Jump to content

  • Welcome to Celiac.com!

    You have found your celiac tribe! Join us and ask questions in our forum, share your story, and connect with others.



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A1):

    Celiac.com Sponsor (A1-M):

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Our Content
    eNewsletter
    Donate

Gluten Contamination From A Buffet?

itfigures

By itfigures
in Coping with Celiac Disease

Recommended Posts

itfigures Newbie
itfigures
Posted

Hi! I'm new here, this is my first new post.... *nervous*

Anyways... This morning I had to go to a breakfast meeting at a convention center, and it was buffet style. I had some potatoes, fruit and eggs whilst skipping all the gluten-y junk. A few hours later, I'm feeling not so good, my stomach's doing okay but I had a mood pitfall, and I'm having insane cravings for bread, cereal, etc... just like whenever I've been glutened. Usually when I eat gluten my mood is the first thing to drop, then the rest of me kicks in later. Has this ever happened to anyone-- a cross-contamination from a buffet meal?

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


Mskedi Newbie
Mskedi
Posted

Hi! I'm new here, this is my first new post.... *nervous*

Anyways... This morning I had to go to a breakfast meeting at a convention center, and it was buffet style. I had some potatoes, fruit and eggs whilst skipping all the gluten-y junk. A few hours later, I'm feeling not so good, my stomach's doing okay but I had a mood pitfall, and I'm having insane cravings for bread, cereal, etc... just like whenever I've been glutened. Usually when I eat gluten my mood is the first thing to drop, then the rest of me kicks in later. Has this ever happened to anyone-- a cross-contamination from a buffet meal?

Were the potatoes seasoned? I know Trader Joe's has frozen breakfast potatoes seasoned with soy sauce, so it's not all that unlikely that soy sauce could have been used as a seasoning. Also, if anyone used a spoon from something gluten-y and then put it back to where the potatoes, fruit, or eggs were, there could have been cross-contamination.

I've had good luck with buffets so far, but they make me really, really nervous. At work events, I just make sure I'm at or near the front of the line and I watch the people ahead of me. That and I always have my own food with me so that I'm not tempted should anything look questionable. We have luncheons every month and I would say nine times out of ten I only eat fruit from the buffet itself (I'm TRYING to convince people that salads need not have the dressing and croutons already mixed in... maybe I'll convince them someday).

sandsurfgirl Collaborator
sandsurfgirl
Posted

I was thinking the potatoes too. They put pancake batter in omelettes at IHOP, so it's possible they did something like that to fluff up the eggs.

Maybe next time you can call ahead and ask them about what you can eat there, or even that day ask the manager. I'm sure they will accomodate you and help you try to figure out what will be safe for you. Of course there's always the spoon dipped in something else issue, but at least you can make it as safe as possible.

Korwyn Explorer
Korwyn
Posted

Hi! I'm new here, this is my first new post.... *nervous*

Anyways... This morning I had to go to a breakfast meeting at a convention center, and it was buffet style. I had some potatoes, fruit and eggs whilst skipping all the gluten-y junk. A few hours later, I'm feeling not so good, my stomach's doing okay but I had a mood pitfall, and I'm having insane cravings for bread, cereal, etc... just like whenever I've been glutened. Usually when I eat gluten my mood is the first thing to drop, then the rest of me kicks in later. Has this ever happened to anyone-- a cross-contamination from a buffet meal?

Were the potatoes fried? If so it's entirely possible they were cross-contaminated. When I used to cook for a living years ago I normally fried/grilled potatoes on the same grill I did Texas/French toast on. Also sometimes if I was doing massive amounts of scrambled eggs I would pour a little waffle batter in when beating them to allow them to stay light and fluffy.

tarnalberry Community Regular
tarnalberry
Posted

Possibilities:

1) seasoning on the potatoes

2) shared cooking surface for the potatoes

3) pancake batter added to eggs, esp. if scrambled

4) contamination from nearby things in the kitchen (bread board near the fruit tray)

5) contamination from other people's plates (or utensils - ick) in the buffet stations themselves

Buffets are notorious for contamination. Not only is it often hard to know how the food is cooked and the ingredients, but it's darn near impossible to be sure that *every single person* who eats at that buffet manages to avoid getting any crumbs in the "gluten free" food.

jststric Contributor
jststric
Posted

Another thought. Food services often use packaged frozen foods and some things like potatoes are often dusted with different flours to helps with thing like sticking together when frozen and also in coloring nicely whe cooked. Some use wheat flour and rice flour is common. I am also rice-intolerant so it's something I've learned to ask.

itfigures Newbie
itfigures
Posted
  • Author

Yeah, that meal definitely is costing me today! Ah, well. It really does make sense, thank you all for helping me with all this contamination info. The more I get into this, the more careful I have to be I guess! No more buffets for me, lol :huh:

I've also had problems with foods that have inaccurate labels, so now my fearful self is sticking to home-cooked whole foods for now! Next time I am definitely sneaking in some of my own snackage!

