Gluten in Plastic?!

[GFrapunzel]

I was getting SERIOUS hand rashes that were insanely itchy at work!! and I wash my hands ALL the time because I work at a school. I finally asked the secretary, who also has Celiac and she buys all the soap. She admitted it did the same to her and she no longer uses that soap because she researched it and the super flexible cheap plastic containers contain GLUTEN! In Plastic?! Now I've heard it all!!! Has anyone heard of this? is this bogus? Do I seriously need to go to my boss and ask her to buy different soap? There are 3 celiacs at our school but one of them never use that bathroom, they are in a seperate office.

[StephanieL]

Where are you finding this information? I know corn is sometimes used in plastics but haven't heard of gluten.  

 

[squirmingitch]

15 hours ago, GFrapunzel said:

I was getting SERIOUS hand rashes that were insanely itchy at work!! and I wash my hands ALL the time because I work at a school. I finally asked the secretary, who also has Celiac and she buys all the soap. She admitted it did the same to her and she no longer uses that soap because she researched it and the super flexible cheap plastic containers contain GLUTEN! In Plastic?! Now I've heard it all!!! Has anyone heard of this? is this bogus? Do I seriously need to go to my boss and ask her to buy different soap? There are 3 celiacs at our school but one of them never use that bathroom, they are in a seperate office.

This is another one of those internet myths that scare the dickens out of newbie celiacs. Seriously; think about it for a minute. If there were actually gluten in that plastic then we would be dead by now. Also there would be a ton of people who have anaphylactic reactions to wheat who would be dead by now. 

You and the secretary who orders the soap are reacting to some ingredient in the soap most likely. I am allergic to Dawn dishwashing liquid. My hands break out in a itchy red rash all over. Dawn is the only dishwashing liquid I've ever reacted to like that. Which ingredient in it is doing that to me? I don't know or care -- I just use anything else, like Palmolive.

[Nibs]

Yes, gluten can be found in plastics ,even in dental retainers (plasticized methacrylate polymers) and probably in the bracket cement (methyl methacrylate) for braces. Gluten can be in plastic but is not in all plastic.

Open Original Shared Link

Open Original Shared Link    An orthodontic retainer preventing remission in celiac disease

Open Original Shared Link   "Wheat gluten (WG) is an interesting plant material to be used for production of plastic"

Open Original Shared Link Thermo-molded wheat gluten plastics plasticized with glycerol: Effect of molding temperature

[Ennis-TX]

51 minutes ago, Nibs said:

Yes, gluten can be found in plastics ,even in dental retainers (plasticized methacrylate polymers) and probably in the bracket cement (methyl methacrylate) for braces. Gluten can be in plastic but is not in all plastic.

Open Original Shared Link

Open Original Shared Link    An orthodontic retainer preventing remission in celiac disease

Open Original Shared Link   "Wheat gluten (WG) is an interesting plant material to be used for production of plastic"

Open Original Shared Link Thermo-molded wheat gluten plastics plasticized with glycerol: Effect of molding temperature

Would this type of plastic be the kind used in the epoxy paste for setting of fake/movie prop teeth? I know I got really nauseated, headache, brain fog, and had to lay down and passed out both times I have tried to wear them.  Very different reaction from anything else. I thought it was the chemicals and some kind of odd response with my body. Sorta bummed me out not being able to do some cosplay sets I have without them.

[TexasJen]

Going back to the original post, it seems unlikely that even if the soap bottle plastic contains gluten that it would be the source of the rash. Gluten typically has to be ingested for it to cause a problem. The nature of washing your hands implies that they are CLEAN at the end of the process - mostly due to washing everything away with water. So, the simple answer to your question is probably not. 

However, the posted articles do make me pause for reflection. I see easily how orthodontia with gluten could cause a problem. So, how do we know if the plastic that is holding our mayonnaise, water, or salad dressing would be made with a gluten containing plastic - or if it really even matters practically speaking. I have not heard this before so I don't even know if we should consider it/be worried about it. Curious to see if there is any evidence based medicine out there to back up the concerns - specifically when it comes to food products.

[pschwab]

Yikes! Why would companies introduce gluten into their manufacturing process when celiac is becoming so much more well known?! Yet another thing to worry about for my son's health.

[kareng]

There are times when I wish it wasn't so easy for people to access medical info/ research/ studies.   No one understands the differences in types of research and studies.  Not to mention the total lack of understanding of basic science.  

[cyclinglady]

This is what the gluten-free Watchdog has to say about plastic retainers:

Open Original Shared Link