Fast Food & Processed Foods Aren't Safe.

[CNV2855]

I've been gluten-free for over four years and normally I prepare my own food. Every time I show improvement and start relaxing my restrictions, I get glutened. Usually by either eating fast food at designated "safe" places such as Wendy's salads or processed foods. I've been glutened every single time I've done this without exception.

There was a new sandwich place in town that offers gluten-free pizzas/sandwiches so I decided to stop by and try it out. Not only was I glutened but it was one of the worst reactions I've had in over four years.

I've tried Wendy's salads/chili/potatoes and I'm not sure which is contaminated but I always react to something when I eat at Wendys'. I've tried potato chips, beef jerky, and other "safe" foods and been glutened every time.

I've even got glutened by a flipping gluten free rice milk called Rice Dream. [Class action law suit anyone? They flipping deserve it.]

Anyway, four years later and I've finally learned my lesson. The only food that is safe is food that you've personally prepared. People just don't understand how little of the stuff it takes to set off autoimmunity, and as such think that just because they aren't shoveling wheat into the ingredients that it's gluten free.

[Poppi]

Are you sure it's gluten that's getting you? With such consistent reactions to EVERYTHING processed I can't help but wonder if it's something else.

[Skylark]

Are you sure it's gluten that's getting you? With such consistent reactions to EVERYTHING processed I can't help but wonder if it's something else.

There are people that sensitive. This might better belong in the "Super Sensitive Celiacs & Gluten Sensitive" part of the forum though.

I can usually eat stuff like Wendy's or commercial potato chips fine but I don't know that I'm as sensitive as some. It would be a pain to have to cook every single food you eat.

[CNV2855]

Are you sure it's gluten that's getting you? With such consistent reactions to EVERYTHING processed I can't help but wonder if it's something else.

It's not consistent but usually when I eat out one time, I think it's safe to do it again and again. Within a week, I'm usually glutened. Potato chips, such as Lay's, are definitely contaminated and while I don't react to every bag it's the same thing as eating out, as it's just a matter of time.

My family owns a restaurant and they cook quite a bit of fried foods. They use 100% corn flour and peanut oil to cook the foods as well as cooking the foods in a dedicated fryer, so they should be gluten free. I've tried eating the food there and I've had a reaction to it. I would tell myself that... it's impossible because the flour/oil/fryer is safe. But I kept eating there and I kept reacting.

Finally, my friend brought up a good point. Well two actually. He said, "Just because they're "supposed" to fry something in a designated fryer doesn't mean that's always how it works. When a place is busy and packed, they'll cut corners to get the food out as fast as possible." Also when fryers are filtered, and I assume this is the same for every place that uses them, oil from one fryer goes into the next so even though a food is cooked in a designated fryer does not mean anything, as the oil from the other fryer will end up in the designated fryer when it comes time to filter it.

If I'm in the restaurant kitchen and I can't guarantee my food is safe, when I'm sitting there watching them prepare it and throw it in the fryer then how can I trust Wendy's or any other restaurant? You can't.

I really need to make a topic explaining exactly why there's no such thing as a dedicated fryer, and explain exactly how the things are maintained and cleaned. I'll get around to doing that later but basically if a place cooks a food that contains gluten in a fryer, I wouldn't eat anything fried there.

[YoloGx]

There are people that sensitive. This might better belong in the "Super Sensitive Celiacs & Gluten Sensitive" part of the forum though.

I can usually eat stuff like Wendy's or commercial potato chips fine but I don't know that I'm as sensitive as some. It would be a pain to have to cook every single food you eat.

I am pretty much that sensitive. However I am also very sensitive to salicylic acid which really complicates attempting to eat out. Its a pain really, but after a while you get used to it. I either bring my own food to events, or have people come over to eat with me.

[CNV2855]

Are you sure it's gluten that's getting you? With such consistent reactions to EVERYTHING processed I can't help but wonder if it's something else.

Poppi did you read Fasano's new study?

Even people who were on a gluten free diet for over two years still had over 30x the intestinal permeability that the healthy controls had. You may not be symptomatic from your exposure but there's a good chance that the minute amount that we do get, and we do get it, is causing a lot of what people around here report.

[kareng]

Have you tried eliminating corn? or Soy? Some people have reactions to them similiar to gluten. Soy is something you might not use in homemade food, but is in lots of processed foods.

