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

How Do Be Safe In A Non-gluten-free House


redheadsmom

Recommended Posts

redheadsmom Rookie

I'm 1 week into being gluten free and I'm the only one in my house doing so. I have a husband and 2 kids but I also have a home daycare with 8 kiddos so even if I wanted to be a gluten free house, there is no way I could afford to do so considering how many children I feed here. I have purchased a new toaster, I got a 4 slot toaster and used my label maker to mark one side gluten free for me but now I'm worried that might just be too close for comfort?? I only use stainless steel, cast iron, or pampered chef to cook with. I know I'm not going to be able to cook any of my stuff in the pampered chef stones but what the cast iron and stainless steel? What about food storage containers? Should I get my own for just my food or is it safe if its been in the dishwasher? Any other suggestions I would appreciate! Thanks!

Jessica

PS- I have not been diagnosed with Celiac, my blood work was negative and the GI wanted to do an endoscopy but I turned it down.


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



Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):



violentlyserene Rookie

I have the same questions as well. From what I've read the cast iron will need to be stripped and reseasoned and the steel pans vary by person. For now, I'm just planning to scrub the pans really well with separate sponges and replace any plastic that's scratched or can't be scrubbed completely (like my cutting boards). More measures are possible if that doesn't cover it but it's a place to start.

kareng Grand Master

I got red colored tape, spatulas, etc. Even a red toaster & cutting board & colander. Red is for gluten free only! Red is for cutting cheese slices before touching the crackers. Because lots of stuff is gluten-free, my red gets used a lot. I use the red tape on the lids of my butter, PB, jelly, etc. It show up better than a label. I would worry that someone putting gluten bread in the toaster might drop a crumb in the other side. Do the bottoms all meet to contain the crumbs? I get plastic containers with red lids. Also, glass ones seem to clean well.

Stainless should be ok if scrubbed. Cast iron has pores so it can contain gluten. Some people put them in the oven during a cleaning cycle. It takes about 600 degrees to burn gluten. Aything porous or with cracks, crevices or scratches could be full of gluten.

redheadsmom Rookie

I got red colored tape, spatulas, etc. Even a red toaster & cutting board & colander. Red is for gluten free only! Red is for cutting cheese slices before touching the crackers. Because lots of stuff is gluten-free, my red gets used a lot. I use the red tape on the lids of my butter, PB, jelly, etc. It show up better than a label. I would worry that someone putting gluten bread in the toaster might drop a crumb in the other side. Do the bottoms all meet to contain the crumbs? I get plastic containers with red lids. Also, glass ones seem to clean well.

Stainless should be ok if scrubbed. Cast iron has pores so it can contain gluten. Some people put them in the oven during a cleaning cycle. It takes about 600 degrees to burn gluten. Aything porous or with cracks, crevices or scratches could be full of gluten.

Great idea with the red for everything! Yeah I'm a little worried about the toaster being an issue, I think I will just get a whole seperate one for me.

kareng Grand Master

Great idea with the red for everything! Yeah I'm a little worried about the toaster being an issue, I think I will just get a whole seperate one for me.

I just saw a red one at Target!

Brooksbelle Newbie

Great ideas and I totally need some right now. Just made some regular spaghetti for the kids for dinner (first time since I went gluten-free) and whoops--had bitten and swallowed a tiny little piece (how I use to test for al dente. *&^%! I can already feel my tummy rebelling.

Going to have to come up with some better ideas?

Hadn't thought about the toaster. Anybody here do okay with using the same one as the rest of the family or is cross contamination a big problem for pretty much everybody?

kareng Grand Master

Great ideas and I totally need some right now. Just made some regular spaghetti for the kids for dinner (first time since I went gluten-free) and whoops--had bitten and swallowed a tiny little piece (how I use to test for al dente. *&^%! I can already feel my tummy rebelling.

Going to have to come up with some better ideas?

Hadn't thought about the toaster. Anybody here do okay with using the same one as the rest of the family or is cross contamination a big problem for pretty much everybody?

When I make regular pasta, one of the gluten eaters has to come & test the pasta.

Toasters are so full of crumbs.... :ph34r: And so cheap!


