Our bone-in ham is slow-cooked over a hickory fire until it’s just right. It’s then spiral-sliced to make even servings and a beautiful presentation. The brown sugar glaze on this ham adds sweetness and brings out the meat’s natural flavor. It’s great for holidays, parties, gatherings with friends and family, or just when you want a special main dish. Members Mark Bone-In Spiral Ham with Brown Sugar Glaze
Ham is a delicious holiday staple that many families look forward to serving every year. However for those with gluten sensitivities or celiac disease enjoying a classic boneless spiral cut ham can be tricky. This is why many shoppers turn to reputable brands like Members Mark to find gluten-free options. But can you really trust that Members Mark’s boneless spiral cut ham is 100% gluten free? Let’s take a closer look.
What is Gluten and Why Does it Matter?
Gluten is a protein found in grains like wheat, barley and rye. It acts as a glue that holds food together and gives it a chewy texture. For most people, gluten poses no health problems. However, for those with celiac disease or non-celiac gluten sensitivity, consuming gluten can cause serious digestive issues and other symptoms.
Celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder that causes damage to the small intestine when gluten is ingested. Non-celiac gluten sensitivity is a condition involving gluten-related symptoms without the same immune response or intestinal damage.
The only treatment for celiac disease or gluten sensitivity is strict adherence to a 100% gluten-free diet. This means reading labels carefully and avoiding any products that contain gluten ingredients. Even tiny amounts of cross-contamination can cause issues.
Why Ham May Raise Concerns
Fresh ham sold in butcher cases is typically gluten-free. However, a spiral cut ham like Members Mark’s is a cured, processed product. This introduces the potential for gluten exposure during manufacturing and handling.
Some of the ways gluten could make its way into a cured ham include
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Flavorings/Seasonings: Many ham seasonings contain wheat flour or malt barley extract.
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Glazes and Sauces: Glazes brushed on hams often contain soy sauce (which contains wheat) or other glutenous ingredients.
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Cross-Contamination: If equipment is used to handle wheat-based products, residue could get on the ham.
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Dextrin: This binding agent made from wheat is sometimes used in processed meats.
Without explicit confirmation of being gluten-free, most processed hams are too high-risk for people with celiac disease or gluten sensitivity.
Evaluating Members Mark’s Gluten-Free Claim
Members Mark’s boneless fully cooked spiral cut ham makes a prominent “gluten-free” claim right on the product label. They also confirm this status on their website, listing the ham as one of their gluten-free offerings.
This clear reassurance from a major brand provides more confidence than vague “no gluten ingredients” statements. Members Mark seems to recognize the needs of gluten-free consumers and be addressing them directly.
Some key points working in Members Mark’s favor are:
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Reputable Company: Members Mark is the premium private label brand of Sam’s Club, owned by Walmart. They have procedures in place for managing food allergies.
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Product Testing: According to their website FAQ, Members Mark tests products like their ham for gluten and follows proper procedures to prevent cross-contamination.
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No Questionable Ingredients: The ham’s ingredients – pork, water, sea salt – check out as gluten-free. No maltodextrin or soy sauce.
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Validation: Members Mark’s gluten-free ham is certified by the Gluten-Free Certification Organization (GFCO), providing third-party verification.
Practicing Caution as a Gluten-Free Consumer
While the evidence looks good, there are still no guarantees when it comes to processed food. Manufacturing mistakes and undisclosed ingredients changes happen. Some tips for safely enjoying Members Mark’s gluten-free ham include:
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Check Labels: Always inspect the actual package for any formula changes before purchasing.
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Ask Questions: Have discussions with deli staff and managers if storing ham behind the counter. Ensure knives, slicers and surfaces stay gluten-free.
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Slice at Home: For maximum control, consider asking for an unopened ham to slice yourself at home. This minimizes cross-contact.
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Verify Annually: Try contacting Members Mark customer service periodically to make sure no recipe tweaks have occurred with the ham.
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Sample in Small Portions: When trying any new gluten-free product, only eat a little bit at first to check for reactions before diving in.
The Verdict on Members Mark Ham
Based on Member’s Mark’s reputation, transparent labeling and third-party certification, their boneless spiral cut ham appears to be a safe bet for gluten-free lifestyles. As long as you take some minor precautions, you can feel confident serving this tasty ham at your next gathering. Just be sure to enjoy a generous portion yourself too!
With celiac disease and non-celiac gluten sensitivity on the rise, it’s important for brands to step up and offer trustworthy gluten-free options like Members Mark has done. Their boneless spiral cut ham enables gluten-free families to fully participate in traditions like hearty holiday meals. Just make sure to keep those labels and have open conversations with staff for an extra layer of certainty. Then slice up the ham and enjoy time with your loved ones, with one less thing to worry about.
We Make Serving Ham Easy and Efficient
The bone is still in the Member’s Mark Brown Sugar Spiral Ham, and it looks great whether it’s the main dish or served with a roast or turkey. You can serve the ham to your guests by gently pulling each piece away from the bone. The ham has been spiral-sliced all the way through. If the item details above aren’t accurate or complete, we want to know about it.
Made for Holiday Entertaining
This Member’s Mark Bone-In Brown Sugar Spiral Ham comes fully cooked and ready to serve. Simply follow the heating instructions on the packaging for both the ham and the brown sugar glaze. For the ham, you can use as much or as little brown sugar glaze as you like. The package comes with enough for every slice to have the right amount of sweetness.
Wecancook | How To Cook Ham from Costco or Sam’s Club
FAQ
What brand of ham is gluten free?
What are the ingredients in members mark ham?
Who makes Sam’s Club ham?
Is there any gluten in ham?
Is Ham gluten-free?
Reviewed and edited by a celiac disease expert. These top brands of ham are considered gluten-free and safe for people with celiac disease. Celiac.com 12/01/2021 – Ham is a holiday tradition in many parts of the country. Ham is another one of those foods that are often naturally gluten-free, but which is not always labeled gluten-free.
Can you eat ham on a gluten-free diet?
That’s because ham isn’t always safe on the gluten-free diet —spices and glazes can (and frequently do) contain gluten ingredients, and the meat itself can be subject to gluten cross-contamination in processing.
Are Cook’s hams gluten-free?
Cook’s specifies that all ingredients used in its ham production be gluten-free, but the company still warns that its suppliers may change their formulations without telling Cook’s ahead of time. Nonetheless, this company seems pretty diligent when it comes to crafting gluten-free hams. Products include:
Are Smithfield Hams gluten-free?
According to a representative, the hams are not considered to be gluten-free. Farmland, another division of Smithfield Foods, makes an extensive variety of hams and ham products. The Farmland hams that appear on Smithfield’s gluten-free list include: Hatfield has five bone-in hams, 16 boneless hams, and seven ham steaks.