Blue Cheese - Yes Or No

[IronedOut]

I've seen blue cheese listed in several places as a no-no and was wondering why? I'm guessing that some grain product is used to make the 'blue' in the cheese?

Adding to my confusion is the list of safe meals my friends brought back from a restaurant called The Macaroni Grill. On it was their blue cheese salad.

[rmmadden]

I'm no cheese expert but, as I understand it the mold in Blue Cheese is started from bread. I don't know the details about how much (if any) gluten gets transfered over in the making/aging process.

I think this is one of those personal decisions.....How sensitive are you type things.

Best of Luck,

Cleveland Bob

[skoki-mom]

Blue cheese is allowed by the Canadian Celiac Association. I eat it, but not very often. Sharp cheese is a special treat for me However, I understand that it is not considered ok in the USA. I'm not sure if it is just a different philosophy, or if it is actually cultured differently between the countries. This sort of stuff is confusing, I agree! Though I admit I am a bad-ass and if I can find it on a "safe list" from a reputable source, I'm likely to eat it.

[lovegrov]

The culture or mold for blue cheese is sometimes started on bread but more often these days is started on an artificial medium. So if you know a blue cheese wasn't started on bread, you know for certain it's gluten-free.

Even if it is started on bread, no one really seems to know whether any of the gluten actually carries over to the culture. And even if it does carry over, the amount used in a huge vat would mean that even if the culture were 100 percent gluten (which it wouldn't be), the gluten in the cheese would be maybe a couple of parts per million.

This is strictly a personal choice, but I don't even worry about blue cheese any more. IMO, eating out anywhere or cooking in a mixed kitchen at home carries more risk of gluten.

richard

[floridanative]

This too is confusing to me. I went through the Delphi list highlighting all the things I normally buy that are safe. So I read every word carefully and there are some blue cheese items listed from various manufacurers - some were listed as safe and others not. At the one support group meeting I attended last Fall they brought this up and most everyone seemed to agree since the mold was started from bread we should probably avoid it. But I don't want to avoid anything if I can confirm it's okay.

p.s. thanks Richard - your post wasn't up when I started mine.

[IronedOut]

The culture or mold for blue cheese is sometimes started on bread but more often these days is started on an artificial medium. So if you know a blue cheese wasn't started on bread, you know for certain it's gluten-free.

Even if it is started on bread, no one really seems to know whether any of the gluten actually carries over to the culture. And even if it does carry over, the amount used in a huge vat would mean that even if the culture were 100 percent gluten (which it wouldn't be), the gluten in the cheese would be maybe a couple of parts per million.

This is strictly a personal choice, but I don't even worry about blue cheese any more. IMO, eating out anywhere or cooking in a mixed kitchen at home carries more risk of gluten.

richard

Thanks Richard. How reactive are you to getting glutened? I think I am very sensative to the gluten in terms of villa destruction but very non-reactive in terms of symptoms to tell when I've goofed.

[StrongerToday]

Blue cheese was one of the first foods I noticed an instant adverse reaction too - and I love it! But it's just not worth it to me.

[lovegrov]

If you are reacting to blue cheese started on an artificial medium then you're not reacting to gluten. Those blue cheeses are without question gluten-free.

If you truly are reacting to whatever tiny amount of gluten might be in blue cheese started on bread, I'd most definitely avoid eating out or even using any processed products made on shared lines.

richard

[VegasCeliacBuckeye]

I will echo what Richard said, I have no problem with bleu cheese either.

I actually did a substantial amount of research on the subject. Even if the mold was made from bread, the amount of potential gluten would be so trivial that 99% of people would not react to it (unless you are lactose/mold intolerant).

The mold doesn't carry any of the bread it was grown on as it spreads throughout the cheese...the only potential area where the "bread mold" could possibly have any miniscule amount of gluten would be on the outside -- even if this occurred in any substantial amount, the cheeses are cleaned before they go out -- it really is like a one in a million chance.

You have a much greater risk eating out restaurants than you do with bleu cheese.

If you reacted to bleu cheese, I do not think it is gluten -- probably a lactose or mold reaction...

[elonwy]

I don't react to blue cheese either, and read the research broncobux was referring too, and feel safe. Do know that there are blue cheeses that will state "wheat" on the label, and those I avoid.

Elonwy

[VegasCeliacBuckeye]

Good point Elonwy!

Always read those stinkin labels!

[astyanax]

recently outback took bleu cheese dressing off of their gluten-free list. i was pretty worried cos i used to eat it every time i went there and wasn't getting sick. i get ranch now, but i wonder if maybe they took it off the list cos of the bread thing ?

[lovegrov]

From what I understand they took it off the menu because of a tarragon vinegar in the dressing -- not because of the vinegar itself but because they're not sure of something in the tarragon flavoring. GIG is advising people to avoid the dressing for now, even though it's very possible there's actually no gluten in it.

The blue cheese used in the dressing is one that's started on a medium other than bread, so it's not the blue cheese itself.

richard