[CNV2855]

Have you tried eliminating corn? or Soy? Some people have reactions to them similiar to gluten. Soy is something you might not use in homemade food, but is in lots of processed foods.

I base my reactions to gluten on a rash. While I may be allergic to corn and soy, nothing but gluten causes the DH-like rash (never been confirmed DH but I'm almost positive that's what it is).

It's the first symptom and the most reliable that I've been glutened and I've never gotten it from dairy/corn/soy, etc.

After the rash comes, almost exactly within 24 hours the Diarrhea starts. Not long after that comes the fatigue/bloating/pain.

[Poppi]

Wow, I learn something new every day.

I do notice that when I eat a lot of processed foods, even "safe" foods that my back pain starts to slowly creep back up. I feel for you. I rarely eat out and try to avoid too many processed foods but don't have that level of sensitivity - and I consider myself very sensitive.

Thanks for the info on the "dedicated fryers", I have not eaten anything fried since my diagnosis because I haven't found a place with a dedicated fryer at all but now I know better even if I do.

[CNV2855]

Wow, I learn something new every day.

I do notice that when I eat a lot of processed foods, even "safe" foods that my back pain starts to slowly creep back up. I feel for you. I rarely eat out and try to avoid too many processed foods but don't have that level of sensitivity - and I consider myself very sensitive.

Thanks for the info on the "dedicated fryers", I have not eaten anything fried since my diagnosis because I haven't found a place with a dedicated fryer at all but now I know better even if I do.

Glad to help.

I made a dedicated topic regarding the fryers just to get some awareness going because I've yet to see it mentioned. Anyway this thread was just a rant because I the last two weeks were absolutely miserable for me. All because I ate a "gluten free" sandwich. Just had to get this off my chest.

It also seems like my sensitivity keeps going up and up the longer I'm gluten-free, has anyone else noticed that?

BTW, Wendy's may very well be safe... but I can't go there without getting the fries. They're suppose to be gluten free but they're still fried and if I had to guess which food I react to there, it'd have to be them. That or the chili. I'm still under the assumption that the salads should be safe.

[Poppi]

Yup. My sensitivity has gone up too. My back pain for the past two weeks can only be related to gluten-y kisses and hands from my 2 year old daughter. I haven't eaten out, I've eaten almost no processed food and there is no other reasonable source for contamination. We are doing her gluten challenge right now as she is being tested so I have to keep feeding her food that is making me sick. It's very frustrating.

[GlutenFreeManna]

Here's the list for items without gluten at Wendy's: Open Original Shared Link

They DO NOT claim the fries are safe. They clearly say their fries are made in shared fryers and therefore not safe.

[lizard00]

The only thing at Wendy's I will eat is a salad or the chili. So, if I have to go there, I'll get the baja salad or whatever the one is that comes with chili. I used to ask about their fries, and I don't think any of the Wendy's ever told me that their friers were NOT dedicated. But I noticed I felt like crap everytime I ate them, so they're gone. I also can't eat soy, which creates a very similar reaction to gluten for me. So, I avoid fast food most of the time.

[weluvgators]

BTW, Wendy's may very well be safe... but I can't go there without getting the fries. They're suppose to be gluten free but they're still fried and if I had to guess which food I react to there, it'd have to be them. That or the chili. I'm still under the assumption that the salads should be safe.

We have eaten at Wendy's several times over the past few years of being gluten free, and we always have to ask about the fries. We stopped there for a very early lunch one day and were delighted that the french fry fryer had just gotten a fresh batch of oil, so we ate the french fries that time. We have also stopped at one that had a "dedicated" french fry fryer . . . but we also saw that they didn't cook ALL of the french fries in it. So you have to watch for that as well! And then they had french fries from the shared fryers mixing in the tray with the french fries cooked in the dedicated fryer . . . it never seems to end . . . all this "learning".

We only eat the side salad at Wendy's (haven't tried in some time) and haven't noticed any issues. From my calls, questions and understanding, the chili can be made with leftover meat patties, so there seemed to be some potential CC in that process. We have eaten the chili a few times though without any noticeable problems.

[T.H.]

My family owns a restaurant and ... They use 100% corn flour and peanut oil to cook the foods... so they should be gluten free.

