Chipotle

[grantschoep]

What is all gluten free at Chipotle, I was diagnosed with celiac about 2 months ago and now am really craving burrito's again. I know people have listed Chipotle as a place that we should be able to eat at.

I was wondering what all is gluten free? Assuming all the tortillas are out, are all their meat/salsa's gluten free? I love the steak/carne asada burrito, I'd love to get that, even though I'd have to skip the tortilla, I just know it has some marinate on it as was wondering if that was gluten free.

[lovegrov]

Last I checked, everything was gluten-free except the tortillas and the hottest salsa.

richard

[liz0324]

I have read that too.

[grantschoep]

Cool, I did like their hottest salsa, drat. Oh well. It still is pretty cool I can eat the rest. I know where I am going for Lunch tomorrow!

I'll miss my tortilla though...

-grant

[terri]

Be careful that they don't handle a flour tortilla and then pick up your lettuce with the same hands. You might want to ask for a clean pair of gloves. If you go on their website they mention how the risk for cross contamination is strong. I ate there once with no problem but I was the first one through the door when it opened and thus had the "clean glove" approach. Another thing you might do is order the bol with rice and not lettuce. They use a spoon for the rice so it's safer. Good luck!

[VegasCeliacBuckeye]

Bring your own Tortillas or Taco Shells.

I did and it was great!

Bronco

[frenchiemama]

About the hottest tomatillo salsa - it contains distilled vinegar, but no other gluten ingredients. So if you're ok with distilled vinegar it's ok.

Carolyn,

Yes, that is the only ingredient in the red tomatillo salsa.

-Joe

-----Original Message-----

From: Sent: Thursday, August 04, 2005 1:47 PM

To: Joe Stupp

Subject: Re: Reply from Chipotle

'hot red tomatillo salsa (there is some distilled vinegar in it which some

celiac websites claim is bad and others claim is okay) is gluten free.'

Is that the only ingredient in that salsa that would possibly contain

gluten? Because very recently the "official" word has come down that

distilled vinegars are ok because the gluten proteins are too large to get

through the distillation process. I personally use distilled vinegar all the

time with no trouble.

Carolyn

----- Original Message -----

From: <jstupp@chipotle.com>

To:

Cc: <jstupp@chipotle.com>; <dchrisman@chipotle.com>; <ddillon@chipotle.com>

Sent: Thursday, August 04, 2005 2:35 PM

Subject: Reply from Chipotle

> Carolyn,

>

> Thank you for writing us, and everything we serve except for our large

> burrito tortillas, our small soft taco tortillas, and our hot red

> tomatillo salsa (there is some distilled vinegar in it which some celiac

> websites claim is bad and others claim is okay) is gluten free.

>

> So, you can have our burrito bols, our crispy corn tacos, and our corn

> chips. I hope that helps!

>

> Sincerely,

>

> Joe Stupp

> Manager, Duct Tape and Plungers

> Chipotle

>

>

> ---------------------------------------------------------

> From:

> Phone Number:

> Sent: 8/4/2005 4:13:28 AM

> Store Visited: Madison, WI

> Date Visited:

>

> Comments:

> I would like a list of your gluten free menu items, if possible. Thank you

> very much, Carolyn

[sspitzer5]

I tried eating at Chipolte last night and got sick. Has anyone else gotten sick there? I had a carnitas bol with no sour cream, black beans, mild salsa, cheese. I did have some quacamole and chips too. I watched them make my bol, so I'm sure there was no cross contamination with the flour tortillas. The bols don't even use tortillas or taco shells.

I've read that pre-shredded cheese sometimes has flour on it to keep it from sticking and that it doesn't have to be listed in the ingredients. Wonder if that could be it?

I'd be thrilled to be able to eat there frequently, but definitely don't want to get sick like that again.

Susan

[lovegrov]

Never have found a shredded cheese that has flour to keep it from sticking. Maybe it was true in the past, but now they use cellulose and maybe cornstarch.

Most likely you're the victim of cross contamination. Unfortunately, it can happen anywhere.

richard

[egoslayer1]

I eat at chipotle's about twice a ween and never have any issues.

I know this sounds overly simply, but are you the source of your discomfort was the chipotles? The only reason I mention it is that a lot of times people don't consider the delay in digesting the food.

If I eat contaminated food for lunch on Tue, typically it's about a 24 hr delay, I can only assume because it takes that long for the food to reach that part of the intestines.

I know when I was initially trying to correlate feeling bad with what I ate, it was kindof counter intuitive because when you eat a safe meal on Wed, you push that bad food from Tue through your intestines, so you get sick right after eating the safe food on Wed, making you [think] the safe food Wed was the problem, when in fact is was the food Tue...

Does any of that make sense?

Looking at it another way, if a certain section of the lower intestines is what is reacting to the gluten, if you eat a lunch of break, and pasta, and pizza, it can't possible reach your lower intestines in 30 minutes. You just don't digest that fast. but something in your upper intestines can be pushed down into the lower intestines to make room for the food you just ate, resulting in a gluten reaction.

ES

===

Never have found a shredded cheese that has flour to keep it from sticking. Maybe it was true in the past, but now they use cellulose and maybe cornstarch.

