Help With Alcohol, Vinegar And Pringles

[Amelia01]

Help!

I am going on 6 months gluten-free (still always bloated) and to the best of my knowledge have not consumed ANY gluten whatsoever. I need some advice from the experts.

I probably wouldn't know if I've been glutened or not (will try a last supper when doctor says it is ok) but have been staying away from alcohol and products with vinegar because I can't seem to understand if the jury is still out or what.

Alcohol - this past summer in Italy (I'm a member of the Italian Celiac Association) the ok green light was given for all distilled alcohols (vodka, gin, whisky etc) regardless of provenance (grains). It was shown that there are no detectable levels of gluten. HURRAY! Had a summer of gin & tonics and felt fine (really fine ) So what about sweet Vermouth? or Bailey's -- are they not ok because alcohol has been added and the whole product itself isn't necessarily distilled??? and what about vanilla extract?

Vinegar - my US purchased books say to stay away from products made from distilled vinegar in that mostly it is grain based vinegar, but sites of makers of products like Tabasco sauce, French's mustard and Heinz say that their products are gluten free. Is it because their particular vinegar isn't grain based??? or do I need to check with every manufacturer individually? Are pickels out??

Pringles --- was reading my tube of Pringles and in Italian says "wheat starch" --note to self, stay away. But in English says "wheat starch -- gluten free". I called the 800 number and was told that the allowable ppm in Italy is only 20 ppm but in the UK is 300 ppm. Uhhhh... do I need to go to the UK to eat Pringles?? I understand that there can be differing legislation for labeling but what is everyone else doing? Bloating aside I've been pretty much asymptomatic and if there isn't any difference between 20 and 300 ppm on my body, then shouldn't we all (aside from the most sensitive ones) follow the most elastic rule of thumb?

trying my best ..... and wondering what everyone else is eating ... cause I'm pretty much stuck

Amelia

[CarlaB]

Lay's Stax are very much like Pringle's and are gluten-free.

Distilled vinegar is like distilled alcohol. There is debate whether the distillation process removes all the gluten, but if you're doing fine with distilled alcohol, you will probably do okay with distilled vinegar ... but since you're still having bloating, perhaps the distilled alcohol is not sitting right with you.

As far as the liquors you are speaking of, you need to ask each manufacturer. Some may have gluten. For example, there are key lime liquors used in martinis that have graham crackers as an ingredient, thus have gluten. It's not the alcohol that is the problem.

Have you tried eliminating dairy?

I would also stay away from the ppm allowed in Europe and eat truly gluten-free to see if that helps. There is a man on the board here from England who reacts terribly to stuff marked gluten-free based on ppm laws.

[Ridgewalker]

Pringles --- was reading my tube of Pringles and in Italian says "wheat starch" --note to self, stay away. But in English says "wheat starch -- gluten free". I called the 800 number and was told that the allowable ppm in Italy is only 20 ppm but in the UK is 300 ppm. Uhhhh... do I need to go to the UK to eat Pringles?? I understand that there can be differing legislation for labeling but what is everyone else doing? Bloating aside I've been pretty much asymptomatic and if there isn't any difference between 20 and 300 ppm on my body, then shouldn't we all (aside from the most sensitive ones) follow the most elastic rule of thumb?

Accckkk! My mother ate 2 Pringles and nearly ended up in the hospital!!! I'm not kidding, and I'm not exaggerating. Now, we're in the US, I'm not sure where you are... but the can of Pringles she ate out of listed actual wheat flour in the ingredients- somehow she missed it, this was rather shortly after her diagnosis. She got so violently ill, frankly it was terrifying. She is extremely sensitive, but still.... I consider Pringles to be deadly. As Carla said, though, the Lays Stax are nearly the exact same thing, and they're safe.

-Sarah