Corn Tortilla Chips

[radgirl]

I know most corn chips are safe. However, I have noticed that when I eat my favorite food (corn chips) at a restaurant, within an hour or so, my symptoms begin to kick in (bloated gut, smelly gas, some pain, all around GI issues/feeling sick). Has anyone else experience this with corn chips from a restaurant or store bought? Am I dealing with an issue of cross-contamination?

I'm very frustrated since my food list seems to keep dwindling.

TIA.

[holdthegluten]

I know most corn chips are safe. However, I have noticed that when I eat my favorite food (corn chips) at a restaurant, within an hour or so, my symptoms begin to kick in (bloated gut, smelly gas, some pain, all around GI issues/feeling sick). Has anyone else experience this with corn chips from a restaurant or store bought? Am I dealing with an issue of cross-contamination?

I'm very frustrated since my food list seems to keep dwindling.

TIA.

If they fry their own chips you be getting CC from contaminated fry oil! Just a thought.

[Karen B.]

I had to stop eating at my favorite Mexican Food restaurant because they decided to become more authentic and fry all of their taco shells, toastada shells and chips. I was half way through my order of carnitas tostadas before I noticed the difference in the shell. Made me soooo sick.

[modiddly16]

Are you sure they were corn chips? I've run into several situations and found out that most authentic (and fast food like Moe's and Willy's) use flour tortilla chips. I of course found this out the hard way and then asked the next time I went in!!

[newglutenfreeRD]

I am trying to narrow down a reaction I had this weekend. Tostitos (chili & lime) were my suspicion, but ingredient list looks ok. Could it be cross-contamination since they are making a flour chip? Are other wheat containing Frito Lay products made in same facility? My other suspicions are a hummous dip made by a caterer (no ingredient list), Trader Joe's Cabernet Sauvignon. Kozy Shack Tapioca Pudding or Ben & Jerry's Chunky Monkey ice cream. Any of these sound like culprits to anyone???

[Guest j_mommy]

I have noticed alot of teh generic corn chip contain wheat. My guess is that most restaurants buy in bulk and they're probably not tostitos!!! If you're not sure you should ask to see the bag or ask what the ingredients are! Always error on the side of caution!

[wolfie]

I have found some tortilla chips do contain wheat or oat flour. I made sure to make DS aware b/c I had previously told him that they were almost always safe. I think the brand I saw at the store the other day with wheat was Conn's. Make sure to ask at restaurants and if they are unsure, I would pass.

As far as your other suspicions, I would think that the hummus could have been an issue. Ben & Jerry's will label any gluten, so if the label was okay and you didn't get it at a scoop shop where there could have been CC, that should have been okay. I haven't had any trouble with TJ wine. There could be CC with Frito Lay. I think the only product they make on dedicated lines are the Lays Stax, which say free of gluten on the package.

[floridanative]

At my ex-Mexican restaurant they told me their corn chips contained corn, oil and lime and they do. But they neglected to admit that they fry them in fryers where they fry their flour products in the am. Another Mexican place told me that it's rare to find a place where they have one fryer just for corn items. I reacted to the old place corn products so I stopped going. I now have a new place that does have a fryer where they only put in corn items and I eat there without issue. It's an extra three miles to get there but worth it not to get bloated. So far I've not found an enchilada sauce in a restaurant that didn't contain wheat.

[happygirl]

I am trying to narrow down a reaction I had this weekend. Tostitos (chili & lime) were my suspicion, but ingredient list looks ok. Could it be cross-contamination since they are making a flour chip? Are other wheat containing Frito Lay products made in same facility? My other suspicions are a hummous dip made by a caterer (no ingredient list), Trader Joe's Cabernet Sauvignon. Kozy Shack Tapioca Pudding or Ben & Jerry's Chunky Monkey ice cream. Any of these sound like culprits to anyone???

Hi newglutenfreerd

Welcome to the board!!! Happy to have you here.

There are a couple possibilities.

1. if you ate ANYTHING without knowing what was in it---thats a huge risk. this could have easily had gluten in it, or could have had something dipped in it if it was at a public event.

2. Cross contaminatin is always a possibility, and I believe some people have reacted to frito lay products on occasion.

3. ben and jerry's has a policy of clearly listing any gluten ingredients, so if there was gluten, it wouldn't be hidden.

4. don't know how long you've been gluten free, but if you are relatively new to the gluten free diet, you could not have fully healed, and your body is still having trouble with even gluten free items.

Those are just my ideas off the top of my head. Hopefully someone else will chime in. Best of luck, and I hope you figure it out :)

[newglutenfreeRD]

Thanks,

The hummous was in it's own container; it was an event where a caterer brought in box lunches and extras for sale; the hummous was the only thing that seemed safe, but it could have been contaminated prior to packaging at the caterer's kitchen. I already had rice crackers and some other gluten free items I had brought.

Frito Lay makes Tostitos

I've been gluten free for 8 weeks and have been very careful, so this was the first time I've had a reaction.

Thanks for all the input!

Hi newglutenfreerd

Welcome to the board!!! Happy to have you here.

There are a couple possibilities.

1. if you ate ANYTHING without knowing what was in it---thats a huge risk. this could have easily had gluten in it, or could have had something dipped in it if it was at a public event.

2. Cross contaminatin is always a possibility, and I believe some people have reacted to frito lay products on occasion.

3. ben and jerry's has a policy of clearly listing any gluten ingredients, so if there was gluten, it wouldn't be hidden.

4. don't know how long you've been gluten free, but if you are relatively new to the gluten free diet, you could not have fully healed, and your body is still having trouble with even gluten free items.

Those are just my ideas off the top of my head. Hopefully someone else will chime in. Best of luck, and I hope you figure it out :)

[jkmunchkin]

I never eat corn chips at a restaurant. I have found that 99% of the time they fry them off. When I first became gluten free and heard this was a possibility I thought that was the craziest thing, and felt dumb asking, because I figured this was the craziest question, but lo and behold, it seems just about everywhere does. I don't ask anymore because I pretty much know they do. I still don't understand the point in this, I mean the chips I eat out of a bag are perfectly crunchy, but the fact of the matter is, we can't eat them.

[SunnyDyRain]

I never eat corn chips at a restaurant. I have found that 99% of the time they fry them off. When I first became gluten free and heard this was a possibility I thought that was the craziest thing, and felt dumb asking, because I figured this was the craziest question, but lo and behold, it seems just about everywhere does. I don't ask anymore because I pretty much know they do. I still don't understand the point in this, I mean the chips I eat out of a bag are perfectly crunchy, but the fact of the matter is, we can't eat them.

What do you mean by fry them off?