This one I might have an answer for ya. :-) When I was checking out corn (which was a couple years back, so the info. may be out of date), it was nearly impossible to find corn that wasn't processed in a facility that also processes wheat, at least in North America. There is one factory down in Mexico that did (Maseca brand), but I heard rumors that this is no longer the case. One would need to check.

Bob's Red mill does it, yeah, but not in amounts that one would need for, say, a restaurant, I don't imagine.

I have yet to have anything with corn in it, medication included, that didn't give me gluten neuro symptoms.

I'm growing my own corn at home right now so I can find out for sure if corn gets me too, or if it's all gluten cc!

And I'm right there with ya in the 'react to every darn thing in the gosh darned world' category, so empathy from over here! :-)

[dilettantesteph]

I put myself into the super sensitive category. I also seem to get sensitive to lower levels of gluten as time goes on. I only eat food that I prepare myself. I stopped eating out years ago as I too got sick every time. I am now trying to grow as much of my own food as possible as I am even having problems with some produce. I think that it is pesticides and coatings, as well as possible cc in fields and transportation and storage. When you get to these really low levels of gluten, it is all over. I have two kids with the same problem, and a husband who is a typical celiac. Now I need to get out and work in my garden! Hope you feel better soon.

[Gemini]

It's not consistent but usually when I eat out one time, I think it's safe to do it again and again. Within a week, I'm usually glutened. Potato chips, such as Lay's, are definitely contaminated and while I don't react to every bag it's the same thing as eating out, as it's just a matter of time.

My family owns a restaurant and they cook quite a bit of fried foods. They use 100% corn flour and peanut oil to cook the foods as well as cooking the foods in a dedicated fryer, so they should be gluten free. I've tried eating the food there and I've had a reaction to it. I would tell myself that... it's impossible because the flour/oil/fryer is safe. But I kept eating there and I kept reacting.

Finally, my friend brought up a good point. Well two actually. He said, "Just because they're "supposed" to fry something in a designated fryer doesn't mean that's always how it works. When a place is busy and packed, they'll cut corners to get the food out as fast as possible." Also when fryers are filtered, and I assume this is the same for every place that uses them, oil from one fryer goes into the next so even though a food is cooked in a designated fryer does not mean anything, as the oil from the other fryer will end up in the designated fryer when it comes time to filter it.

If I'm in the restaurant kitchen and I can't guarantee my food is safe, when I'm sitting there watching them prepare it and throw it in the fryer then how can I trust Wendy's or any other restaurant? You can't.

I really need to make a topic explaining exactly why there's no such thing as a dedicated fryer, and explain exactly how the things are maintained and cleaned. I'll get around to doing that later but basically if a place cooks a food that contains gluten in a fryer, I wouldn't eat anything fried there.

You cannot always assume that your problem is gluten....Poppi made a really good point. I am extremely sensitive also and I go out to eat occasionally but I never eat at fast food restaurants because they just don't hire the kind of people I feel safe to turn my food needs over to. I find eating in higher end restaurants much safer because the education level is higher. It is not 100%, like everything else in life, but my success rate is much, much higher.

There is a fried seafood restaurant in my area which has Celiacs in the family. They have a totally dedicated fryer and it really is dedicated. Again, do not assume that all dedicated fryers are contaminated because that is generalizing and not true.

I cannot even usually eat fried food because it's so heavy but I can eat their food and I feel fantastic afterward...it's the only place I can say that about. Not only do they fry the food at the right temp to make it non-greasy, it's really gluten free.

All of their coatings are corn based so there's no flying wheat there. Not everyone will be this lucky to have such a place but I know for a fact that their fryer is totally dedicated as a spoke with the manager and you can see into the kitchen when ordering. They do not cut corners when it's busy, either, as they are always hoppin' busy!

How often do you go out to eat? We can eat out but if you are doing so on a regular basis, that's a lot of risk taking. From personal experience, it could most definitely be another food intolerance also. Most Celiacs have another food issue and it can be maddening to figure it all out. Most Celiacs can eat out safely but not frequently and you have to pick and choose restaurants carefully.

[CNV2855]

You cannot always assume that your problem is gluten....Poppi made a really good point. I am extremely sensitive also and I go out to eat occasionally but I never eat at fast food restaurants because they just don't hire the kind of people I feel safe to turn my food needs over to. I find eating in higher end restaurants much safer because the education level is higher. It is not 100%, like everything else in life, but my success rate is much, much higher.

