The YumEarth Label Drama, Explained
Why a new “contains wheat” statement is causing confusion
If you have celiac disease, you’re probably well aware that not all candy is gluten-free. So it’s always exciting to find a brand that offers options you feel safe eating.
YumEarth is one such brand I’ve seen recommended by other celiacs time and time again.
But recently, changes to certain products’ packaging sparked backlash and confusion, leaving many customers wondering whether the brand is as allergy-friendly as it once claimed.
Here’s what you need to know.
Table of contents:
Why YumEarth added a “contains wheat” statement to certain products
Why some customers are upset with YumEarth
The bottom line on YumEarth
Why YumEarth added a “contains wheat” statement to certain products
About a month ago, some customers started noticing that three YumEarth products (Sour Littles, Gummy Bears, and Jelly Beans) now carry a “contains wheat” label.
This raised alarm bells because the brand has long marketed itself as “top 9 allergen-free,” a category that includes wheat.
According to information shared by Spokin, a food allergy app that partners with YumEarth, the ingredients and manufacturing processes for these products haven’t changed. What has changed is federal labeling guidance.
In 2025, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) began requiring companies to disclose processing aids that contain major allergens, even if those ingredients aren’t intended to be in the final product.
Per Allergy Force, these processing aids don’t have to be listed in the ingredients, but they must now be disclosed in the “contains” statement. Previously, companies didn’t have to declare them on the packaging.
What type of “wheat” is being used?
The three affected products use gluten-free wheat starch as a processing aid to help mold the candies during manufacturing.
According to YumEarth:
The wheat starch is processed to meet FDA standards for gluten-free foods (under 20 parts per million, or ppm, of gluten).
The finished products test below 2.5 ppm of gluten.
The candies remain gluten-free, but the company no longer claims they’re wheat-free.
What’s the difference between gluten-free and wheat-free?
This situation highlights an important distinction not every consumer is aware of:
Gluten-free refers to the absence of gluten, a protein found in the wheat grain.
Wheat-free means no components of the wheat grain are present at all.
A product can be gluten-free but not wheat-free. While gluten-free wheat starch is typically considered celiac-safe, it’s generally not safe for those with wheat allergies.
Gabby posted an excellent breakdown about the YumEarth labeling drama, which you can watch in full below:
Why some customers are upset with YumEarth
The backlash against YumEarth isn’t just about the packaging updates. It’s about trust and clarity.
It looks like the labels on these three products were only updated because the company had to disclose it uses wheat starch as a processing aid.
Because trace amounts of a processing aid can sometimes remain in a finished product, people with wheat allergies are now questioning whether they may have unknowingly eaten wheat.
YumEarth says these candies don’t contain wheat in the finished product—but multiple celiac and food allergy advocates have pointed out that the test it uses only measures gluten levels to verify gluten-free status, not necessarily the presence of wheat-derived ingredients.
That nuance has understandably contributed to uncertainty for those managing wheat allergies. Quite a few people have reported on social media that they, or their family members with wheat allergies, have reacted to these products.
What’s more, the company has also said it’s moving away from its long-standing “top 9 allergen-free” marketing language and is updating its website and packaging accordingly.
As Jennifer of Make It Allergy-Free notes, YumEarth appears to have replaced the word “wheat” on parts of its website with “gluten” when describing which allergens aren’t present, changes she noticed the company made after customers raised concerns.
The bottom line on YumEarth
YumEarth maintains these products meet gluten-free standards—but their products aren’t necessarily wheat-free. And they’re no longer going to be positioning themselves a top 9 allergen-free brand.
While gluten-free wheat starch is generally considered celiac-safe, it’s not safe for people with wheat allergies—and there’s a small chance traces of wheat starch could be in the final product since testing isn’t perfect.
As a celiac consumer, I don’t know if I’ll purchase the affected products (or any products) from YumEarth anymore due to how the company handled this situation.
From my understanding, YumEarth works with partners to produce these products and doesn’t have its own facility, so I’m not sure how feasible it is to use a different processing aid. But if possible, it would be great for them to switch over to something like cornstarch that doesn’t contain a top 9 allergen. And of course, I think they should’ve been upfront about using wheat starch from the beginning.
The bottom line: This situation underscores how important clear messaging is for people with celiac disease and food allergies. We deserve to know what’s in our food and how it’s made so we can make informed decisions about what feels safe for us to eat.
Tell me: Has this changed how you view YumEarth or other allergy-friendly brands?
Catch up on my reporting on Bub’s Bakery, a viral bakery that may not be as allergy-friendly as it claims:
Thank you! I want to add a small clarification at the end where you say "While wheat starch is generally considered celiac-safe", I knew what you meant but just in case someone else does not: only gluten free or gluten removed wheat starch can be safe for someone with celiac. Any basic wheat starch may not be safe for someone with celiac. This ingredient can sometimes be processed to remove gluten content and is even used in some Schar products, but if the product is not labeled gluten free please avoid it!
Thanks for covering this!! I'm so disappointed about the lack of transparency especially from a company marketing as top 9 free!!!