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


eko413 Newbie
eko413
Posted

Buffets make me really nervous too. I'm going to a wedding this weekend and it will be my first trip to a buffet since being diagnosed in November. Does anyone have any tips? I'm going to seven weddings this year, and I want to be as careful as possible. Getting glutened would really ruin the party lol

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):


  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      131,791
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    klholt
    Newest Member
    klholt
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):

  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.4k
    • Total Posts
      1m
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):


  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • Scott Adams
      KATZ CINNAMON DONUTS

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      I'm so sorry to hear you're feeling so unwell, and I hope you recover quickly. While your personal experience of getting sick is absolutely valid, there are a few key inaccuracies in the information you've shared that are important to clarify for anyone else reading. The central misunderstanding is about oats and gliadin. Oats do not contain gliadin; gliadin is a specific protein found exclusively in wheat. The protein in oats is called avenin, which is similar in structure but is a completely different compound. For the vast majority of people with celiac disease or gluten sensitivity, pure, uncontaminated oats are safe. The reason "gluten-free" oats are necessary is because regular oats are frequently cross-contaminated with wheat, barley, or rye during growing and processing. Certified gluten-free oats are tested to ensure they are free from this cross-contamination. It's possible you may have a separate and less common sensitivity to avenin in oats themselves, or the illness could have been caused by another ingredient or even an unrelated virus. Given your expertise and severe reaction, it would be a good idea to discuss this with a doctor to pinpoint the exact cause. This article, and the comments below it, may be helpful:    
    • Scott Adams
      Newbie possible glutening help

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      This article, and the comments below it, may be helpful:    
    • trents
      Could my infant son have been glutened? Hear me out.

      By trents · Posted

      Celiac disease is an autoimmune condition with a genetic base. The the potential for developing the disease is inherited. but remains latent until triggered by some stress event. Thus, there is an epigenetic component to celiac disease. Once the genes are awakened from dormancy, celiac reactions are triggered by the ingestion of gluten.
    • bombier
      KATZ CINNAMON DONUTS

      By bombier · Posted

      I just called in sick to work and I'm laying here in a fetal position with liquid diarrhea so bad I'm using a trash can and can't make it to the bathroom. Last night I thought I would treat myself as most of you realize we have to cook from scratch so much but I thought I would treat myself and I made a huge mistake by buying these katz cinnamon donuts. I had a pre-covid gluten-free restaurant and used to hold gluten-free meetings in McDonald's until they closed the dining rooms down. I am very familiar with this topic. I'm too sick to fish the box out of the garbage can and read the ingredients again but I can guarantee you before I bought it I made sure they didn't have so-called gluten-free oats because there is no such thing. Oats have gliadin and gliadin is a derivative of gluten I learned this long ago in my gluten-free journey. I am in so much pain and so sick I can't believe it. Right now I'm feeling like this company has no business making food for the public.
    • Beeroney
      Newbie possible glutening help

      By Beeroney · Posted

      Hi all, just ticked over into my first year gluten-free after being diagnosed last October and feeling a bit rough after a possible glutening. Diagnosed at the ripe age of 38, never been ill in my life before this so safe to say my health anxiety is now borderline unmanageable. I think I may have been glutened a week ago, since then I’ve had that familiar hot/burning feeling in my gut, gas, bloating and all the Bristol Stool chart types in one sitting. I know people are different but does this sound familiar to anyone? Stomach was churning like mad last weekend like it did when I first ill before diagnosis. Acid reflux(which was my first symptom way back when) also reared its ugly head, which I probably the worst symptoms imo. Anxiety is probably up more so as I’m leaving on holiday to USA in 3 weeks time, which would be pretty much ruined if my guts are still messed by the time we leave.  Any words of wisdom appreciated    Bryan 
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

NOTICE: This site places This site places cookies on your device (Cookie settings). on your device. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use, and Privacy Policy.