Cross Contamination Worries?

[suz101]

so what is the general rule?

if a product says it is gluten free or has no gluten ingredients on the label but says its produced in a facility that handles wheat..... what are we supposed to do?? do we worry about cross contamination and play it better safe than sorry???

[Rusla]

I worry about cross contamination because it is equally as bad as full scale glutening. I never touch anything that is said to be made in a facility that produces wheat.

[celiacgirls]

If I can find an equivalent product that isn't produced in a place with wheat, I get that. If not, I possibly try it but watch for a reaction. I do not use products that say "may contain traces of wheat".

[4getgluten]

I have tried products that are produced in a facility that handles wheat, and I have had a reaction. I now avoid products that have this label.

[Viola 1]

Yes, I try and avoid products made on the same line as gluten products also. Just not worth the risk.

[marciab]

I just checked my Hershey's bar and my Back to Nature rice crackers and they don't say whether or not they are produced in a facility that produces food with wheat.

Are these safe ? Are the labelling rules in effect yet ? I'm pretty sure Back to Nature produces some crackers with wheat.

I see some people here eat these without a problem, but I'm at the point where I want to be absolutely positively sure that what I am eating is Gluten Free ....

Thanks .. marcia

[psawyer]

A shared facility is one thing, and shared equipment is another. But it both cases, you have to make a personal decision.

My own home is a "shared facility" and the dishes and cutlery here are "shared equipment". My wife is not a celiac, and she eats foods with gluten in them. She is well aware of the effects that gluten has on me, having lived with my sickness for many years before the cause was identified. We both take precautions against cross-contamination, and everything is carefully washed after each use. Nothing containing gluten ever goes in the toaster. We have one wood cutting board, and nothing with gluten ever touches it.

In most cases, I don't worry about a facility that also handles wheat. Unless it is a bakery, there is little chance of airborne gluten causing cross-contamination. Even if there is shared equipment, I don't automatically rule it out. I consider the type of product, and what it might share the production line with. It is easier to wash liquids than solids, and powders may stick in nooks and crannies.

I also believe that most big companies, such as Kraft, take cleanliness seriously and I have a degree of trust that when they clean their equipment that they are thorough about it.

[tarnalberry]

I generally don't worry about shared facilities. I am much more cautious about shared lines, but there are strict guidelines about cleaning between runs, so I will consider items from companies who do this depending on the item. I think it's important to be aware of, but also to come to know what you use for food and how your body reacts to it. (I also watch here to see what other people are having a problem with, because we don't always get information about shared lines.)

[lovegrov]

Companies are not required to say whether a product is produced in a facility or on a line shared with wheat products. So unless you are checking every single product, you're likely eating such products without knowing it.

richard

[hathor]

I just checked my Hershey's bar and my Back to Nature rice crackers and they don't say whether or not they are produced in a facility that produces food with wheat.

Are these safe ? Are the labelling rules in effect yet ? I'm pretty sure Back to Nature produces some crackers with wheat.

I see some people here eat these without a problem, but I'm at the point where I want to be absolutely positively sure that what I am eating is Gluten Free ....

Thanks .. marcia

If you are talking about the "gluten-free" labelling rule, that is a proposal that has just been put out for public comment. As I understand the proposal, it doesn't require manufacturers to say "gluten-free" if it is; it is voluntary.

I don't know about the rice crackers. There is a recent discussion about different manufacturers of chocolate:

Open Original Shared Link

[marciab]

Thanks.

It is just too much work to keep up with which companies are using separate lines for gluten free item. And I am too sensitive to keep risking getting glutenned.

Are there any completely gluten free facilities out there where no gluten ever gets in ?

BTW: I reacted to the Back to Nature rice crackers. Jerked myself awake several times last nite, was wide awake for hours and woke up with "D". I'll be throwing these out ...

I was thinking if those of us who are highly sensitive and have "gluten meters" for digestive tracts could come up with a list of "TRULY" gluten free products, it would be helpful .... This "hit or miss" or "seeing if your body reacts to it" is getting old. I'll be sick for a few days at least now ...

Thanks again ... marcia