Meat

[Em314]

OK, time for what really is kind of a a gluten-free 101 question, but one that I haven't really faced yet.  I'm considering trying to get some meat into my diet, as I think the extra iron, fat and protein would be good for me. 

 

What I'm wondering is what contamination may "hide" in that I would not think of.  I've heard honey-baked ham and certain kinds of turkey mentioned on here already.

 

Are there *brands* that are safe?  Certain cuts?  Can I trust ground meat (thinking tukery burgers, which is what I'd like to go for- or some kind of easily-prepped poultry).  How far does my paranoia have to spread?

[kareng]

I have not seen any turkey or Honey Baked ham with gluten.  As for a pre-made turkey buger - you would need to read the ingredients.  They probably add things to it to make it tastier than just ground turkey.  You could get ground turkey - I usually get Jenny-o or the other name brand I can't think of right now.  Then you could add what spices you like, cook them all up and freeze the left-overs to re-heat.

[Em314]

So, it is actually taking it a bit far to worry about whether or not store-brand ground meat has somehow been cross-contaminated, I take it?

[Ksee]

I'm starting to wonder about the stuff that is injected into meats, after reading that some broths can have gluten.

I eat eggs, make my own yogurt and use fresh cheeses. I had to stop eating chicken, maybe because of the reason above but I think I was getting a lot more gluten in other parts of my diet at the time. Here in the mid-west, Tyson country, we know a lot about how chicken is processed and I think the chemical baths used could also be a problem.

If I decide to try meat again, I think I'm going to find a good local butcher. Grocers can't control products the way a butcher can. 

Red meats are to hard to digest. I hate that because we all love a good steak but the price my body pays afterwards is to high. Cold cuts, sausages and processed meats like bacon have all sorts of additives and some don't have to be labeled. The USDA has different labeling rules. 

[psawyer]

So, it is actually taking it a bit far to worry about whether or not store-brand ground meat has somehow been cross-contaminated, I take it?

In my opinion, yes. Fresh meat, ground or not, at the grocery store is not something I ever worry about.

[pricklypear1971]

I've never had a gluten issue with fresh meats. I generally do not buy preformed parties unless marked gluten-free.

I try not to buy any meat with "natural flavoring a" or sodium injections. Sometimes you have to really look for pork...

As far as trusting a butcher or a manufacturer - well, I disagree. Small butcher shops may have less stringent qc and frequently make up sausages, sauces, breadings, etc. in house. They may or may not clean their surfaces adequately or take propr precautions to eliminate gluten cc. As an example, I try NOT to buy from the specialty case where they keep stuffed meats, etc. next to the "plain" meats.

[Ksee]

Pear, do you think it may depend on where we live? Only one grocer in my area offers meat that's not injected but there are wonderful meat markets and butcher shops specializing in everything from gluten free to kosher guaranteed by separated buildings.

[shadowicewolf]

Generally when stuff is injected it is a solution to keep the meat red. So in ground meat, sage oil is probably used. I cannot eat the ground meat in regular stores because of it. It gives me such a bad stomach ache.

 

Your cuts like roasts and whatnot, should not have stuff injected in them from my understanding.

 

Or, you could do what i do and go to a family run butcher. You pay a bit more, but the meat is so much better. You don't have the water run off either that you see in the ground meats from the regular stores.

[pricklypear1971]

Pear, do you think it may depend on where we live? Only one grocer in my area offers meat that's not injected but there are wonderful meat markets and butcher shops specializing in everything from gluten free to kosher guaranteed by separated buildings.

Certainly, if you have a butcher that specializes in gluten-free it would be a great place to buy meat.

Most of us do not have that option, though. If I did I would certainly take advantage of it!

I've lived in small and large metro areas and good butchers (or having a choice in butchers) are very hard to find.

I can find untreated meat at natural markets, even mainstream like Safeway. But they ALL put stuffed/sauces/breaded meats next to "plain" in the case.

[kareng]

Some chicken is injected with salt water. You can tell by looking at the sodium content. Chicken naturally has about 40-45 mgs per serving. I have seen some packaged chicken with 135-150! That's a lot of salt. It's not gluten.

