Cross Contamination

[Heather9500]

Several Gastro-doctors later, I have found out that I have Celiac disease. I am still not sure all about this disease except I cannot eat wheat, gluten, etc. I am finding out just how expensive it is to purchase gluten free products for myself. My kids love the chips I have purchased, but not much of anything else. I am still making them sandwhiches with regular breads and meals with gluten products. How sensitive are we? Can I get sick or cross contamination by making their foods? It is so hard to make evrything gluten free for them. Just by touching the bread or wheat thins am I exposing myself to getting sick?

Second question, restaurants can I still go out to eat and get things like a chicken salad without croutons? What is the likelyhood that it would get me sick by cross contamination?

Third question, do I need to watch out on what makeup I use, soaps, mosturizers, shampoo, etc.?

I am still learning about my Celiac disease so any information by others that are more familiar with this disease I would greatly appreciate your advice or assistance.

[AndreaB]

As long as you wash your hand thoroughly and surfaces you should be ok fixing your chilren's gluten food. Fresh flour could cause a problem though as the "dust" gets in the air.

You do need to watch your makeup and personal care products simply because if you scratch, run you hand through your hair and handle food, etc before washing your hands you could cross contaminate yourself. It's probably individual specific. I'm thinking some do ok without having to switch everything.

At restaurants there is almost always the possibility of cross contamination. Many limit how much they go out due to that.

[NoGluGirl]

Several Gastro-doctors later, I have found out that I have Celiac disease. I am still not sure all about this disease except I cannot eat wheat, gluten, etc. I am finding out just how expensive it is to purchase gluten free products for myself. My kids love the chips I have purchased, but not much of anything else. I am still making them sandwhiches with regular breads and meals with gluten products. How sensitive are we? Can I get sick or cross contamination by making their foods? It is so hard to make evrything gluten free for them. Just by touching the bread or wheat thins am I exposing myself to getting sick?

Second question, restaurants can I still go out to eat and get things like a chicken salad without croutons? What is the likelyhood that it would get me sick by cross contamination?

Third question, do I need to watch out on what makeup I use, soaps, mosturizers, shampoo, etc.?

I am still learning about my Celiac disease so any information by others that are more familiar with this disease I would greatly appreciate your advice or assistance.

Dear Heather9500,

You should be very careful! If you are a Celiac, even a trace amount could damage your intestinal villi. Cosmetics, toothpaste, mouthwash, soap, and all kinds of other things can make you sick. It is difficult not to be paranoid about it. I live in a house where I am the only one who is gluten free right now. This can get frustrating. I have gotten ill due to people being inconsiderate of me. They are not the one who becomes violently ill upon ingesting trace amounts, so they do not care.

That is why it is so hard to deal with. No one can really look out for you but yourself. There are so many things, it is difficult not to forget something! Here is a list of some things I think you will like:

1. There are a number of things in the regular grocery that are safe. Some things are labeled already. Wal-Mart's Great Value brand has numerous things you can eat.

2. For the love of God use Coupons on items you are allowed to eat. People can get them and print them out online even. Call some of the local stores and ask if they accept online coupons.

3. Check the ads online and in the newspaper. You would be surprised how many people do not do this.

4. Some items like rice flour and rice noodles are safe to buy at the Chinese or oriental market. The merchants are more than happy to help you if you cannot read the label.

Now, here is my list of great things to get you started:

Condiments:

Smart Balance Margerine

Crisco Shortening

Crisco Oil

Pompeiian Olive Oil

Great Value soy sauce

Heinz Ketchup

Lea & Perrins Worchestershire Sauce

Sweet Baby Ray's Barbecue Sauce

Kraft French Fat-Free Salad Dressing

Kraft Thousand Island Fat-Free Salad Dressing

Pace Picante Sauce

Ortega Salsa

All Classico Red and White sauces

All Jif Peanut Butters including Smooth Sensations

Welch's Grape Jelly

Cool Whip

Philadelphia Cream Cheese

Miracle Whip

Daisy Sour Cream (fat-free, low-fat, regular)

