stop the false advertising please. You are making people sick.

  • Jennifer

    Modified food starch can be derived from corn and not wheat. I would think if they are labeling their products gluten free than it is derived from corn or something other than wheat. Of course, all the drs and info tells you to stay away from modified food starch, because you don’t know what is is derived from. You could always email and ask them.

  • http://www.glutenfreepromotions.com Tiffany Janes

    The modified food starch in the gluten-free Progresso soups is derived from corn or potato. To find out which flavors are made from what, you need to call the company with the actual, soup in front of you. The company needs to bar code to tell you if that particular soup is made with corn or potato derived modified food starch. I eat so much soup from this line that if they contained gluten, I’d be sick as a dog all the time. It’s unfortunate that so many people are confused about this ingredient, but all modified food starch is not derived from wheat, period. Shelley Case addresses this myth as well as seven others in my “Ask the Expert” article in the current issue of Delight gluten-free magazine (www.delightgfmagazine.com).

    • Valerie

      Unless the soups are made in a totally gluten-free facility they will make folks with Celiac sick!!! I have contacted General Mills and requested they designate one plant for all of their gluten-free products so there would be no cross contamination. If you are a Celiac, don’t eat products unless the label says “made in a gluten-free facility” or you WILL be sick.

      • http://www.glutenfreepromotions.com Tiffany Janes

        That is not correct. Many items certified gf by the GFCO group (GIG’s certification program) are made in non dedicated factories. Just go to their site (www.gfco.org) and then look at the items they’ve certified. Snyder’s gf pretzels are not made in a dedicated plenty, yet they are in fact, certified to be gluten-free. That is just one of the many products that are gf, that are not made in dedicated gf plants. Everyone is free to avoid or eat whatever they choose, but it’s absolutely NOT true that nothing made in a non-dedicated facility is gluten-free.

  • A. Cummings

    I get extremely sick whenever I have even a tiny trace of Gluten, and I have NEVER gotten sick from eating Progresso soups. Perhaps you had something else with the soup that made you sick.

  • Suzi Barsale

    To be truly gluten free the product should be manufactured and packaged in seperate areas to prevent “cross contamination” and I have read no information that the Progresso gluten free soups are following this stantard and not using the same machinery used for other products. Can someone enlighten me?
    Suzi

    • http://www.glutenfreepromotions.com Tiffany Janes

      Suzi – Actually, there is no legal definition for what gluten-free labeling means in the U.S. We are trying once again to implore the FDA to finally make a ruling on this issue (see my post tomorrow for details on how you can help). Regarding Progresso products, you might want to contact the company with your questions. Their toll free # is listed on the ‘contact us’ page on this website – http://www.liveglutenfreely.com.

      • Valerie

        Labels can claim gluten-free as long as the gluten falls below 20 parts per million. So, if you ingest any product made in a facility that is not totally gluten-free you will run the risk of cross contamination . . . and being sick.

        • http://www.glutenfreepromotions.com Tiffany Janes

          Many items that are certified by the GFCO (www.gfco.org) are made in non gf facilities. There are countless products that are made in shared facilities that are in fact, gluten-free.

  • joyce

    I am also intolerant to oats, even GF oats. I am really looking for a good tomato soup that is GF, have read lables until I have practically become a resident of the grocery store/. Does anyone know of a TOMATO soup,

    • http://www.glutenfreepromotions.com Tiffany Janes

      Joyce – I think Imagine makes several gf tomato soups and Amy’s makes one too. (www.amys.com) (www.imaginefoods.com)

  • Cindy

    Joyce, I recently bought a box (yes, it comes in one of those quart-size boxes) of garden tomato herb soup from Pacific Natural Foods. It’s new, so it may not be available everywhere yet, but it states on the label that it’s gluten free, vegetarian, and kosher. As for how “good” it is — well, I can’t answer that yet since I haven’t opened it! That’s kind of a subjective thing anyway; people’s tastes are so different. But at least there’s another option available to you if you can find it.

  • http://kimberlyhamilton41@yahoo.com kimberly

    i have read all of the labeling on every can of Progresso . The main point is they all contain gluten. unless you make it your self or go to a health food store thoes can items has gluten.

    • Jeanette Vlcek

      So the comment from Mike Grant is untrue? Please be specific which ingredients in which soup have gluten.

  • debbie

    Are u going to be making a cream of chicken soup???? That would make my day.

  • Jeanette Vlcek

    Caution! Split Pea flavored with bacon is NOT GLUTEN FREE!!!
    I had been relying on it not having gluten and got sick. READ THE LABEL This soup contains barley.

    • http://glutenfreeislife.com/ Kimberly Bouldin

      Jeanette,

      Sorry to hear that you were sick. It is important for everyone to read the label every time, as ingredients can change and previously safe foods may now contain gluten.

      Kim

      • http://kimberlyhamilton41@yahoo.com kimberly

        i called the company my self . they claim that all the gluten free soups past the test.

  • Kate

    I have celiac disease and if any product says modified food starch in the list of ingredients , then it’s not safe to have! If progresso is using modified corn or potato starch then they need to state that. No one with celiac will eat this if its not changed ! It’s ridiculous ! If a product is labeled Gluten Free then the ingredients should be labeled accordingly !

    • http://glutenfreeislife.com/ Kimberly Bouldin

      Kate,

      Modified Food Starch is okay as wheat is required to be called out on the label by law.

      Kim