Baskin Robbins

[NMClair]

I am newly diagnosed with Celiac Disease (about 5 days ago). I am working very hard to learn what I can and can't eat. Having said that, my boyfirend offered to take me to eat ice cream tonight. My boyfirend had intended to take me to Coldstone but when we got there it was a Ben and Jerry's and all the ingreadents were overwhelming and all the ice creams contained things like fudge, brownies and cookies. Althogh the ingreadents were posted on the wall that did not help because all the things I can and can't eat are blured together. Luckly I had been wanting Ice Cream so I had researched Basking Robbins also because it was near the house. I researched the ingreadents on the Baskin Robbins offical site and they claimed that Choclate Mouse Royale was wheat free. And did not list derivitives of prohibited things containg gluten in the ingradents. I also was carful to inform my scoper that I had allergies to gluten. She (the server) stated that many of the products are made from wheat starch and asked If I wanted her to check the lids of the flavors that I wanted to eat. I said sure. When she checked she brought out an unopened tub of the flavor and the ingreadents printed on the tub looked nothing like the list on thier web site!!! and about half way down wheat starch!!! I was supprised to see this but at least this site taught me to ask!!! Thanks to the great server at the local store but sad to here this. So my question is Ice Cream safe? I am just really overwhelemd at this point. Where can I eat ice cream?

[blueeyedmanda]

Many ice creams are safe. I actually never saw wheat in ice cream's that I buy...other than the cookies n cream and cookie dough flavors which would make wheat obvious. Your trip to Baskin Robins is an eye-opener. I have to say we actually just recently got a B.R. in our area and I went once and was not impressed...hardly any flavors (not like the 38 flavors you hear about) The prices were pretty high. I stick with coldstone creamery or our local ice cream stand.

[mommida]

For just starting out, you handled things like a pro! Look things over on the internet to get an idea of a brand, and when you get there - read the ingredients before you eat it.

I have seen some strange things on ice cream labels. Peanuts were in plain chocolate flavor. Things that just seem very unexpected for the flavor that is represented.

[buffettbride]

We've yet been brave enough to try going out for ice cream, save a Frosty from Wendy's since the CC risk is so low there. We've calculated the ice cream scooping process and even if a particular ice cream is gluten free, I don't trust that a scoop that has touched cone or brownie or the like hasn't been dipped back in there, CCing the whole carton.

One thing we've had some luck with, though, is when we ate at Lone Star Steakhouse, they opened a brand new carton of vanilla ice cream for DD and used a newly-washed scoop (not just rinsed like you often see in ice cream shops).

We are big ice cream eaters though, and eat a bit of Haagen Daz and Dryers.

[Juliebove]

You also have to be careful about cross contamination even if what you are eating is gluten-free. There are cones and the scoop may not be cleaned carefully.

Daughter has a dairy allergy so we don't do ice cream, but we did find some dairy free sorbet on a day trip. I worried about cross contamination, but she didn't get sick from it.

[leelee20]

I worked at a restaurant that served ice cream and whenever someone had a food allergy and requested that the scoop be washed most of the scoopers just dunked it in sanitizer. Obviously, since I have celiac I would actually wash, rinse and santize it---but sadly a lot of people working at restaurants (particularly teenagers making minimum wage) don't really care if there's cross contamination. A couple of my friends waitress at a chain restaurant (Uno's) and they told me the cooks are really really clueless/unconcerned about the whole gluten free-thing. They dont cook things separately, use fresh utensils etc etc--even though there's a 'gluten free' menu. I think maybe at privately owned restaurants where not everything has to be uniform (like at a chain) they are a lot more celiac-friendly, and probably care more/take more pride in their work/are more willing to modify something to make it gluten-free. At least thats been my experience.

[submarinerwife]

You handled the situation very well. Perhaps their website had not been updated for some time. I buy ice cream from our BR regularly. I read the label on the prepackaged everytime for changes and only buy the pre packaged cartons. They have a variety of wheat free flavors you just have to read before you buy. I personally love the peanut butter and chocolate!

[NMClair]

Thank you for all your responces. I had asked that she wash the scoop in the sink but I did not think to ask her to sanatize it. I think I will be going to coldstone next time even though it is much further from the house. I have been feeling so much better on my gluten-free diet and I have lost weight an added bonus

[NWLAX36Mom]

Cold Stone has a list of allergens on their website which actually includes gluten. I think they only have 3 flavor bases that have gluten in them. you just have to be familiar with what you add to it.