Bulk Barn - Ontario

[Reba32]

For a recent family lunch, a cousin of mine went to bulk barn, saw some gluten free all purpose flour and decided "oh, I'll make Becky some gluten free bread for our lunch!". Which she was going to go home and make in her bread maker, where she makes her regular bread every day! (I have since educated her on cross contamination from bread machines)

But then she emailed me and said that her bread maker's user guide suggested that she would need some xanthan gum, so she went back to the Bulk Barn and saw the price of it and said "nope, Becky can make her own bread!" So, she gave me the bag of bulk gluten free all purpose flour. Which I am deathly afraid of! I have avoided the Bulk Barn entirely since my diagnosis!

Has anyone used the gluten-free bulk products from the Bulk Barn and been ok? Or should I just give it to someone who isn't afraid of it? (plus, I'm also a low-carber, so not only does the cross contamination issue scare me, but the carb count of these flours is frightening!)

[psawyer]

Bulk Barn is a chain of franchised outlets. They have a lot of gluten-free products, some packaged, some in bulk. Unfortunately, without knowing the exact location where the purchase was made, the safety can not be judged.

I was in one recently, and all of the gluten-free flours were together in a section which contained nothing else, and which was at the front of the store separated from everything else. But, I have been in other locations where that was not true. The layout and awareness level varies.

We were actually looking for chickpea flour, but did not buy any because it was in the general flour section close to the barley.

[sora]

I am very sensitive and have tried my local bulk barn and it's been fine. I go to the one at Gloucester Shopping Centre, or South Keys Ottawa. All the gluten-free stuff is on the opposite side of the store from gluten stuff near the front. I have only bought the bulk stuff because I am staying away from packaged for now. I really like their pancake blend.

It's much cheaper that anywhere else I can find.

Maybe you can find out which store?

[kmag]

My Bulk Barn has all the flours in the same section with the gluten-free ones marked as such. I once bought the gluten-free cornbread mix from the bulk bin and it did upset my belly, but to be fair, lots of gluten-free grains/breads don't agree with me. My mom was told to stay away from the bulk bins as cc was an issue. I'd give the flour away or just throw it out.

[Reba32]

I don't know which store she bought it in, I will have to ask her. The only Bulk Barn I've been in since diagnosis had the gluten free flours directly UNDER the gluteny flours, with a shared! scoop! so I've just avoided them all for fear of cross contamination.

[Reba32]

ok, she said she got the flour at the BB in Quinte, and that the gluten-free section is entirely removed from the regular gluteny section.

I feel a little bit better, but I still think I will give it to my Celiac friend who isn't afraid of carbs