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



Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):



psawyer Proficient

Hadn't thought about the toaster. Anybody here do okay with using the same one as the rest of the family or is cross contamination a big problem for pretty much everybody?

Toasters fill with crumbs and are just about impossible to clean. The wires that keep the toast upright and away from the elements pick up matter from what is toasted between them. Crumbs come off what is being toasted and end up everywhere.

I'm in Canada. I can buy a two-slice toaster at Canadian Tire (don't be fooled by the name, it's a department store these days) for 7.99. Name brand Black & Decker 2-slice for 19.99. Spend the money and be safe. :)

love2travel Mentor

Toasters fill with crumbs and are just about impossible to clean. The wires that keep the toast upright and away from the elements pick up matter from what is toasted between them. Crumbs come off what is being toasted and end up everywhere.

I'm in Canada. I can buy a two-slice toaster at Canadian Tire (don't be fooled by the name, it's a department store these days) for 7.99. Name brand Black & Decker 2-slice for 19.99. Spend the money and be safe. :)

I totally agree. It is not worth the risk! I bought toaster bags to take along with me when my husband and I travel (i.e. self catering). They can be used 50 times each and there are four to a bag for maybe $5-$7. Pretty cool if you have Udi's bread and crave toast!

Brooksbelle Newbie

Ok--will definitely do the separate toaster thing!

And the spaghetti thing was just a dumb-blonde moment, it's amazing what you can do on autopilot and multitasking! (Oh and tummy really unhappy now. Took some activated charcoal as soon as I realized what I'd done, but it doesn't seem to be mitigating my reaction.) Lesson Learned!!

Anybody have any luck with cleaning their bread maker thoroughly? I have a Zojirushi and want to dedicate it just to being gluten free. Maybe I need to replace the O-rings and just really deep clean it and then make it off-limits for the rest of the family.

Thanks again for the help and suggestions. =) There's so much to learn about making a safe eating environment for myself.

violentlyserene Rookie

The toaster bags is a brilliant idea. I don't really eat toasted things much but that will really come in handy if we travel to my mothers this fall.

cait Apprentice

I got red colored tape, spatulas, etc. Even a red toaster & cutting board & colander. Red is for gluten free only! Red is for cutting cheese slices before touching the crackers. Because lots of stuff is gluten-free, my red gets used a lot. I use the red tape on the lids of my butter, PB, jelly, etc. It show up better than a label. I would worry that someone putting gluten bread in the toaster might drop a crumb in the other side. Do the bottoms all meet to contain the crumbs? I get plastic containers with red lids. Also, glass ones seem to clean well.

Stainless should be ok if scrubbed. Cast iron has pores so it can contain gluten. Some people put them in the oven during a cleaning cycle. It takes about 600 degrees to burn gluten. Aything porous or with cracks, crevices or scratches could be full of gluten.

Red is the gluten-free color at our house too! And hot pink duct tape on lids. Wheee. We even managed to find red striped dishtowels at Ikea. We've also started to really limit how much gluten is consumed in our house, especially by the little ones, who get it everywhere. Good luck. This is a tricky thing to figure out. I certainly don't have the answer yet.

love2travel Mentor

The toaster bags is a brilliant idea. I don't really eat toasted things much but that will really come in handy if we travel to my mothers this fall.

That is a perfect situation in which to use them! :P

Archived

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

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Celiac.com:
    Join eNewsletter
    Donate

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):
    Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):





    Celiac.com Sponsors (A17-M):




  • Recent Activity

    1. - trents replied to colinukcoeliac's topic in Gluten-Free Restaurants
      3

      What should I expect from a UK restaurant advertising / offering "Gluten Free" food

    2. - Scott Adams replied to colinukcoeliac's topic in Gluten-Free Restaurants
      3

      What should I expect from a UK restaurant advertising / offering "Gluten Free" food

    3. - Scott Adams replied to Colleen H's topic in Coping with Celiac Disease
      4

      Barilla gluten free pasta

    4. - knitty kitty commented on Scott Adams's article in Latest Research
      2

      Do Severe Symptoms at Celiac Diagnosis Predict Long-Term Health? (+Video)

    5. - knitty kitty replied to hjayne19's topic in Post Diagnosis, Recovery & Treatment of Celiac Disease
      33

      Insomnia help

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):
  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      133,477
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748

