Cross Contamination

[MamaMeagan]

Okay fill me in please. My son and I are in the process of being diagnosed with celiac sprue. We are doing MUCH better, but seem to be going through small phases of upset stomach/diarrhea.

Yesterday I bought us a new toaster. I know my husband will use the baking pan on all of our food. What about baking pans, skillets, etc?? My husband has some kind of iron cookware, blanking on the name, but you can't use soap on it and I know he is using that for a variety of things from cooking onion to making skillet pizza.

So please fill me in, HOW careful must I be?? Could this be why we are getting this, even though overall we feel MUCH better??

What about tub butter if my husband butters his toast and then we do, would crumbs really cause a reaction?

Thanks

[i-geek]

Okay fill me in please. My son and I are in the process of being diagnosed with celiac sprue. We are doing MUCH better, but seem to be going through small phases of upset stomach/diarrhea.

Yesterday I bought us a new toaster. I know my husband will use the baking pan on all of our food. What about baking pans, skillets, etc?? My husband has some kind of iron cookware, blanking on the name, but you can't use soap on it and I know he is using that for a variety of things from cooking onion to making skillet pizza.

So please fill me in, HOW careful must I be?? Could this be why we are getting this, even though overall we feel MUCH better??

What about tub butter if my husband butters his toast and then we do, would crumbs really cause a reaction?

Thanks

Hi, I'm a new member coming out of lurkerdom to respond. Cast iron cookware (which is what I'm guessing your husband's pan is) and non-stick cookware that have been used with gluten foods are not safe for celiacs. Shared slot toasters are not safe. I think toaster ovens are probably okay if the racks are cleaned off after gluten foods touch them. If the associated pans are non-stick, don't use them for both types of foods.

As for tub butter- I finally figured out that's what I ate at my parents' house yesterday that set me off. It was the first meal that my mom had cooked for me since I went gluten-free and she was careful to make sure that I could have rice, made everything from scratch from naturally gluten-free ingredients (meat, vegetables, rice, dairy), etc. Then I realized that she buttered the vegetables with tub margarine. I remembered watching her put some on the asparagus and noticing that there were crumbs in it (and I remember from childhood that there were always crumbs in the tub margarine), but I'm new at this and don't use tub butter at home so it didn't register in my mind until this afternoon that "hey, that's why I've got a mouth sore, a rash all over my chest, the beginnings of my specific gluten-headache, bloating and GI issues, and that's why I felt like I was coming down with a bug last night." I couldn't figure out what it was as I'd been so careful and felt so good all weekend until then.

Long story short: yes, if there are gluten crumbs in the butter, peanut butter, mayo, etc., you and your son will get sick. If your husband isn't willing to use clean techniques, get your own tubs of condiments and label them clearly. I would also advise against things like salad bars. I've gotten sick off of crumbs from croutons that had fallen into non-crouton trays (I hadn't realized I was that sensitive before that incident). Also, avoid bulk food bins. People are careless. My husband found what looks like a wheat berry in a bag of bulk lentils that I bought last week. I'm glad he checked- I could have cooked that right in with the lentils and gotten sick.

[sandiz]

Okay fill me in please. My son and I are in the process of being diagnosed with celiac sprue. We are doing MUCH better, but seem to be going through small phases of upset stomach/diarrhea.

Yesterday I bought us a new toaster. I know my husband will use the baking pan on all of our food. What about baking pans, skillets, etc?? My husband has some kind of iron cookware, blanking on the name, but you can't use soap on it and I know he is using that for a variety of things from cooking onion to making skillet pizza.

So please fill me in, HOW careful must I be?? Could this be why we are getting this, even though overall we feel MUCH better??

What about tub butter if my husband butters his toast and then we do, would crumbs really cause a reaction?

