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Tomato Sauce? Help!

cpicini

By cpicini
in Coping with Celiac Disease

Recommended Posts

cpicini Rookie
cpicini
Posted

I'm new to the forum and have to say it's been a huge help.

Tonight I had an issue with my dinner and I'm not sure why. I made pizza with a gluten-free crust from Whole Foods, tomato sauce from a pork store and fresh mozzarella from the the same store. Now I didn't ask about the sauce but the people at the store know that I'm a celiac and a have never heard of a marinara sauce with flour in it. Well my dinner ran through me like a freight train! I am also remembering that the last time I had sauce was a couple of months ago and it was my wifes home made. I had the same issue then and know for sure that there was no gluten in that sauce. I guess my questions is what else could be making me sick?

Chris

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kbtoyssni Contributor
kbtoyssni
Posted

Is the sauce made fresh in the store? If so, it could be CC. Or the mozerella might be CCed. And while it's unlikely that the sauce contained gluten, you still have to check just to be sure. If you don't know, don't eat it!

It could also be not gluten-related. Tomato is very acidic, and cheese can be difficult to digest so maybe it's the combo of the two?

Phyllis28 Apprentice
Phyllis28
Posted

I use Enrico's Pizza Sauce. It is labeled Gluten Free on the back of the jar.

The other possibility is the mozerella cheese if was cut in the store's deli department. The slicer could be contaminated. I only eat cheese that is packaged. I like Boar's Head cheese and Land o' Lakes.

Hope you find the cause of the gluten.

ksymonds84 Enthusiast
ksymonds84
Posted
I'm new to the forum and have to say it's been a huge help.

Tonight I had an issue with my dinner and I'm not sure why. I made pizza with a gluten-free crust from Whole Foods, tomato sauce from a pork store and fresh mozzarella from the the same store. Now I didn't ask about the sauce but the people at the store know that I'm a celiac and a have never heard of a marinara sauce with flour in it. Well my dinner ran through me like a freight train! I am also remembering that the last time I had sauce was a couple of months ago and it was my wifes home made. I had the same issue then and know for sure that there was no gluten in that sauce. I guess my questions is what else could be making me sick?

Chris

Hi Chris,

Don't know if the same could be for you but I can't eat whole foods gluten free pizza crusts because of the number one ingredient non-fat dairy milk powder. I can handle cheeses and can eat mozzerella on other crusts that don't contain the dairy powder. Mozzerella cheese has about 2 grams of lactose where a cup of nonfat milk powder has 60 grams!! just too much on my system. I too was wondering about the tomato sauce but found the milk powder to be the source. Just a thought.

CeliacMom2008 Enthusiast
CeliacMom2008
Posted

I hope someone has an answer for you, because we have the same problem. My son got sick the last few times he had pizza (a few days of terrible D). I started with store bought crust, store bought sauce, shredded moz., and bacon. Then went to homemade crust, store bought sauce, cheese, and bacon. Then went to homemade crust, homemade sauce, cheese and bacon. He tolerates spaghetti sauce and fresh tomatoes just fine. Moz. cheese sticks just fine. And bacon just fine. I really wanted it to be something else, but after three tries it really looks like pizza is the culprit. In fact after the last try my mom actually said to me, "What? Are you trying to kill him??" We have decided to hold off on trying pizza again until this summer when we can be sure of what he eats (no more CC issue from cafeteria) for a few days before and then I guess I'll go back to the all homemade version.

I really want him to be able to eat pizza...

cpicini Rookie
cpicini
Posted
  • Author

Thank you everyone for your posts. The Pizza Crust comments from celiacmom seems to make sence to me but I'm also think that the acid in the sauce is giving me an issue. The kicker is that I really liked the pizza I made. Just my luck. I'm gonna try again in a couple of days and see what happens.

Thanks again.

Chris

cattriona Newbie
cattriona
Posted

Just a suggestion - you might want to check if any concentrates or preservatives are being used? I know that quite a few people are sensitive to concentrated garlic which is often used for certain foods, in particular for tomato based sauces and foods like pizza. It doesn't contain gluten as such, but if you have a sensitive stomach, it may not agree. Same with mozerella - lots of people who aren't dairy sensitive simply can't tolerate it.

