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:unsure: How Often Does Cross Contamentation (sp) Happen In Grocery Stores.?

Ivanna44

By Ivanna44
in Coping with Celiac Disease

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Ivanna44 Apprentice
Ivanna44
Posted

Hi All,

This was a concern my husband brought to my attention. He went to our local grocery store, to pick up some bits on Friday. This whole new gluten sensitivy for me is new to me. At first he'd joke around about it. But, I think he is starting ot get it now. :) :)

Anyway, he came home and asked me If I wanted him too, he'd go and log a complaint about it. The prepared gluten free flours are mixed up with the non gluten stuff, regular all purpose flours, bread flours etc. Most of those g filled flours contain gluten. The gluten-free ones are there on the same shelves as them (they are usually just packaged in plastic baggies; where a potential rip or hole can occur) :unsure: and its disguiting as my hubby would say, as there's regular flour dust all around those bags, including on the bags of the gluten-free ones.

I personally don't like the brand name of the gluten free flour mixes, they sell at our grocery store, tryed it and all. But, I still feel like another main grocery store that I visit, that they seem more concerned about cross contiminantion than this near one to me. At the other grocery store, they put all the organic stuff in one area of the big chain store. Things like the gluten-free flours; gluten-free rice pastas and gluten-free cereals are all stored in one area, on those nutritional foods shelves, and have no contact with other glutenned organic stuff.

But, simply cause I don't shop for those gluten free baking flour items at my nearby grocery (one with floured up shelved). I am thinking of other celiac person, who may be more sensitive to me. I'm still new at the gluten free game, So iknow I'm not 100% gluten free as YET!! but I'll get there. But, I also shop at this store on a regular basis, as it's just a 5 minute walk from my home.

Shall I "sike" my hubby on this store, to get them to at least, place all gluten-free flours etc. in an aisle familiar to this other big chain store, all on one shelves area, even if they refer to those shelves areas as Nutritional/ Organic foods. (One nice part is when they are in one place, we also know where to look to stuff ) I know that Organic does not mean they'd be gluten free. But, at least if they kept the gluten-free food items on separate shelves. Personally I think they would attract more consumers to their store. As it is showing that they are concerned about their customers healthy eating habits with diet restrictions so on.

Thanks for responses in advance

hugs

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home-based-mom Contributor
home-based-mom
Posted
Hi All,

This was a concern my husband brought to my attention. He went to our local grocery store, to pick up some bits on Friday. This whole new gluten sensitivy for me is new to me. At first he'd joke around about it. But, I think he is starting ot get it now. :) :)

Anyway, he came home and asked me If I wanted him too, he'd go and log a complaint about it. The prepared gluten free flours are mixed up with the non gluten stuff, regular all purpose flours, bread flours etc. Most of those g filled flours contain gluten. The gluten-free ones are there on the same shelves as them (they are usually just packaged in plastic baggies; where a potential rip or hole can occur) :unsure: and its disguiting as my hubby would say, as there's regular flour dust all around those bags, including on the bags of the gluten-free ones.

Shall I "sike" my hubby on this store, to get them to at least, place all gluten-free flours etc. in an aisle familiar to this other big chain store, all on one shelves area, even if they refer to those shelves areas as Nutritional/ Organic foods. (One nice part is when they are in one place, we also know where to look to stuff ) I know that Organic does not mean they'd be gluten free. But, at least if they kept the gluten-free food items on separate shelves. Personally I think they would attract more consumers to their store. As it is showing that they are concerned about their customers healthy eating habits with diet restrictions so on.

Thanks for responses in advance

hugs

This has concerned me about my local store, too. If your husband is willing to do it, I think it might be a good idea to at least talk to the store management. It could turn into an opportunity to train and educate a new group of people. :)

kbtoyssni Contributor
kbtoyssni
Posted

I've never worried about packaged flours. I tend to buy ones that are packaged well so I don't worry about CC getting in. I do, however, worry about those open bins of flour that you serve and package yourself. That seems like too much of a gamble to me.

curlyfries Contributor
curlyfries
Posted

I would be hesitant to pick up those bags of flour, let alone bring them into my house. they're probably covered in non gluten-free flour. I've gotten glutened just walking past regular flour. [They must have just stocked the shelves--- I could even smell the flour in the air.]

Wonka Apprentice
Wonka
Posted
Hi All,

This was a concern my husband brought to my attention. He went to our local grocery store, to pick up some bits on Friday. This whole new gluten sensitivy for me is new to me. At first he'd joke around about it. But, I think he is starting ot get it now. :) :)

Anyway, he came home and asked me If I wanted him too, he'd go and log a complaint about it. The prepared gluten free flours are mixed up with the non gluten stuff, regular all purpose flours, bread flours etc. Most of those g filled flours contain gluten. The gluten-free ones are there on the same shelves as them (they are usually just packaged in plastic baggies; where a potential rip or hole can occur) :unsure: and its disguiting as my hubby would say, as there's regular flour dust all around those bags, including on the bags of the gluten-free ones.

