Celiac Disease and Baked Goods

[Madison Allman]

My workplace will be making pre made chocolate chip cookies everyday in our small center for our customers. I am very concerned that I will feel very sick due to the constant exposure everyday with the gluten particles in the air. Since they are not making the cookies handmade here, will I be affected? Because there won’t be flour all over the office? Or is the flour being baked still count as airborne gluten exposure? I am very sensitive to smells and concerned I will feel nauseous everyday, because there is no way to avoid the smell. 

[trents]

Welcome to the forum, Madison!

"Pre made chocolate chip cookies"? Do you mean the dough is already made at the factory such that these cookies just need to be baked? Like canned Pillsberry Doughboy biscuits?

If the cookie dough is being purchased pre made such there is no mixing of flour in your work area, just baking, I would think that would pose little real risk to you as a celiac or NCGS person. But I would not handle the dough yourself.

As to the baking fumes, I wouldn't worry about that as I don't think gluten becomes airborne in the baking process. I could be wrong, however. On the other hand, if you are sensitive to smells then that could pose a separate issue not directly related to gluten.

My thought here is that you will just have to see in real experience if this is having a negative impact on your health or not.

[Scott Adams]

I agree with @trents and even though I've not seen any scientific studies done on this, wheat flour based dough baked in a oven should not expose you to gluten. If they were making the dough from wheat flour directly in your office there may be a very small chance of exposure, but just the scent of baking cookies should not expose you, although as you mentioned, still may make you feel uncomfortable and nauseous if you are sensitive to the smell.

[Scott Adams]

BTW, is there any chance the folks in charge of this operation would be open to doing this with gluten-free cookie dough, and make gluten-free cookies instead? Perhaps you could ask, as there are companies who make GF cookie dough.

[jage]

I went through multiple open houses with realtors baking and intentionally spreading that smell and didn't get sick. I can't have anything from a shared kitchen, but at least it's not a bakers where there is literally floor coating everything.  Everybody is different but I don't think id get gluten sick. The smell is another story, and I empathize with you having to endure that at work for multiple days.  It's hard to guess how strong the smell will be, how often, and how much it will affect you. I hope it doesn't ofc, but will understand if it does.