[Deaminated Marcus]

When I was shopping for hot dogs I was reading all the labels and noticed that one brand had gluten added to it

whereas all the other brands on the shelf had wheat added to the hot dogs. It was on the list of ingredients.

[Ksee]

No doubt I'm not sure what my problem with chicken is. My suspicion is the chemical bath processing because like I said, at the time, I was eating a lot more gluten in other parts of my diet than would of been possible to of been found in any broth or cross contamination.

My point was, when Em asked how far the paranoia should spread, there can be other reasons why we sometimes can't tolerate meats.

[psawyer]

When I was shopping for hot dogs I was reading all the labels and noticed that one brand had gluten added to it

whereas all the other brands on the shelf had wheat added to the hot dogs. It was on the list of ingredients.

Hot dogs are prepared, processed food. Not the same thing as the fresh meat being discussed here.

 

You say you are in Ontario. So am I, and last time I looked there were several options for hot dogs without gluten.

Based on multiple discussions here, there are no hot dogs in the US currently that contain gluten. Nathan's used to have gluten, but they changed their formula a few years back, and are now gluten-free.

[cyclinglady]

I purchase most of my meat and fish at Costco.  They even have a few luncheon meats (like turkey and Canadian bacon) which are uncured and labeled gluten-free.  Break them up into smaller packages and freeze as they won't last but a few days after opening.  Sprouts has some sausage and bacon that is uncured as well.   My family really loves the gluten-free breaded frozen  fish at Sprouts with gluten-free frozen fries.  Not healthy, but a treat and fast meal for me when I have an evening meeting.  

 

 

[bartfull]

Did somebody say paranoia? You must have been talking about me!!

 

That being said, I no longer eat ANY ground meat from the grocery store or elsewhere. If I want a burger, I buy the meat and grind it myself. Here is why: Open Original Shared Link

 

 

I used to live on junk food. I hardly ever cooked for myself. Since going gluten-free, I have become a health food NUT! It isn't because I LIKE to cook (God knows!) and it isn't even because organic home-cooked food tastes better (although it does), but it is becasue I have done so much research on where our food comes from, how it is processed, and how (IMO) DANGEROUS some of it is.

 

Your milage may vary.

[Em314]

Thanks guys- this is helpful!

[tarnalberry]

I think this is probably the only area I have a very slight disagreement with Peter.

 

I have, once ever, found a ground beef, in "slab" form (not premade patties) at a grocery store which had wheat in it.  Don't get me wrong - it was clearly listed as "hamburger meat", and not "ground beef" and it very clearly had an ingredient list on it.  It was not a "hidden" gluten issue at all.  It was a standard "make sure to read any ingredient list and don't make assumptions about the product" rule we generally have to live by.

 

I do make sure to look for signs of contamination in the local processing vicinity.  (Here's a good source of contamination for you - the Whole Foods near me has prepared items at the fish counter, things like salmon burgers that are made in house.  Many of these are made with, and then covered in, breadcrumbs.  The store then put the display of them in the fish counter, as you'd expect, immediately next to the crab meat.  Suffice it to say, I will not buy that crab meat, when I can see breadcrumbs on the divider between the two items, and I would not be able to wash them off of something like flaked crab meat.)  But, again, this is where common sense, and NOT paranoia, needs to reign.

 

Those obvious, not exclusive to meat, exceptions aside, I do not ever worry about fresh, unprocessed meats when it comes to gluten, assuming no obvious signs of contamination.

[GF Lover]

Anyone up for grilled "germs" and "antibiotics" tonight.

 

Open Original Shared Link

 

NOT!!!

 

My Oncologist mentioned bison to me as an alternative meat.  I wonder how it's raised and prepared. I shall research it!  

 

Bartfull, I have been moving toward your paranoid world and that article got me much closer.  Although I must say that my paranoia covers all products going in me AND on me.  We will win this war, even if I have to raise those damn turkeys in the extra bedroom!

 

Colleen 

[Ksee]

I have had bison in the past and if I were to try a red meat again that is what I would probably go for. There is some cross breeding or beeffallo out there too. Bison is grass fed, has a low fat content, is amazingly tender and has a great flavor. I was not having so many problems digesting meat at that time, I'm basing my judgement on how tender it was. I remember needing foil and a spatula to get steaks from the grill in one piece.