Gluten in Some Robitussin Cold Medicines

Robitussin recently come out with new packaging and with it came a change in ingredients making some of their products no longer gluten free.

I called Pfizer myself to confirm and clarify this information. I found the conversation confusing for several reasons.  One is that the source of gluten is not clear.  Another reason is that these medicines have such similar names, and the gluten status within a category varies.

I want to be clear with you, as they were with me, that Pfizer does not certify that any of their products are gluten free.  They can tell you if there are no gluten containing ingredients and that there was no risk of cross contamination on their end, but they can’t guarantee there was no cross contamination from suppliers and they do not test their final products for gluten.

I have decided not to list individual products that I was told do or do not contain gluten because, as I said, the names are so similar and I’m afraid I will get something wrong.  I think the best thing for you to do if you are using or plan to use any Robitussin products is to contact Pfizer yourself.

There were four products that I was told contained gluten.  Two other people I know were told there were three products.  Of those three products, I was only told that one contained gluten, one could not be verified, and the third one had been updated to a “does not contain gluten” status.  That means three of the four products I was told that do contain gluten were not included in they information they were given.

The one product that had been updated is the very product that a friend believes she has been reacting to and is what prompted her to call Pfizer.

Pfizer has received a number of calls this week and they are passing on our concerns and requests for better labeling.  I have to say that although my conversation was confusing, the woman I spoke to was very patient and more than willing to repeat information for me.  She understood that this was very important.

Once again, if you are using any of the new Robitussin products or plan on using them, please contact Pfizer to verify that you are using or purchasing a product with no gluten containing ingredients.