Is it safe for people diagnosed with celiac disease to be in brewery and more specifically to eat food made at brewery?

[WhitneyS]

I understand there are gluten free breweries and beer and the like. I’m wondering about cross contamination risks etc of just being in a traditional brewery and even more so eating in one - even if it’s a salad containing no gluten  foods, for example. Is the cross contamination risk of eating anything serious enough to be safer just avoiding the traditional brewery altogether. Thanks in advance for sharing knowledge / thoughts!

[trents]

Welcome to the forum, Whitney!

The answer to your question may in large part depend on how sensitive to trace amounts of gluten you personally are. For many, the risk of trace amounts of gluten from CC in the scenario you present would not be a concern. But there is an element of the celiac community who are super sensitive to even trace amounts of gluten that it would be problematic. But let get some clarification from you. Are you an employee in a brewery or are you asking the question from the perspective of a customer?

[WhitneyS]

5 minutes ago, trents said:

Welcome to the forum, Whitney!

The answer to your question may in large part depend on how sensitive to trace amounts of gluten you personally are. For many, the risk of trace amounts of gluten from CC in the scenario you present would not be a concern. But there is an element of the celiac community who are super sensitive to even trace amounts of gluten that it would be problematic. But let get some clarification from you. Are you an employee in a brewery or are you asking the question from the perspective of a customer?

Thanks so much for the welcome and fast and helpful reply! I seem to be much more sensitive to items containing barley than any other gluten grain but the level of sensitivity varies quite s bit and I’m still trying to figure it all out. My question is from a customer perspective. I’ve gotten sick after eating a “safe” salad while attending a work function held at a traditional brewery. I asked staff questions and they did not show much confidence in their answers but it was all day function and I wasn’t able to bring my own food so I did my best to play it safe. It made for a bad few days recovering afterwards so I'm pretty certain it was a cross contamination issue.  I’d like to avoid the scenario in the future with mandatory work functions (I don’t go to breweries for personal pleasure as I don’t drink or like the taste of beer and never have) so I’m trying to learn how best to navigate situations like this in the future. 
thanks again for the thoughtful reply!

[trents]

What kind of dressing was on the salad that made you sick? The average person has no idea how ubiquitous gluten is in the ready made food industry. If you are really sensitive then trace amounts of gluten such as might be found from removed croutons may be enough to trigger a reaction. The trouble with these scenarios is that from one time to another the amount of CC may vary. One time it makes you sick but not the next time. But I would consider the value of being consistent.

[WhitneyS]

10 minutes ago, trents said:

What kind of dressing was on the salad that made you sick? The average person has no idea how ubiquitous gluten is in the ready made food industry. If you are really sensitive then trace amounts of gluten such as might be found from removed croutons may be enough to trigger a reaction. The trouble with these scenarios is that from one time to another the amount of CC may vary. One time it makes you sick but not the next time. But I would consider the value of being consistent.

Great question! I never use salad dressing for that very reason. I’m also kind of a plain Jane and prefer simple salt and pepper most of the time even at home. Based on our convo, I’m leaning more and more towards just not eating at places where the risk of cc is high - like breweries. It’s just not worth it. I’d rather be safe than sorry and suck for days afterwards. Thanks again for sharing your thoughts / expertise! Great forum - so glad I joined! 

[WhitneyS]

*sick* not suck. Apologies for the typo!  I’ll proof read more closely before submitting in the future. 

[knitty kitty]

Welcome to the forum, @WhitneyS

I get contaminated if I get near the bakery aisle at the grocery store.  Air-borne particles of gluten can enter the digestive tract through the nose.  

What did the brewery smell like?

[WhitneyS]

9 minutes ago, knitty kitty said:

Welcome to the forum, @WhitneyS

I get contaminated if I get near the bakery aisle at the grocery store.  Air-borne particles of gluten can enter the digestive tract through the nose.  

What did the brewery smell like?

Hmmm best way I can think of how to describe would be like a potent sour smell. If that makes sense. I’ve never been a fan of beer even before my celiac diagnosis so all beer smells pretty gross to me. Almost nauseating.  

[WhitneyS]

6 minutes ago, WhitneyS said:

Hmmm best way I can think of how to describe would be like a potent sour smell. If that makes sense. I’ve never been a fan of beer even before my celiac diagnosis so all beer smells pretty gross to me. Almost nauseating.  

And thanks for the welcome knitty kitty!

[trents]

26 minutes ago, WhitneyS said:

*sick* not suck. Apologies for the typo!  I’ll proof read more closely before submitting in the future. 

"suck" works for me! The way you feel after getting glutened sucks.

[Scott Adams]

The likelihood of you getting sick when eating in any restaurant, whether it's a brewery or not, is probably about the same--it is one of the most common ways to get hidden gluten in your diet, even if they offer a "gluten-free" menu or mark items on their menu that way.