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Importance Of Cross-Contamination ?

fallout1

By fallout1
in Coping with Celiac Disease

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fallout1 Rookie
fallout1
Posted

How important is vigilance in regard to cross-contamination? I understand that everyone's reactions are different in regard to symptoms. I know even a minor amount of gluten is harmful. My question is in relation to say, bags of nuts from Trader Joe's that say, "made in a facility that also processes wheat." Does this indicate a high probability of wheat ingestion in the given product, or just a possibility?

If so, is eating foods labeled in this manner similar to eating say, oatmeal that is not certified gluten free? (i.e. since most oats are cross-contaminated)

Do you as a person with Celiac disease avoid foods made in facilities that process wheat or are you more lax?

Thanks!

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The Glutenator Contributor
The Glutenator
Posted

I, personally, do not avoid products that are "made in a facility that also produces wheat." The way I see it, most products without gluten in the ingredients list are probably manufactured in a factory that currently, or at some point, has also made glutteny foods. If the company cares enough to give us a heads-up about it, they are just one step ahead in their allergen awareness program. I would not, however, eat something that "may contain traces of gluten or wheat". I am very sensitive to cc and I have been safe using this strategy so far. So good luck to you!

Skylark Collaborator
Skylark
Posted

Shared machinery/shared facility food has been tested and the "shared machinery" labeled food did have higher traces of allergens. I do not worry about "shared facility" food as it's unusual for big food manufacturing plants to not have gluten somewhere. You have no idea whether the gluten-containing food is even in the same part of the building.

I have occasionally gotten slightly glutened from "shared machinery" food so I tend to look for products made on dedicated lines like the Lay's Stax and Mission Tortillas.

Shared machinery/facility food does not have nearly the amount of gluten as has been found in some oats. You can get whole grains of wheat in your bags of oats. (Ugh!)

bincongo Contributor
bincongo
Posted

Good question. I may try Lipton Onion soup again since it says made in a facility that processes wheat. It doesn't say may contain traces of wheat. There are certain products that I can't find substitutes for.

Skylark Collaborator
Skylark
Posted

Good question. I may try Lipton Onion soup again since it says made in a facility that processes wheat. It doesn't say may contain traces of wheat. There are certain products that I can't find substitutes for.

Watch out for Lipton Onion Soup. They started putting "autolyzed yeast extract (BARLEY)" on the label now so it's not gluten-free any more.

fallout1 Rookie
fallout1
Posted
  • Author

Thanks for the insights..Has anyone attempted Oatey Bites cereal from Nature's Path? It seems like Nature's Path is quite gluten-conscious, but then again the oats aren't gluten-free from their label..

leikela Newbie
leikela
Posted

Watch out for Lipton Onion Soup. They started putting "autolyzed yeast extract (BARLEY)" on the label now so it's not gluten-free any more.

Wait, is all "autolyzed yeast extract" made from Barley?! Gosh, I had no idea! Maybe that's why I've been feeling horrible! I feel dumb now :blink: Thank you for the heads up! That gluten is everywhere I tell ya! lol

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cassP Contributor
cassP
Posted

it's tough to tell... i think some companies put that on their label purely as a legality issue.. even if the risk is very very slim...

i agree with Skylark-> i bet there's A LOT more CC in a bag of oats... (or even a bag of Soy Flour)

idk... i still buy some frozen foods like Amy's ... but there's been other times where i see the "wheat facility" label- and i just avoid the product.

K8ling Enthusiast
K8ling
Posted

I love oatmeal but I refuse to even try non gluten-free oats. Not worth the risk, especially now :P. I do find myself looking for food without allergen warnings.

missceliac2010 Apprentice
missceliac2010
Posted

I have to put the package down and slowly back away from the food item if it says "produced in a facility that also processes wheat." I know from personal experience that it will 9 times out of 10 make me very ill. But I am just that sensitive. I'm pretty new myself, but from what I hear, our sensitivity may or may not become less intense as time goes on. Good luck to you. You can always play personal guinea pig. LOL!

Heather

YoloGx Rookie
YoloGx
Posted

I learned the hard way that eating food packaged or otherwise processed in the same facility as wheat etc. is processed absolutely does not work for me. It doesn't work for my boyfriend either even though he can handle a little more CC than I.

I didn't know it would bother me until after I avoided all trace glutens. Its what it took to both feel better usually and not get constant colds and flue and headaches; as well as to feel really awful if I got minor trace gluten --even from a kiss from an old lover who loved his distilled whiskey! Not to mention pots and pans, cutting boards, non gluten-free lipstick and for me even soaps etc. with trace gluten.

I had a brief foray with TJ's gluten-free waffles for instance; but it soon became apparent they were making me ill. Etc. etc.

Bea

K8ling Enthusiast
K8ling
Posted

Now whiskeys and whatnot I am ok with. I seem to handle those all right. Which is good news because I love my Scotch! :P

Skylark Collaborator
Skylark
Posted

I felt funny drinking Redbreast. It's the only whiskey I've tried that didn't sit well. It's pot whiskey and a little different from Scotch. As I think about it, that could have been a yeast reaction as I've been struggling with candida lately.

bincongo Contributor
bincongo
Posted

Wait, is all "autolyzed yeast extract" made from Barley?! Gosh, I had no idea! Maybe that's why I've been feeling horrible! I feel dumb now :blink: Thank you for the heads up! That gluten is everywhere I tell ya! lol

Not all autolyzed yeast extract has gluten but it depends on the source. Someone wrote on a different thread that they had contacted Lipton and were told it was gluten free, except for the kosher one. I guess we need to hear it from the horses mouth.

WheatChef Apprentice
WheatChef
Posted

I've been gut-nuked by a few of trader joe's shared-facility items before. I still shop there because, hey at least they make an effort to let you know about all the possible cross-contamination, but I can't buy anything that they say might have been made near wheat. Their pistachios (which I'm eating right now actually) are safe!

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      I do not know this, but since they are labelled gluten-free, and are not really a product that could easily be contaminated when making them (there would be not flour in the air of such a facility, for example), I don't really see contamination as something to be concerned about for this type of product. 
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      Contact them.
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