Thanks

My husband and I are using different butters. Cooking is easy as he eats the same things that I do mostly. He has his side of the toaster, different pan for pizza etc. Just have to be carefull, no crumbs on the counter, pan is wiped out, some prepared things say gluten-free but some of us have reactions. I am finding it trail and error. soaps , shampoos, laundry detergents all need to be carefull with. good luck

[kareng]

Plastic spatulas, spoons, tupperware, colanders, etc can harbor gluten. You will need new ones. I got red spatulas, red-lidded plastic containers, measuring cups etc just for gluten-free. I got red duck tape to put on my jam, butter tub, etc. I got new pans. Use foil on old baking sheets (easier to clean up, too)

Also, be aware that someone touching bread or crackers & then taking out some carrot sticks, cheese slices, chips, cold cuts, etc has now contaminated the rest of the package. Might have left crumbs in the bag. Caught a kid getting ice out with his hands instead of thru the door despenser. I use a purple sponge to clean my stuff or non gluten stuff & a blue one for the gluten stuff. I change kitchen towels alot depending on who's home & in the kitchen. Use lots of paper towels.

Got some "toasters bags" to take on our trip. Got the kind that completely enclosed the bread (some only cover the bottom).

Good luck.

[MamaMeagan]

Okay my husbad just doesn't see how you can really get sick from crumbs or how when plastic spoons, etc can harbor gluten even when washed in really hot diswasher water. He thinks I am going overboard, but he will be supportive if I explain to him.

I am going to try to be extra careful and get some new utensils and see how we feel, and hopefully these little spells will go away.

[i-geek]

Okay my husbad just doesn't see how you can really get sick from crumbs or how when plastic spoons, etc can harbor gluten even when washed in really hot diswasher water. He thinks I am going overboard, but he will be supportive if I explain to him.

I am going to try to be extra careful and get some new utensils and see how we feel, and hopefully these little spells will go away.

Tell him that a celiac reaction is every bit as sensitive as an allergic reaction, the symptoms are just different (usually). There have been reports of peanut-allergic people having reactions from kissing someone who had eaten peanuts earlier that day- that's how little it takes to cause a reaction. That was how I got it across to my husband, since he was having the same problems understanding it.

[jackay]

Okay my husbad just doesn't see how you can really get sick from crumbs or how when plastic spoons, etc can harbor gluten even when washed in really hot diswasher water. He thinks I am going overboard, but he will be supportive if I explain to him.

I am going to try to be extra careful and get some new utensils and see how we feel, and hopefully these little spells will go away.

I was in the same boat you were. My husband didn't believe I could be so sensitive. He finally gets it now and is being more careful. I am pretty limited with what I can eat so don't run into the problem of cc with ketchup, mustard, mayonaise, etc. I do eat butter, but he doesn't so there are no crumbs in the butter:)

He has also learned to not put dirty dishes in the dishwasher. I wash them or rinse them with hot water before they go in. I take care of all the dishes and all my own cooking. At this point, I won't eat anyone else's cooking, not even his.

At first I didn't think I'd ever be able not get contaminated by my spouse. I wasn't able to get him to read anything about gluten intolerance but I finally got him to listen to me explain it all. That was the turning point for us and now things are so much better.

[Kathy59]

I do not have a dishwasher...should I wash my dishes separate from my husband's who eats gluten..also ideas on sharing gluten free kitchen..we have a very small kitchen

[betts13]

Plastic spatulas, spoons, tupperware, colanders, etc can harbor gluten. You will need new ones. I got red spatulas, red-lidded plastic containers, measuring cups etc just for gluten-free. I got new pans. Use foil on old baking sheets (easier to clean up, too)

I use a purple sponge to clean my stuff or non gluten stuff & a blue one for the gluten stuff. I change kitchen towels alot depending on who's home & in the kitchen. Use lots of paper towels.

Wow. This isn't something I have considered. I thought if I washed everything with hot water and soap, or in the dishwasher then it didn't matter if we were not an entirely gluten free house. Are you saying you CAN'T wash gluten off of a plastic spatula, a plate or a non-stick pan?

[Gemini]

Okay my husbad just doesn't see how you can really get sick from crumbs or how when plastic spoons, etc can harbor gluten even when washed in really hot diswasher water. He thinks I am going overboard, but he will be supportive if I explain to him.

I am going to try to be extra careful and get some new utensils and see how we feel, and hopefully these little spells will go away.

