News: Do Celiac families really need 2 toasters?

[Scott Adams]

... could be high enough to pose a gluten exposure risk for someone with celiac disease -- in general, greater than 20 parts per million (ppm) or .002%.

View the full article

[kareng]

Too bad they didn’t  test my husband‘s toaster!  The results would be completely different.  ?

[cyclinglady]

Here are my thoughts:

Quote: “So many celiac parents, including me....”

Spoken by a parent who does NOT have celiac disease.  Is the author’s child healed?  Does she understand that some celiacs can have no symptoms or their symptoms can change?  That follow-up blood tests are not very accurate in terms of dietary compliance?  No offense meant to those dedicated parents who work hard at keeping their celiac child safe.  

Celiac experts have said that a huge chunk of diagnosed celiacs who have been mis-diagnosed with refractory celiac disease actually are getting gluten exposures.  My own PCP has two other celiac patients who are chronically ill and she suspects they are getting gluten exposures.  And now they think sharing a crumby toaster or a shared knife might be safe — all the time?   Gee, is my toaster clean?  Does it get hot enough to burn off residual bread each time?  When they established the 20 ppm cut-off they based it off less than 49 people?  Here is the 2007 study that was the basis for the FDA 20 ppm rule.  

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17209192

Do we really know that 20 ppm is safe?  I think the answer is it varies based on the individual.  Some celiacs are very sensitive.  Some are not.  

“and highlights the need for further study in this area so that recommendations can be evidence-based”

Another study that is not evidence-based (they admit) and probably prematurely released.   Now many celiacs will start cooking their pasta in gluten pasta water.  Ugh!  In the case of a toaster and traveling, use toaster bags.  Wash your cooking utensils!  Continue to follow current guidelines until more studies are done.  Better to be safe than sorry.  

“in taking this important first step in bettering the lives of celiac disease patients and their loved ones”

Again, just preliminary testing!  And that quote was from another parent from the Celiac Disease Foundation.  The one who supports mechanically sorted Cherrios because they accept advertising dollars/donations from General Mills?  How about getting statements from celiacs?  Better my life by finding a cure and not a short cut.   Having to use a $12 toaster for gluten-free bread is not a hardship for the vast majority of celiacs.  Not when almost everyone owns a cell phone, pays for cable/internet, etc. 

Sorry, I typed this on a tablet.  The font size is messed up.  

 

[cyclinglady]

Ah, the Gluten Free Watchdog has commented!  You can ready her post here: 

https://www.glutenfreewatchdog.org/news/

Botton line is to continue to follow safe kitchen practices.  This study was flawed.