Avoiding Cross Contamination!

[ceceliac]

Hello, i have a big problem with cross contamination.i get glutened very often!!

i am usually very careful when cooking, i cook my own food iafter my mom finished cooking for the rest of the family because i know something may fall into my pan and gluten my food but there is always someone around in the kitchen, and they go wash their hands and spill water everywhere, or they pass food over my pan, or anything similar!! and i dont know how to stop that, i've told them thousands of times to please stay away from the kitchen while im cooking! but they dont pay attention to me.
 

Other problem is airborne gluten, my mom cooks with gluten flour very often, i keep all my stuff in my room so thats not the problem, the problem is me! i dont know if staying in my room is enough and for how long i must stay there so that the gluten goes away..
 

I was glutened on sunday but i dont know how! my mom made a gluten cake, i stayed in my room as i always do but i dont know what failed! I dont know if it was the flour itself, or some flour fell on the oil that i used later when cooking! The thing is i got glutened.
 

I was glutened once again today, and again, i dont know how. I suspect it was one of my friends who was eating cookies, then she cleaned her hands and tiny cookie particles spread around in the air (i saw that!! those were no crumbs, but tiny stuff flying around!). That sounds exagerated, i dont know if that's actually possible! But an hour later i started to feel bad! Could that be possible?

 

Please tell me if im going nuts or whats wrong xD

[nvsmom]

Having wheat flour in the house just seems like a very very bad idea. It poofs out and lands everywhere.  It's probably in the utensil drawer, landing on fruit, and inside the sugar bags or canisters.  I don't think airborne crumbs of food are a problem, but fine flour could be.  Could your mom stop using wheat flour?

 

I don't know... Perhaps there are others around here who manage to live safely around flour, but the idea of having that in my house would freak me out some.    I don't think you are nuts at all.  I think you probably nailed the problem on the head.

 

Good luck.

[JosieToo]

Would your family go gluten free? When I was diagnosed my husband went gluten-free too. He just said "it's not worth risking your health for me to eat gluten". At minimum, wheat flour in the house is a no go - just way to risky. Does your family understand how dangerous it is for you to get glutened?

[jennifer101]

my daughter has celiac just diagnosed last year october, we bought all new utensils, cutting boards, pots, pans and tupperware because gluten sticks to plastic, rubber anything that is porus (even deep scratched pans). you might want to check that out, we are not a completely gluten free household but i would say 90 %. all my daughters foods, storage and utensils are kept completley seperate from anything else. maybe the cross contamination is coming from used "glutened" dishes, rubber utensils and such....

[ceceliac]

nvsmom, my mom wont do that for me, she still thinks that the flour cant hurt me and that im exagerating! so i dont think she will stop using it, anyway i keep all my utensils and food in my room, including sugar, salt etc! i just shared the oil, now i wont xD

 

 

JosieToo, haha no, they wont go gluten-free for me! i tried gently suggesting that to  them, and they got angry!! so no, they gont go gluten-free or stop using flour :/ thats why i stay in my room while she cooks! i dont know if that's enough anyway.

 

jennifer101, i bought utensiles for myself and i keep them in my room, im very careful with that, i dont let anyone else use my stuff! so i dont think that could be the problem

[julissa]

I am sorry to hear your family won't go gluten free. I made cookies once with my granddaughter when I was new to all this, and got really sick. at the time I thought if I didn't eat them I would be ok, but didn't know then about airborne flour and it getting everywhere. that was the point in time I cleaned out my kitchen, replaced most everything and took my home gluten free. 

 

maybe you can show them some information on how this is affecting you, or your doctor can speak to them.. 

 

good luck! 

[hrenee101]

I've been told that flour particles can stay in the air for 24-48 hours after use. We don't keep any flour in our home that contains gluten. My mom went gluten free with me. My dad gets food out when he wants something that is flour based and all his other food is in a specific cabinet in the kitchen. 

we also have a toaster oven for my dad to use when he wants his mac and cheese or anything that has gluten in it, we only use the oven for gluten free foods, so there is no cross contamination there, is it possible for you to have a separate toaster oven for you to use?

[kareng]

I am assuming you are an adult?  Might be time to get your own home where you can make the rules?  Doesn't sound like your parents are interesting in changing their ways.  

 

It sounds like you have done about all you can to make your current environment as safe as possible - and it isn't safe enough.  Time to find a new and safer environment.

[celiac sharon]

No flour in the house. Period! If you are too young to move out Then have your doctor speak to your mother

[nvsmom]

nvsmom, my mom wont do that for me, she still thinks that the flour cant hurt me and that im exagerating! so i dont think she will stop using it, anyway i keep all my utensils and food in my room, including sugar, salt etc! i just shared the oil, now i wont xD

 

 

Oh I'm sorry. I'm hoping that she just doesn't understand how bits of flour can make you ill.  Could you show her our replies?  Perhaps seeing it in print would help. If she does actually understand then she is knowingly doing things that could hurt her child rather than learning how to bake and cook gluten-free.  That's just sad.  

 

If there is no way to leave home because you are too young or in school, then you'll need to take precautions: Rewash all fruits and veggies right before you eat them.  Don't use their sugar, oil, butter, spreads, baking supplies...nothing at all.  Keep all of your food in sealed bags or tupperware.  Wash all utensils, bowls, pots, pans, and plates before using them in case flour settled on them.  Clean all surfaces and cutting boards before preparing foods.

 

The best thing to do is to leave or get them to remove flour from the house... It's just not safe.  

 

Best wishes.

[notme]

gosh!  as a mom, if my daughter were diagnosed with celiac, i certainly would make sure i wasn't making her sick!  get your doctor to speak to her - i am curious as to why she hasn't spoken to your doctor already.  again, as a mom, i am interested in what a doctor has to say when it comes to my child (even young adult)  what is up with her?  :/

[w8in4dave]

It is so hard sometimes for someone who isn't Celiac to understand it all. Maby get your mom a book or a list of the complications due to CC? Does she remember when you were so sick before DX? We are not a gluten-free house but I did take the flour out of the house! My husband couldn't understand why. I just told him it lingers in the air. If you want to make Gravy then make it with Corn starch. 

[MomBTired]

My son has celiac, I do not and I am addicted to bread. I sacrificed my bread for my son   When we eat out, I get gluten. When I am at work, I get gluten. Our dinners are pretty much completely gluten free except pasta night when we cook together. He likes leftovers

[LauraTX]

 

My son has celiac, I do not and I am addicted to bread. I sacrificed my bread for my son   When we eat out, I get gluten. When I am at work, I get gluten. Our dinners are pretty much completely gluten free except pasta night when we cook together. He likes leftovers

 

You are an awesome mommy  My husband does the same... he can get his gluten fix out of the house no problem.