Are Cavendish Farms Hash Browns Gluten-Free?
Cavendish hash browns are made with gluten-free ingredients, however, they do not come from a totally gluten-free facility.
Cavendish Farms doesn’t make a claim of gluten-free products across the board but they do list their ingredients and note when anything has gluten-containing products in it.
The hash browns, as you’ll see in the ingredient list, aren’t made from any wheat or wheat derivatives and don’t contain gluten.
In addition, Cavendish Farms states in their FAQ that they follow a strict allergen protocol in their line of production. Everything that contains gluten or allergens is produced after the non-allergen products, so there is no cross-contamination, and thoroughly cleaned after production to remove any trace allergens.
Cavendish Farms Hash Browns contain two ingredients that do not contain gluten but are at high risk for cross-contamination. The first of these is yellow corn flour, which doesn’t need to contain a gluten-free claim or certification if it isn’t a major ingredient of the product.
The other high-risk ingredient is modified potato starch – also not containing gluten, but easily cross-contaminated. Both appear to be used for coating or binding, and not as major ingredients.
Keep in mind that while they make no gluten-free claims, they do adhere to a strict allergen containment process during production, and the product itself doesn’t contain any gluten, only things potentially at risk for cross-contamination. Use your judgment when choosing whether or not you can have hash browns from Cavendish Farms.
About Cavendish Farms
Cavendish Farms is a food processing company based in Canada. They have potato processing plants in Prince Edward Island, Alberta, and North Dakota.
They were formerly known as the C.M. Mclean potato and vegetable processing facility, in Prince Edward Island, before being purchased by the family-owned Irving Group in 1980.
They’re now the 4th largest processor of frozen potato products in North America, along with Lamb Weston Holdings, McCain Foods Limited, and the Kraft Heinz Company.
Prince Edward Island is known for growing potatoes, and 60% of the potatoes grown there are processed into frozen potato products like hash browns.
Cavendish Farms is one of the top employers in Prince Edward Island. They also appear to be part of a frozen potato rivalry in Canada with McCain Foods, though a member of the McCain family does run the potato processing plant in Alberta. Very scandalous!
Most Cavendish Farms products are sold for food service. Cavendish Farms potatoes can be found in dining establishments all over Canada.
Hash Browns are sold in a few different forms by Cavendish Farms. They have hash brown sticks, home-fries style hash browns, and hash brown waffles. These all contain more or less the same ingredients.
Hash Brown Ingredients
Potatoes
Vegetable Oil (Canola oil and/or Soybean oil)
Yellow Corn Flour
Modified Potato Starch
Salt
Dextrose (sugars)
Sodium acid pyrophosphate or disodium dihydrogen pyrophosphate (for color retention)
Depending on the hashbrown product, may also contain:
Granulated onion
Spice Extractive
| Nutrition Info | For Hash Brown Sticks |
| Calories | 160 |
| Total Fat | 9g |
| Cholesterol | 0mg |
| Sodium | 280 mg |
| Total Carbohydrates | 21g |
| Protein | 2g |
Sources
Les Fermes Cavendish Farms All Day Breakfast Hash Brown Waffles