Celiac Potlucks

[BlessedMommy]

You know, something recently occurred to me. If I got to a celiac potluck, should I even eat the food there? Or should I find out what the celiac's practices are who cooked it? There are many celiacs who will do stuff like discard the bun and eat the burger. I also don't really know if they cleaned their house out and got rid of old pans and utensils after getting dx'ed. What would you/do you do? 

[mamaw]

I  think  you  know who  you should trust  & who not to... But  asking  is  okay  but  can cause  hard  feelings  esp if  its an old time  celiac!!!!   But  ask  anyway...  I  run a  support  group & whenever  anyone  brings  in gluten-free  food  I  tell them they have to  bring in the  ingredients to  share   &  I  have a  disclaimer  ... everyone  eats  at  their own  risk, everyone  must police  themselves  & parents  are in charge  of  the kids.... it's  a  chance  some  take  & others  don't...

Now  if  it is  someone  who  is not  celiac , I would question  everything......

I feel  people  you know  who may invite you  for a gluten-free  social , you would  probably know  them personally  so  you  could  easily  judge  whether  you would  eat  the gluten-free  food... ie: a  celiac  who you knows  cheats  or  doesn't  care  about CC... or  who  eats out  &  like  you  said  doesn't  care if  they have to remove  the bun....I  would  never  eat  at  their  house!!!!

 

I know  celiac  people who have been dx'd  over twenty  years  & don't  get  the CC  issue...they eat  spelt  saying it  doesn't  bother them....spelt  is  wheat..... so  I NEVER go there... they actually got angry at me  for  showing them  evidence  that  spelt  was a member of the wheat  family....now  they  want  nothing to do with me... You know  shoot the messenger

[Adalaide]

The local GIG group here does a potluck in the park every August. I haven't gone yet. I also backed out of the Christmas cookie thing at the last minute. I know in theory everything should be safe, but who knows what those people are doing? Frankly, if someone lived like I have up until now I wouldn't eat anything they make. I trust me to make safe food in a shared kitchen but I wouldn't trust a single other person to do it without knowing them super well, and I just don't know any of them well enough to trust them. Even if I did, trust is a luxury I simply can't afford. Grilling them would just make them mad, and not eating would be awkward so I just skip it. But... that's just me. I'm not saying that people can't/shouldn't go and enjoy. I'm OCD so that plays a part in my feelings about things.

[KCG91]

Hmmm, tricky. My ex (I wasn't diagnosed, he'd been diagnosed as a kid) has coeliac and his kitchen was shared but absolutely everything was separate, textbook. I'd definitely eat there. But the guy drinks regular beer and thinks that's OK... I'd always ask (if it's a coeliac potluck organised by a group, maybe they could have some guidelines that everyone adheres to if they want to contribute?)

[Nikki2777]

I can't imagine a Celiac tossing the bun off a burger and eating it.  You've seen someone actually diagnosed doing that?   For me, I'd probably trust it if I knew these people were true Celiacs and not just gluten-free for the diet.  But it's always safer to bring your own.  If you are nervous and don't want to say anything, just bring your own dish, serve yourself first and then don't eat anything else (or seconds).

[BlessedMommy]

Believe it or not, some DX'ed celiacs are pretty lax. I went to a food sampling once and someone announced that the gluten free people could go through first so that they could get the condiments before they got contaminated. The other gluten free person (who was a biopsy proven celiac) said, "No I don't have to do that, I'm not THAT sensitive." 

[Adalaide]

I can't imagine a Celiac tossing the bun off a burger and eating it.  You've seen someone actually diagnosed doing that?   For me, I'd probably trust it if I knew these people were true Celiacs and not just gluten-free for the diet.  But it's always safer to bring your own.  If you are nervous and don't want to say anything, just bring your own dish, serve yourself first and then don't eat anything else (or seconds).

 

Seen dx celiacs post here about taking burgers off buns, meat/veggies off sandwiches. I've talked to one (in person) who I had to explain to about regular Rice Krispies. The beer thing comes up all the time. What if someone uses regular Rice Krispies and doesn't know? What if someone makes a dish with Omission beer in it, or even regular beer because they think that's fine.? (I wouldn't eat that under any circumstances.) What if someone has a shared kitchen with lax rules, like sharing wooden spoons and not washing cutting boards or surfaces?

 

Asking every person there to explain exactly what is in every dish and how they keep their kitchen safe is absurd at a potluck. There are simply too many people. I'm sure there are many there who will eat, enjoy and be perfectly healthy. I would be sick to death from the stress over it all. I have never taken meds for my OCD, because I control my anxiety by controlling my environment and my actions. That is why I would never risk my health for a potluck with a group of celiacs I don't know super duper well.

 

Now... with a some of you guys at Irish's new house? When was that party scheduled again?