Snack Foods:

Fritos

Tostitos

Lay's Original Potato Chips

Cool Ranch Doritos (Nacho cheese has gluten)

Act II Microwave Popcorn

Cheetos

3 Musketeers candy bars

Butterfinger candy bars

Reese's Peanut Butter Cups

Meat and Protein :

Eggs

Great Value Frozen Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts

Extra Lean ground beef

Carl Buddig lunchmeats all are safe

Johnsonville Original Bratwursts

Kraft Cheese Shredded or sliced (Kraft is a great company, they never hide gluten in their labels. If it does not say wheat, barley, oats or rye, then it is not in there!)

Cereals:

Cocoa Pebbles

Fruity Pebbles

Seasonings:

Durkee Cinnamon-ground

Durkee Ginger-ground

Durkee Chili powder

Durkee Vanilla Extract (in fact, all of their liquid flavorings, food colorings, and extracts are g.f.)

Emeril's Essence - Asian, Italian

Ortega Taco Seasoning (In fact, since they are under a very strict labeling policy, all of their products are gluten free at this time)

Miscellaneous:

Ortega Taco Shells

Starkist or Great Value Tuna

Butter Buds

Great Value Soy Milk

Lettuce

Tomatoes

Apples

Pears

Carrots

Great Value Canned Fruits and Vegetables

Del Monte Canned Fruits and Vegetables

Ore Ida Tater Tots

Ore Ida French Fries

I hope this helps a bit!

Holland House Cooking Sherry (At Wal-Mart) is labeled gluten-free and is found near the vinegars (My Chinese marinade is equal parts sherry with soy sauce) I was ecstatic about this. I was so worried I could never have it again!

Dinty Moore Beef Stew

Arizona Teas

All Folgers Coffees including Instant

Sam's Club Routisserie Chickens (reported recently by a member) (They use Lawry's marinades I believe)

Hormel Vienna Sausages

Hormel regular Spam

Hormel Turkey Spam

Jell-O and Hunt's Pudding Snack Packs (Label will not hide gluten and will always list it if present)

Durkee Ground Cayenne Pepper

Kraft Minute Rice

Thai Kitchen Original Pad Thai (many others as well, will be labeled gluten-free)

V-8 Vegetable Juice

Hormel Beef Au Jus

Hormel Pork Au Jus

Pork Chops

Jimmy Dean Fresh Taste Fast Sausage (patties, rolls, or links)

Plumrose bacon

Hormel Chili

More money saving tips :

1. Buy cosmetics at the drugstores. My favorite is CVS. They are less expensive, and if it does not suit you, it can be returned for a refund! That way, you do not lose money you could need for food.

2. Get a CVS extra-care card. You get discounts and can use it to build money for college!

3. The oriental markets are a great place to get sweet rice flour (it can be as little as $1 per bag) for making cakes, cookies, pie crusts, and more.

4. Only buy what you absolutely have to at the health food store. Usually, only the things I cannot make myself (like gluten-free, yeast free bread) or rice crackers are what I purchase there. Glutino bars are wonderful when you can afford them, but they are about $7 for a box of 5. They are also very low in fat, which is good. I included low-fat items on the list because I have to stick to a lower fat diet due to having my gallbladder removed back in 2003.

5. Getting some items at odd places. Sometimes certain food items are cheaper at the gas station or the drug store. Wal-Greens and CVS both have some excellent deals on junk food sometimes. Healthier foods can be as well. You can get 2 cans of Geisha brand crabmeat or shrimp for $3, when at the regular grocery store you would pay $3.50 for a single can of crabmeat!

Cleaners :

Clorox Bleach

Simple Green (all)

Dawn dishwashing liquid

Cascade

Murphy's Oil Soap

Wisk

All

Soaps:

Soft Soap

Dove Soap

Glide Floss

Crest Whitening Expressions

Colgate Toothpastes-all

Spray'n Wash Stain Remover

*note: be careful of dryer sheets. They can contain gluten as well. Calling manufacturers is the best bet if you are unsure. We are currently using All. Unilever makes them, and they are good about labeling.