You do not have to replace hard plastic spoons if you wash them well with soapy water. Wooden spoons are different as they are porous and food can be absorbed into them. Softer plastic, like tupperware is the same as wooden spoons. After awhile, tupperware becomes stained so you can see how it may be a problem.

Yes, gluten can be washed off of a non-porous surface easily enough. You want to be careful, not paranoid. All of this information can be found in most books covering Celiac Disease. You can replace anything you want but it may not be entirely necessary. It all depends on how hard you want to make this and how expensive.

Yes, you can become very ill from just a few crumbs but most of your cookware and flatware is perfectly safe....except the porous stuff like cast iron......unless it's coated with enamel!

[kareng]

I have some hard plastic spoons but they have little holes or a crease where they connect to the handle. I was afraid they may not clean well enough. Also, one that were used for regular pasta- pasta leaves a slimyness on plastic. I use glass (Pyrex) for alot of stuff - it should clean off well.

[Bobbijo6681]

Wow. This isn't something I have considered. I thought if I washed everything with hot water and soap, or in the dishwasher then it didn't matter if we were not an entirely gluten free house. Are you saying you CAN'T wash gluten off of a plastic spatula, a plate or a non-stick pan?

I know it sounds overwhelming...I thought the same thing not that long ago. The biggest problem with plastic utensils and non stick pans is that you can't get gluten out of the scratches that are on them. So you may think that you got it all, but then it hides somewhere that you can't see. If you are just starting out you may not feel any better until you get rid of some of these CC'd areas. If you have been gluten-free for a while and are feeling better you can get the same symptoms of glutening even if it is only a small amount from a pan.

Keep with it and you will be fine!

[WheatChef]

I do not have a dishwasher...should I wash my dishes separate from my husband's who eats gluten..also ideas on sharing gluten free kitchen..we have a very small kitchen

Do you have a 2-compartment sink? If so just buy two different colors of sponges and dedicate one of the compartments to you and another to him completely with your own colored sponge to be used on either only contaminated or only gluten-free dishware.

[masterjen]

You do not have to replace hard plastic spoons if you wash them well with soapy water. Wooden spoons are different as they are porous and food can be absorbed into them. Softer plastic, like tupperware is the same as wooden spoons. After awhile, tupperware becomes stained so you can see how it may be a problem.

Yes, gluten can be washed off of a non-porous surface easily enough. You want to be careful, not paranoid. All of this information can be found in most books covering Celiac Disease. You can replace anything you want but it may not be entirely necessary. It all depends on how hard you want to make this and how expensive.

Yes, you can become very ill from just a few crumbs but most of your cookware and flatware is perfectly safe....except the porous stuff like cast iron......unless it's coated with enamel!

What do your reference books say about pans coated with teflon? Mine have some very superficial scratches (would be hard to believe food particles would be caught in them) and have been through the dishwasher. As you say, I want to be as careful as I need to be, but not paranoid . . .

[Gemini]

What do your reference books say about pans coated with teflon? Mine have some very superficial scratches (would be hard to believe food particles would be caught in them) and have been through the dishwasher. As you say, I want to be as careful as I need to be, but not paranoid . . .

I think if the pan is old and all scratched up, I would replace it. Superficial scratches that have been run through a dishwasher may not be cause for replacement. I do not own any teflon pans myself so haven't faced this problem. I own cast iron that is coated with enamel and some of them were pretty old and the enamelware was beginning to degrade. I replaced those with new pots/pans but kept some that were fairly new and not all scratched up. Most of my other stuff is stainless or a metal that would not pose a problem. I tend to buy pricey cookware and for the amount of time I have had them and their heavy use, they certainly do last many years without becoming all beaten up. If you are asymptomatic and getting better with no complications, keep the pans and don't worry about it.....unless you are one of those asymptomatic Celiacs!

Dr. Peter Green's newest version of his book on Celiac Disease talks about not going crazy and replacing everything...he literally states that is what soap is for. I do not segregate sponges

either as they are generally really soapy and I rinse them well. Gluten does not stick and hide in a sponge that has been rinsed within an inch of it's life.