There is a fried seafood restaurant in my area which has Celiacs in the family. They have a totally dedicated fryer and it really is dedicated. Again, do not assume that all dedicated fryers are contaminated because that is generalizing and not true.

I cannot even usually eat fried food because it's so heavy but I can eat their food and I feel fantastic afterward...it's the only place I can say that about. Not only do they fry the food at the right temp to make it non-greasy, it's really gluten free.

All of their coatings are corn based so there's no flying wheat there. Not everyone will be this lucky to have such a place but I know for a fact that their fryer is totally dedicated as a spoke with the manager and you can see into the kitchen when ordering. They do not cut corners when it's busy, either, as they are always hoppin' busy!

How often do you go out to eat? We can eat out but if you are doing so on a regular basis, that's a lot of risk taking. From personal experience, it could most definitely be another food intolerance also. Most Celiacs have another food issue and it can be maddening to figure it all out. Most Celiacs can eat out safely but not frequently and you have to pick and choose restaurants carefully.

This is a shot in the dark but you don't live in SW Louisiana do you?

[Gemini]

This is a shot in the dark but you don't live in SW Louisiana do you?

No...I live in Massachusetts....but please don't hold that against me!

[lovegrov]

Here's the list for items without gluten at Wendy's: Open Original Shared Link

They DO NOT claim the fries are safe. They clearly say their fries are made in shared fryers and therefore not safe.

Most have dedicated fryers but some don't, so they don't list the fries as gluten-free. You have to ask.

richard

[glutenfreesavvy]

I completely understand where you're coming from! I don't feel comfortable eating out & when I do I know it's a big risk. I'm extremely sensitive to gluten as well. I cannot tolerate the most minute amount of gluten. In fact, I've been glutened in Subway using their WiFi & I did not have anything to eat or drink. It took several visits before I realized what was making me feel so sick, because I never dreamed just sitting in Subway would affect me so severely. Lesson Learned!

I prepare my own food as well. It's the only safe way for me. :-) Sometimes it can be frustrating, but I am so grateful I know what was causing me to be sick & can now be well with dietary restriction. I'd rather prepare every meal for the rest of my life, than go back to my former gluten filled life.

You're right! People don't understand about the smallest amount of gluten contamination - even other gluten-free folks! :-) I've encountered quite a few that just don't get it & think I'm either making it up or it's something else I'm reacting to. While other sensitivities are common & should be explored, I have painfully learned that, indeed, gluten lurks everywhere! I know gluten reaction TOO well. It sounds like you do too! :-)

A recent example of clueless gluten-free folks - Just the other day, a gal told me her gastro told her if she began craving gluten foods, bread & such, then that means she can eat it & it won't "hurt" her. What???? We were in polite company & I had just met her, so I had to choose my words very carefully...but she definitely does not get it. If she really believes that, then why bother eating gluten-free at all? I didn't get her gastro's name, but he should be reported, if in fact he really said that...can't imagine! (She definitely does not understand that sensitive folks like us really exist.)

You are not alone, though I'm sorry to hear you're super sensitive too...it can be so hard sometimes..

Have a great, gluten free, eating your yummy home-cooked meals weekend!

Warmly,

Faydra

who is still cooling off after frying a huge batch of fresh okra I bought at the farmer's market...it's good to be back home in Texas! :-)

[quote name='CNV2855' timestamp='1308176758' post='709014'

I've been gluten-free for over four years and normally I prepare my own food. Every time I show improvement and start relaxing my restrictions, I get glutened. Usually by either eating fast food at designated "safe" places such as Wendy's salads or processed foods. I've been glutened every single time I've done this without exception.

There was a new sandwich place in town that offers gluten-free pizzas/sandwiches so I decided to stop by and try it out. Not only was I glutened but it was one of the worst reactions I've had in over four years.

I've tried Wendy's salads/chili/potatoes and I'm not sure which is contaminated but I always react to something when I eat at Wendys'. I've tried potato chips, beef jerky, and other "safe" foods and been glutened every time.

I've even got glutened by a flipping gluten free rice milk called Rice Dream. [Class action law suit anyone? They flipping deserve it.]

Anyway, four years later and I've finally learned my lesson. The only food that is safe is food that you've personally prepared. People just don't understand how little of the stuff it takes to set off autoimmunity, and as such think that just because they aren't shoveling wheat into the ingredients that it's gluten free.