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RiceGuy Collaborator
RiceGuy
Posted

I agree that mozzarella (or dairy in general) may not work for you right now. Tomato is a nightshade, to which many are sensitive (including myself). What I'd try is have some tomato by itself, and see how you feel. Then try some mozzarella by itself and see. If you don't react, then I'd think either it was something in the sauce or the crust.

redgf Rookie
redgf
Posted

Unfortutely I had the same reactions to tomato sauces until I realized if I simmer it for a few hours on the stove or in the crockpot it doesn't affect me. My mom thinks it's because some of the acid cooks out over time... whatever the reason I am glad, it's the only way I can have spaghetti sauce, even home made! Good luck!

RiceGuy Collaborator
RiceGuy
Posted
Unfortutely I had the same reactions to tomato sauces until I realized if I simmer it for a few hours on the stove or in the crockpot it doesn't affect me. My mom thinks it's because some of the acid cooks out over time... whatever the reason I am glad, it's the only way I can have spaghetti sauce, even home made! Good luck!

Sounds like you are somewhat sensitive to nightshades. The longer they cook, and the higher the temperature, the less of the toxic alkaloids remain. For detailed info see: Open Original Shared Link

redgf Rookie
redgf
Posted
Sounds like you are somewhat sensitive to nightshades. The longer they cook, and the higher the temperature, the less of the toxic alkaloids remain. For detailed info see: Open Original Shared Link

Whoa, I never knew that! Explains why I can only stomach tomatoes and potatoes from the whole group, and I cook the heck out of both of them! Thanks for the info!!!! Amazing how much I think I know about food but really don't!

sneezydiva Apprentice
sneezydiva
Posted

What did you cook it on? Could an old pizza pan or pizza stone have had gluten on it?

cpicini Rookie
cpicini
Posted
  • Author
What did you cook it on? Could an old pizza pan or pizza stone have had gluten on it?

I thought of that but I scrubbed the Pizza stone before I used it. I was only suspicious of the sauce becasue I got sick once before but while eating sauce with pasta.

katebuggie28 Apprentice
katebuggie28
Posted

Last night I had gluten-free penne with classico sauce, meatballs cooked in olive oil and made with egg(no problems with egg) and soy flour. (oh, and i had some canned greens beans) I was so sick afterwards. I couldn't figure out why. Maybe it was the acid in the sauce? Thanks! I was upset not knowing what it could've been. Shouldn't tomatoes bother me then? I have been eating A LOT of salad with tomatoes with no problem....

cpicini Rookie
cpicini
Posted
  • Author

Katebuggie,

I hear ya. I'm not sure if I was more in pain or surpise. I'm leaning towards the acid from the tomatos but I too have been eating more tomatos that aren't in sauce without a problem. Funny though how the first time I got sick from my wifes home made sauce she used Classico Plum Tomatoes.

Chris

silk Contributor
silk
Posted
I hope someone has an answer for you, because we have the same problem. My son got sick the last few times he had pizza (a few days of terrible D). I started with store bought crust, store bought sauce, shredded moz., and bacon. Then went to homemade crust, store bought sauce, cheese, and bacon. Then went to homemade crust, homemade sauce, cheese and bacon. He tolerates spaghetti sauce and fresh tomatoes just fine. Moz. cheese sticks just fine. And bacon just fine. I really wanted it to be something else, but after three tries it really looks like pizza is the culprit. In fact after the last try my mom actually said to me, "What? Are you trying to kill him??" We have decided to hold off on trying pizza again until this summer when we can be sure of what he eats (no more CC issue from cafeteria) for a few days before and then I guess I'll go back to the all homemade version.

I really want him to be able to eat pizza...

I too have problems with tomato sauce. Always have...at times. Too acidic as someone else said, and with all of the other digestive issues that we have, I'm sure the acid is....well working on your stomach like acid. The funny thing is is that I can eat fresh tomatoes and ketchup without a problem.??? I have a recipe for making your own low-acid sauce from scratch and that worked pretty well. I also have a pie crust recipe that works really well for pizza. If you would like it, p.m. me. Right now I'm thinking Pizza Hut sounds like....sorry wiping drool off of the keyboard....

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