    Matt Johnston
    Newest Member
    Matt Johnston
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):
  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.6k
    • Total Posts
      1m
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):
  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • trents
      Welcome to the the celiac.com community @colinukcoeliac! I am in the USA but I don't think it is any different here in my experience. In some large cities there are dedicated gluten free restaurants where only gluten free ingredients are found. However, there are a growing number of mainstream eatery chains that advertise gluten free menu items but they are likely cooked and prepared along with gluten containing foods. They are just not set up to offer a dedicated gluten free cooking, preparation and handling environment. There simply isn't space for it and it would not be cost effective. And I think you probably realize that restaurants operate on a thin margin of profit. As the food industry has become more aware of celiac disease and the issue of cross contamination I have noticed that some eateries that used to offer "gluten free" menu items not have changed their terminology to "low gluten" to reflect the possibility of cross contamination.  I would have to say that I appreciate the openness and honesty of the response you got from your email inquiry. It also needs to be said that the degree of cross contamination happening in that eatery may still allow the food they advertise as gluten free to meet the regulatory standards of gluten free advertising which, in the USA is not more than 20ppm of gluten. And that is acceptable for most celiacs and those who are gluten sensitive. Perhaps you might suggest to the eatery that they add a disclaimer about cross contamination to the menu itself.
    • Scott Adams
      This is a very common source of frustration within the celiac community. Many restaurants, including large chain restaurants, now offer a "gluten-free" menu, or mark items on their menu as gluten-free. Some of them then include a standard CYA disclaimer like what you experienced--that they can't guarantee your food will be gluten-free. Should they even bother at all? This is a good question, and if they can't actually deliver gluten-free food, should they even be legally allowed to make any claims around it?  Personally I view a gluten-free menu as a basic guide that can help me order, but I still explain that I really have celiac disease and need my food to be gluten-free. Then I take some AN-PEP enzymes when my food arrives just in case there may be contamination. So far this has worked for me, and for others here. It is frustrating that ordering off a gluten-free menu doesn't mean it's actually safe, however, I do feel somewhat thankful that it does at least signal an awareness on their part, and an attempt to provide safe food. For legal reasons they likely need to add the disclaimer, but it may also be necessary because on a busy night, who knows what could happen?
    • Scott Adams
      That is a very old study that concludes "Hypothetically, maize prolamins could be harmful for a very limited subgroup of CD patients", and I've not seen any substantive studies that support the idea that corn would be a risk for celiacs, although some people with celiac disease could have a separate intolerance to it, just like those without celiac disease might have corn intolerance.
    • knitty kitty
      @cristiana,  It's the same here, doctors check just Vitamin D and B12 routinely.  The blood tests for other B vitamins are so inaccurate, or expensive and time consuming, doctors tend to gloss over their importance.   B vitamins are water soluble and easily excreted in urine.  Some people need to be careful with Pyridoxine B6 because they can store it longer than most due to genetics.  A symptom of Pyridoxine B6 deficiency is peripheral neuropathy.  Taking Pyridoxine B6 will relieve the neuropathy, but excess Pyridoxine can also cause peripheral neuropathy.  So, if neuropathy symptoms return, stop taking the Pyridoxine and it will resolve quickly as the excess Pyridoxine is used.  But the body still needs the other B vitamins, so taking them separately without Pyridoxine can be an option.   If one is low in Vitamin D, one may also be low in the other fat soluble vitamins, A, E, and K.  Vitamin K is important to bone and circulatory  health.  Vitamin A helps improve the health of the intestine, eyes, skin and other mucus membranes.  Vitamin E helps our immune system stay healthy.   Important minerals, iron, magnesium and calcium, as well as a dozen or so trace minerals are important, too.  They need the B vitamins to be utilized, too.   Our gluten free diets can be low in B vitamins.  Our absorption can be affected for many years while we're healing.  Supplementing with B vitamins boosts our absorption and helps our bodies and our brains function at optimal levels.   Hope this helps!
    • Wheatwacked
      Welcome to the forum @colinukcoeliac. Letting them know that they lost a customer because they could not satisfy cross contamination needs may incline them to fix that problem.  It was good of tnem to alert you.  The more they know...
×
×
  • 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.