Most likely you're the victim of cross contamination. Unfortunately, it can happen anywhere.

richard

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

[casnco]

Never have found a shredded cheese that has flour to keep it from sticking. Maybe it was true in the past, but now they use cellulose and maybe cornstarch.

Most likely you're the victim of cross contamination. Unfortunately, it can happen anywhere.

richard

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Richard, I hear what you are saying about digestion and it does take a while for food to totally digest. But I can tell you, when I have made stupid mistakes, like not reading the label and assuming the product is good, I have an immediate reaction. I thought the problem with the gluten occured in the small intestines. The small intestines would be the first point of contact after the stomach.

The last time I made a stupid mistake it was with a vegtable salad. Vegtables digest most directly in the small intestine. Not the stomach. And that is why I believe I do have an immediate reaction.

Anyone out there like to comment? It would be good to understand the whole digestion process better.

Deb

[elonwy]

I spoke to a nurse once in the hospital when my bf found out he had a shellfish allergy ( that was fun!). I asked how long it took for food to go through the entire digestive tract. She replies that normally it was about 3-6 hours, but if your body doesn't like something it can push it through in as little as half an hour!. So if your body is unhappy with something it will react faster to it generally than other food. From mouth to small intestine is about 10-30 minutes in most people, its getting through the rest of everything that takes its time.

Elonwy

[sspitzer5]

I eat at chipotle's about twice a ween and never have any issues.

I know this sounds overly simply, but are you the source of your discomfort was the chipotles? The only reason I mention it is that a lot of times people don't consider the delay in digesting the food.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yeah ES, it could have been something else. I had been glutened a few days before and perhaps it will still lingering there. I usually find that I can pick up a reaction pretty quickly though. But, I haven't figured out how long the gluten will stay in my system.

I've eaten at Chipotle a few more times and not had much issue. I do have a mild reaction when I eat there, but I think whatever reaction I have is not due to gluten in their food.

Susan

[johnnylockjaw]

Out of the last 100 or so times I've eaten here, I've gotten sick maybe once or twice. It could have been cross-contamination, or it could have been something else. Either way, those aren't bad stats considering how gluten sensitive I tend to be. This is one of the safest feeling restaurants I go to, and it's not too expensive.

[VegasCeliacBuckeye]

Spitzer,

Could it have been the tortilla chips?

Were they fried in the same fryer as wheat tortillas or other wheat products?

[lovegrov]

The chips there are fine.

richard

[Claire]

egoslayer1 -

The digestion of food is very individual - as reactions to foods are. 'Average' may be 2-6 hours but people with very slow metabolism may take many many hours. My daughter had a metabolism test that revealed a six hour lapse before digestion even began!

Food reactions that come hours or even days after ingestion may be due Delayed Food Reaction - not a true allergy but with allergy like symptoms that aren't of the 'drop dead peanut' variety. The problem may nnot be gluten at all but some other reactive that you don't know about. Claire

[Noelle126]

I am so excited about this...I didn't know Chipotle was Celiac friendly....YAY

[debbiewil]

sspitzer5,

Could have been the chips. Last time I ate there I ordered the quacomole and chips, and the chips they served were FLOUR tortilla chips, fried up, not corn chips. I just gave them to one of my friends, and stuck to the bol. So there could have been some flour chips, or maybe they fried them up with flour chips, and that's what you got.

Debbie

[lovegrov]

Did you ask how you got flour chips, since they don't carry them? Only their soft tortilla shells are made from flour.

richard

[danikali]

I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK GOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! CHIPOTLE WAS MY FAVORITE RESTURANT BEFORE GOING GLUTEN FREE, I COULD EAT ONE EVERY DAY! I'M HAPPY TO KNOW I CAN STILL GO THERE!

THANKS GUYS!

[jen3899]

I have had some bad reactions to their food before,I think it is all the spices, spices can bother me sometimes, but it is just so good....anyways I was thinking the spoons they use to put the rice, beans, ect. in the bowls are the same ones they use to put them on the flour tortillas, that could be a big deal, if they touch the tortillas with the spoon and then put the spoon back into the pan...I dont know, just and idea.

-Jennifer

[wendyspi]

I was told by one in Colorado, that the only meat that did not contain flour (wheat) was the pork and hard shell tacos. My son who has celiac ate only these items and was fine.

[lovegrov]

They were wrong. All the meat at Chipotle is gluten-free. As are the sauces.

richard

[angel-jd1]

Jessica,

The only items we serve that have gluten in them are our large flour(burrito)

tortillas, our small flour(taco) tortillas, and our hot red tomatillo salsa

which has a small amount of vinegar in it. We have also begun to serve salads

with a Chipotle honey vinaigrette. It has some red wine vinegar in it so you

may want to stay away from it as well.

If your gluten intolerance is high, you should also be aware of potential

crossover from one item on our line to another. For example, the spoon used to

serve our beans could touch someone's tortilla before it is used to serve your

beans. I hope that makes sense and we're able to see you soon.

Sincerely,

Dawn Dillon

Mojo Mama

Chipotle

I had gotten that response from them on October 17th. Hope it helps.

-Jessica