Cosmetics:

CoverGirl is good to label their stuff. If it is not in the label ingredients, then you are safe!

Wet'n Wild- All except for one of the mascaras is safe!

Revlon LipGlides are safe. In my pic, I am wearing Sparkling Sangria!

Johnson & Johnson baby oil

Olay Quench Lotion

Products to Avoid:

Jergens lotions

Hair Sprays until you know they are safe. Call the manufacturer if you are unsure of the ingredients.

Perfumes

Anything with alcohol-it can be derived from a source of gluten

Shampoos and Conditioners (A number of these items have wheat protein in them because it thickens the hair shaft.)

Crest Pro Health Rinse (Has gluten)

Sincerely,

NoGluGirl

[Slackermommy]

NoGluGirl..what a fabulous list!!! I am trying to weed out my cosmetics at the moment and I found that list very helpful too..thanks!

[confused]

NoGluGirl..what a fabulous list!!! I am trying to weed out my cosmetics at the moment and I found that list very helpful too..thanks!

thank you for adding all those, i printed out the ones u posted yesterday, now im going to print out all of these.

just an question is

snuggle and mr clean safe

those are my two things i cant live without lol

paula

[jktenner]

I am also learning about Celiacs. I was diagnosed in January. I am the only one in my house that has celiac, my family has been wonderful about eatting gluten free just so it will be easier on me.

Thanks Nogluegirl for the list. I didn't realize that Miracle Whip was gluten-free, I stopped using it because it has modified food starch in it. I buy alot of Walmart brands, love it when I can read gluten-free. I saw yesterday that walmart is now selling gluten-free pasta De Boles, it wasn't expensive.

[Jo.R]

How sensitive you are is an induvidual thing. For example, I don't have problems with cross contamination. I even ate a cookie last night (thought I bought gluten-free, but was just organic) and I didn't get sick. That doesn't mean I am totaly careless. I would NOT eat a cookie just because I can, who knows what its doing to my intestine. On the other hand, I do eat out once in awhile, and don't worry about it the way some need too. On the other hand there are people who are so sensite they keep a totally gluten free house and will rarley if at all eat out.

By the way Heather, thanks for the list! I thought Worchesteshire was out. And I just bought some expensive stuff from the health food store to replace Soy sauce. Thant won't happen again.

[Jo.R]

I mean thanks to NoGluGirl for the list.

[johnsoniu]

NoGluGirl,

I nominate that for post of the year. Job well done!

[happygirl]

Although lists are great, it is important to note that the only way to know if something is gluten free is to read the label. Learning to read a label is the most important tool that a Celiac can have. Ingredients can change at any time, and make lists outdated very fast. Many companies do not put out lists for this reason, but instead issue a statement that they will clearly list any gluten ingredients in their products (i.e., they will not be hidden in a modified food starch, a natural flavors, caramel coloring, etc....they would be listed). The list of companies that will clearly list gluten can be found at: Open Original Shared Link

also, we have the 2006 Food Labeling Law on our side. Companies are now required to list all foods that contain one of the eight main allergens (this includes WHEAT, but not other sources of gluten). So if there is any wheat in the product, it will be clearly listed. To take it a step further, the above companies list any gluten sources. This is a HUGE step that was introduced/passed in 2004 and finally became law Jan 1, 2006.

jktenner---you might want to try Tinkyada pasta, also. In general, it is the board favorite. I did not like DeBoles at all. Unfortunately, I tried every gluten-free pasta in the book before I found Tinkyada. I bought Tinkyada on sale for 2.50 at the grocery store today.

heather: You can't just go out and order a salad with chicken and no croutons. You have to ask what the chicken is marinaded in or seasoned with. You have to find out how it is cooked (cooked on a grill that has heated up buns, for instances, or cooked a meat with a gluteny-sauce). You have to ensure that nothing else touches it and only clean utensils are used. (I could go on and on....but eating out can be risky unless you take certain precautions...and then, it is still risky). Cehck out what I have in my signature....and apply that rule to everything. Its the only way to be gluten free!

