Upper Bulk Bins At Whole Foods?

[sreese68]

I'm on week 3 of a gluten-free diet suggested by my neurologist. He suspects I may be gluten intolerant. I'm wondering if I made a newbie mistake? At Whole Foods yesterday, I couldn't find aramanth prepackaged. I found some in one of the upper bulk bins at Whole Foods - the kind you pull down a lever to dispense the food. The bag I got to fill was far from any gluten-containing items. Are those upper bins less likely to have CC than the lower ones?

I honestly don't know how sensitive I am or honestly if gluten is the problem. My stomach feels MUCH better, but I'm also doing a FODMAP diet, so not sure which is causing the improvement. All that to say that I'm not sure if I'd have a reaction to CC at this stage, so if the amaranth is contaminated, I'd not sure i'd notice. (I hope all this makes sense, as I'm having some brain fog today

[Takala]

The problem with bulk bins at Whole Foods, is that they are made of plastic. And that you can't know what has been in them before the current ingredient, nor how they were washed. Also, you don't know where the amaranth has been, because it is generic, instead of saying on the package, "run thru a processing plant that also handles xxxx." I have seen some of these bulk bins labeled "gluten free," but there is no guarantee that the way they are keeping the ingredients in them is being done in a gluten free manner to avoid cross contamination- example, what if an employee scoops stuff into it with a scoop that isn't metal and has been scooping other gluten containing ingredients, or what if he or she just handled a wheat item. I have seen other scoops that customers are supposed to use in the bulk bins in health food stores, tossed about willy nilly from one item to the next, with a bit of residue on it.

In general, it is better to avoid bulk bins.

Glad your stomach is feeling better. Keep on with it. We all do this sort of thing at first.

[sreese68]

Thanks so much for your reply! I kind of had a feeling I was making a mistake. I think my mother's helper may want to take the aramanth home and try it, so at least it won't go to waste! (She babysits for a family where the son has celiac, so she's always trying out gluten free food.)