Jelly (jam) - Gluten Free?

[SiouxsieKim]

Hi,

We're having a cake competition at work and my colleague made a gluten free cake so I could have some. I know she used gluten free flour but I don't know if she would have thought to check the label on the jar of the jam (or jelly if you're American!). Anyone any ideas about if it is generally gluten free? I have really bad stomach ache today but I have done for the past few days (maybe I'm also intolerant to something else I don't know) so I can't tell if the jam would affect me

Kimmi

[RiceGuy]

Well, there shouldn't be any reason to put gluten in jam or jelly, but I wouldn't put it past some company to do it anyway.

However, I think it's more likely that the utensils she used had not been properly cleaned. But something like a flour sifter can pretty much never be gluten-free once it gets wheat flour all through it. And of course, cake recipes often recommend sifting the flour. Then there's the beaters, bowls, etc. She may also have used wooden spoons.

In Europe, the CODEX was only recently revised to specify 20ppm of gluten as gluten-free. Before that it was 200ppm, which many do react to. If your country follows that standard, then that's an additional consideration. So it will also depend on the ppm of gluten in the ingredients, and your particular level of sensitivity.

BTW, we have both jam and jelly in America. They are two different things.

[SiouxsieKim]

I see well I didn't know what you call it having never been to America... maybe that's why I was confused. Either way, thanks for your advice. I'm pretty new to this and hadn't thought about utensils. It could well be utensils that are causing the problem seeing as I share them with my housemates. I can't work out if its just gluten I'm intolerant to or if there's anything else. I guess its a case of trial and error!

Kim

[home-based-mom]

I see you are new at this so you haven't had time yet to find out that you should never trust food made by friends, family, coworkers, neighbors or anybody else that is not totally familiar with the gluten free lifestyle. Just because they used gluten free ingredients (or at least thought they did) does NOT mean the finish product is gluten free. The threat of cross contamination is too great.

The jam or jelly was almost certainly not the problem - unless of course it was an opened jar that had previously been used to spread on gluteny bread and the contaminated knife was put back into the jar, thereby contaminating the entire contents.

You should not be sharing any utensils or preparation surfaces or non stick cookware or condiments or sponges or kitchen towels or . . . . . . with your gluten eating housemates because you will get sick from the cross contamination.

Think of gluten as dog poop. Anything it has touched is contaminated until cleaned, If what it touched is porous cannot be cleaned thoroughly, such as wooden spoons and cutting boards, or colanders or non-stick pans, then you need to get new ones.

Yes it's a hassle and yes it's necessary and yes it's worth it!

[Juliebove]

Not all jam is gluten free. Somebody posted about some kind with wheat based glucose syrup in it. I can't remember what brand. And if they were using a jar that had been previously used, the knife could have spread crumbs into it. I'd also be willing to bet the pans used or as other said the utensils were not gluten-free.

[mushroom]

...but I don't know if she would have thought to check the label on the jar of the jam (or jelly if you're American!). Anyone any ideas about if it is generally gluten free?

Kimmi

One of my first horrified label-reading discoveries was gluten in Rose's English Marmalade. That was when I realized that they will put gluten in anything at all for no apparent reason. I guess they wanted it to be thicker!!