Best of luck!

Laura

[NoGluGirl]

Dear Slackermommy,

I am not sure about Snuggle. I could not find a thing on it! How frustrating! I am afraid you will have to call the manufacturer on that one. Mr. Clean should be alright, since Procter & Gamble produce it. I have found they are a reputable company. They also produce CoverGirl Cosmetics. I gave everyone these lists to help because six months ago when I went gluten free, I had to spend half my day on the phone with manufacterers! I wanted to save others the time and trouble! However, as was mentioned by our fellow poster happygirl mentioned, always read labels. Ingredients do change!

Here is a time-saving tip for you: the gluten free label is usually right above the copyright on most Great Value items. This is typical for many others as well. It usually is quite small, so you really have to look for it sometimes. To save you guys some effort, I copied the post happygirl was talking about. The following are all good brands in their labeling practices:

Arrowhead Mills, Aunt Nelly's, Balance, Baskin Robbins, Ben & Jerry, Bertoli, Betty Crocker, Blue Bunny, Breyers, Campbells, Cascadian Farms, Celestial Seasonings, ConAgra, Country Crock, Edy's, General Mills, Good Humor, Green Giant, Haagen Daz, Hellman's, Hershey, Hormel, Hungry Jack, Jiffy, Knorr, Kozy Shack, Kraft, Lawry's, Libby's, Lipton, Martha White, Maxwell House, McCormick, Nabisco, Nestle, Old El Paso, Ortega, Pillsbury, Popsicle, Post, Progresso, Ragu, Russell Stover, Seneca Foods, Skippy, Smucker, Stokely's, Sunny Delight, T Marzetti, Tyson, Unilever, Wishbone, Yoplait, Zatarain's.

Dear Jo R.,

You are so welcome!

Dear Johnsoniu,

Thanks for the nomination!

Dear jktenner,

It is surprising some of the things we are allowed. I was ecstatic when I found out some of this stuff was safe! Thanks for the pasta info! Any tips on brown rice pasta not getting nasty on you?

I did not over cook it, but it broke down while I ate it, and then tasted like you would expect Play-Doh to taste.

Dear confused,

I know how inconvenient this diet is. I want to make the diet as easy as possible for others. Living in a house with others who are not gluten free makes things difficult. I am more than happy to assist in any way I can!

Dear all,

I forgot to mention some other stuff we can have:

Comstock Pie Fillings (all)

Argo Cornstarch

Lea & Perrins (all are actually g.f. not just the Worchestershire sauce)

Dove soaps, shampoos, conditioners, and hair styling aids

LaChoy Soy Sauce

Sincerely,

NoGluGirl

P.S. Another great time saver is to make up meals ahead of time. Take like an hour one day to put all the ingredients into Ziploc baggies the night before. Then, spend a little while making this stuff once a week. Then, freeze them in Glad or Ziploc storage containers, and heat them up like t.v. dinners when ready! This is especially important for if you have children. If they get too hungry, they may eat something they are not supposed to and then get sick. We are adults, we know better. Children are still learning.

A note on cross-contamination: Since we could not afford to get all new cookware, we just got me a few select peices that are very versatile. A wok is one of my personal favorites. A cast iron skillet is your next best bet! Running things in a dishwasher is better than handwashing, but if you must hand wash, make sure to have your own drying towel and sponges. Do not use them for gluten dishes. I have to be paranoid careful, due to having an extremely violent reaction. Some people are not as sensitive. I did not expect to be, but it turns out even a microscopic amount seems to make me terribly sick.

[wowzer]

NoGluGirl, Thanks for posting such a nice list. I'm still learning myself.