Cross Contamination Question?

[LisaaaNoel]

I'm currently sharing a kitchen with someone who isn't gluten-free, but doing everything she can to keep me from getting glutened. She often eats gluten-free with me, but I have a couple of questions. Say if she is cooking pasta on a burner next my gluten-free pasta, is there a risk of CC?

And if we are using an oven at the same time and her food contains gluten but mine doesnt and they are in separate pans, is it likely that I will get glutened?

If we share a microwave, does it have to be cleaned after every time she uses if he food contains gluten?

[WW340]

I would think that you could avoid contamination in all of those cases by using caution or a lid.

If the boiling water is splattering over in to the other pan, then yes, you could get contamination cooking pasta in seperate pans on the same stove. However, if you make sure there is no splatering, it should be ok. I would put as much separation between them as possible. There are splatter tops available for frying foods, which you could use to cover your pan if you are concerned that there is gluten in the condensation that might contaminate your food. The splatter tops would allow the pan to vent.

Cooking in the oven - Again, I personally would use a cover whenever possible when cooking near gluten, either in the oven or on top of the stove.

My husband and I share a microwave. He has a plastic cover made for the microwave to cover all food that he cooks there. I use a paper plate to cover any food I cook there. We clean the microwave frequently, and always immediately if there are any splatters.

[dilettantesteph]

It really depends on how sensitive you are to trace gluten. Some can handle shared households and some (like me) can't.

[gfp]

I would think that you could avoid contamination in all of those cases by using caution or a lid.

In most cases but sooner or later an accident will happen.

I once subscribed to this and was cooking for a friend, different pan, spoons etc.

Somehow when i served the pasta one of his had found its way into mine... did I use the wrong spoon? I guess I must have but I really couldn't remember!

After this I stopped having any gluten in the house AT ALL.

Soon after this I actually found all those nagging things the last 10% of the puzzle sorted itself out.

Some problems I hadn't even realised I had (they had crept up so slowly over years)

[StacyA]

I'd suggest getting two different spoon rests: one for you and one for her, so you don't use the wrong spoon or rest your spoon in a puddle of gluten.

Ditto on the other suggestions. You do need to watch the microwave. My first week of having to go gluten-free my husband microwaved some BBQ wings for my son and I noticed the splatters in the ceiling of the microwave - just waiting to drip into my food. Always cover her stuff and your stuff - with different covers, of course.

(And I hope you have your own margarine and jelly and peanut butter - those are magnets for crumbs - and you watch out for crumbs in your silverware drawer.)

[Lanie940]

I'd suggest getting two different spoon rests: one for you and one for her, so you don't use the wrong spoon or rest your spoon in a puddle of gluten.

Ditto on the other suggestions. You do need to watch the microwave. My first week of having to go gluten-free my husband microwaved some BBQ wings for my son and I noticed the splatters in the ceiling of the microwave - just waiting to drip into my food. Always cover her stuff and your stuff - with different covers, of course.

(And I hope you have your own margarine and jelly and peanut butter - those are magnets for crumbs - and you watch out for crumbs in your silverware drawer.)

We just bought a new 4 slice toaster, I will have my OWN SIDE that I will use. My son and husband will use the other side ONLY.

[Chrissyb]

We just bought a new 4 slice toaster, I will have my OWN SIDE that I will use. My son and husband will use the other side ONLY.

I am not sure what anybody else thinks on this one but I would of bought two toasters. You are still putting yourself at risk for CC with the slots that close. I bought myself a little $8 toaster and it works great just for me. I guess with crumbs I am pariond just ask my son and husband lol.

[nasalady]

I would think that you could avoid contamination in all of those cases by using caution or a lid.

If the boiling water is splattering over in to the other pan, then yes, you could get contamination cooking pasta in seperate pans on the same stove. However, if you make sure there is no splatering, it should be ok. I would put as much separation between them as possible. There are splatter tops available for frying foods, which you could use to cover your pan if you are concerned that there is gluten in the condensation that might contaminate your food. The splatter tops would allow the pan to vent.

What if your husband wipes all the crumbs off a counter but there's still enough gluten stuck to the surface to contaminate your food? What if wheat flour is suspended in the air and lands on your salad...or you breathe it in?

What if you have a four-year-old who scatters gluten-y crumbs all over the place no matter how careful you try to be?

I don't know how all you people manage to live in the same house with gluten but more power to you!!

For those of you that can't do it, don't feel bad.....I can't either. I tried it and just about died from constantly being glutened.

I posted more about this in an earlier thread, but I don't mind repeating it....I don't think it's doing your families any harm by having them eat gluten-free. After all, your children are related to you....it's highly possible that they too have a problem with gluten or will develop one! Your spouse is not related to you but it doesn't mean that he/she is not gluten sensitive/celiac. My husband turned out to be celiac; we never would have known if he hadn't gone gluten free with me and then tried gluten again a few weeks later (beer during Super Bowl Weekend). Poor guy broke out all over with DH!!

I do all the cooking, and I've learned how to make almost *anything* gluten free (even grain free now!!). My family is NOT suffering!

For those who have roommates, etc., it's a different story of course.....best of luck to you!