I personally don't like the brand name of the gluten free flour mixes, they sell at our grocery store, tryed it and all. But, I still feel like another main grocery store that I visit, that they seem more concerned about cross contiminantion than this near one to me. At the other grocery store, they put all the organic stuff in one area of the big chain store. Things like the gluten-free flours; gluten-free rice pastas and gluten-free cereals are all stored in one area, on those nutritional foods shelves, and have no contact with other glutenned organic stuff.

But, simply cause I don't shop for those gluten free baking flour items at my nearby grocery (one with floured up shelved). I am thinking of other celiac person, who may be more sensitive to me. I'm still new at the gluten free game, So iknow I'm not 100% gluten free as YET!! but I'll get there. But, I also shop at this store on a regular basis, as it's just a 5 minute walk from my home.

Shall I "sike" my hubby on this store, to get them to at least, place all gluten-free flours etc. in an aisle familiar to this other big chain store, all on one shelves area, even if they refer to those shelves areas as Nutritional/ Organic foods. (One nice part is when they are in one place, we also know where to look to stuff ) I know that Organic does not mean they'd be gluten free. But, at least if they kept the gluten-free food items on separate shelves. Personally I think they would attract more consumers to their store. As it is showing that they are concerned about their customers healthy eating habits with diet restrictions so on.

Thanks for responses in advance

hugs

I came across this very thing this week. I did email the store. Started with what I like about the store and then told them my concern for how they have their gluten and non gluten flours together. It turns out that they bag their own flours, both in the same place so these aren't flours I can safely buy. It was good information to know.

I will have to shop at another store a little further away as they have all their flours individually packaged (ie Bob's Red Mill) and separated.

It's funny that the store I emailed told me that I shouldn't use their flours (they have a great variety) due to cc problems (they don't have a separate facility and the store is small).

So who else is using these alternate flours except those of us with gluten intolerance/Celiac?

Ivanna44 Apprentice
Ivanna44
Posted
  • Author
I came across this very thing this week. I did email the store. Started with what I like about the store and then told them my concern for how they have their gluten and non gluten flours together. It turns out that they bag their own flours, both in the same place so these aren't flours I can safely buy. It was good information to know.

I will have to shop at another store a little further away as they have all their flours individually packaged (ie Bob's Red Mill) and separated.

It's funny that the store I emailed told me that I shouldn't use their flours (they have a great variety) due to cc problems (they don't have a separate facility and the store is small).

So who else is using these alternate flours except those of us with gluten intolerance/Celiac?

Thanks Wonka,

For the suggestion on emailing them. This is a rather big chain grocery store, so I know they don't package their own flours. Same as you, I don't get my gluten-free flours from this close by, grocery store. I travel a bit to a local Organic Market, some things are more expensive, but at least all the gluten-free flour mixes are in one shelving area, and I also, found a bunch of gluten-free baking mixes such as cake mixes so on :) ... I'm getting better at making stuff, yesterday I was able using a gluten-free all purpose mix, to make an old fav, using ONLY OATS, oatmeal chocolate cookies. They were a bit more crumbly than the orginial recipe I converted it from. I think with some tweaking, I'll be able to get them to not spread so much next time :) But, at least they tasted good. My daughter commented that the cookies were addictive. :P

PS forgive the many spelling and grammar errors from the first posting. I was up a little too late that night LOL.

Wonka Apprentice
Wonka
Posted
Thanks Wonka,

For the suggestion on emailing them. This is a rather big chain grocery store, so I know they don't package their own flours. Same as you, I don't get my gluten-free flours from this close by, grocery store. I travel a bit to a local Organic Market, some things are more expensive, but at least all the gluten-free flour mixes are in one shelving area, and I also, found a bunch of gluten-free baking mixes such as cake mixes so on :) ... I'm getting better at making stuff, yesterday I was able using a gluten-free all purpose mix, to make an old fav, using ONLY OATS, oatmeal chocolate cookies. They were a bit more crumbly than the orginial recipe I converted it from. I think with some tweaking, I'll be able to get them to not spread so much next time :) But, at least they tasted good. My daughter commented that the cookies were addictive. :P

PS forgive the many spelling and grammar errors from the first posting. I was up a little too late that night LOL.

What I've been doing is starting with a small test cookie. If it spreads too much, I add more flour and do another test cookie and onward until I get them to hold together and spread less like a regular cookie. It's a bit tedious but I only have to do it once. I record how much I added and change the amount in the recipe so that next time I don't have to do that (because I have such a poor memory, I leave myself a note on the recipe so that I know that I've already tested it). Here's a recipe for a really good coffee cookie that I've adapted.

COFFEE CRISP

2 cups plus 2 Tbsp Gluten free flour mix

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