I recently had my antibody testing repeated (I was diagnosed through blood work) and was over the moon that my numbers for AGA and tTg were all 1. I have been gluten-free for 5 years now and am lucky that I am antibody sensitive.....I've done my own experiments and find that the way I have been doing things is working beautifully. This is all information garnered from reliable books on celiac disease and common sense. I am also extremely sensitive and will become very ill from crumbs....like most Celiacs with symptoms do. If you learn as much as you can about the disease process itself, you will understand what to do with regards to CC. Most people focus on issues without the knowledge behind what will cause a reaction and what is safe for us to do, thereby making this so much harder. Read the book Peter Green wrote....I am just as impressed as with his first book. Very practical, common sense approach to living gluten-free successfully without becoming paranoid about the whole thing.....which can be easy to do at first.

[Pac]

Very practical, common sense approach to living gluten-free successfully without becoming paranoid about the whole thing.....which can be easy to do at first.

I think everybody has to find out for themselves what will work and what won't. At first I was trying not to be paranoid, even baked gluten stuff for my family, shared the kitchen. Then after 1 year of being gluten-free, I went to help my boyfriend bake a few cakes in their bakery - we only used about 1,5kg of flour and I didn't work directly with it, I wore long sleeves, I didn't drink or eat anything during that time, I showered and washed my hair after we were done and put the "gluteny" clothes in a plastic bag. Despite all this I ended up sick like crazy, ekzema on my arm, GI issues, migraines, etc. It took me three weeks to recover, but at least I have no trouble explaining my boyfriend how sensitive I am.

[glutenfr3309]

for those with non-celiac gluten sensitivity:

last night my bf and i got into a heated discussion about how he thinks that i'm being way too paranoid and inconveniencing myself with every aspect of being gluten free. he thinks that because i wasn't diagnosed with celiac and just an intolerance i don't have to be AS careful about cross contamination issues (replacing certain kitchen items).

in my mind since the biopsy showed inflammation in my intestines gluten is clearly harmful to my body so i'm going to take every step possible to make sure that i stay healthy. i went ahead and bought a new pasta strainer, cutting boards, and tupper ware containers because i have a roommate and i wanted some kitchen items that only i am using. i also plan on getting my own toaster soon.

how serious are you with being careful of cross contamination? specifically with eating out but also at home with old utensils, pots and pans, etc.

i think i got glutened by him last night from kissing. i noticed once in a while (when i had gluten) my lips would be extremely dry like i was wind burned and my bottom lip would split. since being gluten free that hasn't happened again until today! my lip is split again...he ate some bread when we went out to dinner last night. such a weird thing...

[jenngolightly]

for those with non-celiac gluten sensitivity:

last night my bf and i got into a heated discussion about how he thinks that i'm being way too paranoid and inconveniencing myself with every aspect of being gluten free. he thinks that because i wasn't diagnosed with celiac and just an intolerance i don't have to be AS careful about cross contamination issues (replacing certain kitchen items).

in my mind since the biopsy showed inflammation in my intestines gluten is clearly harmful to my body so i'm going to take every step possible to make sure that i stay healthy. i went ahead and bought a new pasta strainer, cutting boards, and tupper ware containers because i have a roommate and i wanted some kitchen items that only i am using. i also plan on getting my own toaster soon.

how serious are you with being careful of cross contamination? specifically with eating out but also at home with old utensils, pots and pans, etc.

i think i got glutened by him last night from kissing. i noticed once in a while (when i had gluten) my lips would be extremely dry like i was wind burned and my bottom lip would split. since being gluten free that hasn't happened again until today! my lip is split again...he ate some bread when we went out to dinner last night. such a weird thing...

It was a grieving process for my dh when I was diagnosed with celiac. It's just as hard on him as it was on me (well, not AS hard... but hard). He didn't believe things were too bad because you can't see most of the reactions. It helped him to read a few books on the illness. He's changed his habits. He knows to brush his teeth before he kisses me. He doesn't use my kitchen stuff (like a previous poster, all my stuff is red or I've used a permanent marker and marked things as GLUTEN FREE!). It was an eye-opener for him when I said: Take a piece of bread and cut it into 5000 pieces. One of those pieces makes me sick.