Cross-Contamination Question, How Safe To We Have To Be?

[Renegade]

So I just called a manufacturer for almonds nuts I buy and, on the package it doesn't mention that it can be cross contaminated by gluten and their answer was that it is being packaged without gluten but the factory can contain gluten. Should I avoid those nuts or is it safe?

[bartfull]

Some folks are sensitive enough to react to any amount of CC. Others aren't. For right now I would eat only things that are NOT processed in a facility that also processes wheat, simply so you can get all traces of gluten out of your system. I would treat items like this as potential sources of CC until I started feeling better, got past withdrawal, and was on my way to healing. Later on you can use these items as part of your elimination diet - wait until you've been feeling pretty good for a while, then try one of them. Wait a week, and if you have no symptoms, try adding another one.

 

Even though you hear a lot here about people having other intolerances and being super sensitive, not everyone goes through this. I think the reason so many of us are HERE is because we still have problems. But a LOT of folks ditch the gluten and never have any other problems. My Mom is a good example. She went gluten-free and soy-free and that was it. After suffering from celiac symptoms  all her life (I think she was about 50 when she was finally diagnosed), she started to feel GREAT.

 

Here's hoping it works out that way for you too.

[Greebo115]

So I just called a manufacturer for almonds nuts I buy and, on the package it doesn't mention that it can be cross contaminated by gluten and their answer was that it is being packaged without gluten but the factory can contain gluten. Should I avoid those nuts or is it safe?

Well, I may be biased.....but CC'd nuts have got me BAD more times than anything should (I eat whole unprocessed foods 95% of the time) - When they are CC'd they seem to be REALLY CC'd, IME. I wouldn't touch them if packed in the same factory as...unless they said they had special measures in place to stop cross contamination......really good special measures!

[Renegade]

I guess they are cross contaminated, I had 6 and my gut feel like crap now, this is very fun, another glutening and one more item to cross off the list. Could also be intolerance but I doubt it, I felt fine eating them this entire month, gonna have to pay a ridiculous price and buy my almonds from nuts.com from now on.

 

Back to square one AGAIN.

[bartfull]

If you can find Planter's almonds you can safely eat them I believe. Planter's is one of the good companies that label for gluten AND label if there is gluten in the facility they were processed in. I eat their cashews every day.

 

You could also buy almonds in the shell.

[Renegade]

If you can find Planter's almonds you can safely eat them I believe. Planter's is one of the good companies that label for gluten AND label if there is gluten in the facility they were processed in. I eat their cashews every day.

 

You could also buy almonds in the shell.

I think I'll just avoid nuts for now as I can't have peanut butter either at the moment or any nut butter, it makes my gut bloated and give me cramps, too bad it's my favorite food, I could eat peanut butter day and night. I couldn't find certified gluten free nuts in any store, I'll see if I can find them but I only will if it says gluten free.

[dilettantesteph]

Renegade, as you keep on with figuring out this condition you will realize that some of us are sensitive to lower levels of gluten than others.  One might say "I eat that all the time and I never react" while another might say "that makes me sick and isn't safe".  When you read someone's posts enough you might realize that person is like you, or more sensitive than you, or less sensitive than you, so you know how to weigh their words.  

 

The processed in a facility that also processes...statement is voluntary, not mandated, so it not being there does not mean that the facility doesn't contain gluten.   You need to check with the manufacturer to be sure.  Things can say gluten-free on them and still be processed in a shared facility.  There are some certification programs for gluten-free being on a label, and then there are some companies that just put it on there without it meaning too much.  In the U.S. the definition isn't regulated yet.

 

I am more sensitive than the average celiac, and that means that I need to check everything I eat carefully, with phone calls, internet searches, lots of questions, and then trying it alone without other new things.  It helps to write it all down in a food/symptom journal, but I'm not always disciplined enough to do that.

[Renegade]

For now I've got the peanut in shell and they do me fine, bought from the same brand as the almond that don't do me well, so maybe they are cross-contaminated or maybe it's just the almonds.

[squirmingitch]

Bartful stated it above but I will back up what she said about Planters nuts. Within the last 2 or 3 weeks I called them to inquire if they are processed in a facility that processes any gluten products. The lady told me very specifically that it will say right on the label if it is processed in a facility that handles any gluten or other foods at all. They are a Kraft company BTW who is one of the good guys about labeling.