Cross-Contamination Considerations

[kaygato]

I've been on the gluten free diet for about 3 months and I'm not feeling that much better. I'm avoiding a couple other things as well (I'm on a doctor prescribed elimination diet), but am especially concerned about the gluten. I know from the enterolabs test that I'm sensitive.

I haven't bothered to think of cross contamination a lot because just sticking to the diet has been enough of a challenge. I guess considering my antibodies to gliadin weren't that high and I don't have clear symptoms when I eat gluten, that I have a hard time believing I really need to be that careful.

As an example, would dipping a gluten free communion wafer into a glass of wine that has breadcrumbs in it be a no-no? I've found a substitute for the bread, but I hadn't thought about the wine.

[Di2011]

For me dipping a gluten-free anything into something that is gluten contaminated would be a disaster. (Presuming you are catholic) You should talk to your church and they should accommodate your needs. It could be as simple as you having a seat up front and going to the front of the line. Don't be shy. Look after your health and your religion shouldn't let you down.

[dilettantesteph]

I don't think that you even need to be super sensitive for that to be a problem.

[IrishHeart]

I don't think that you even need to be super sensitive for that to be a problem.

Absolutely agree with this thought.

CC is CC.

You need to avoid dipping the communion wafer. It's the same as someone dipping a wheat thin into the onion dip and you using a gluten-free cracker and doing the same.

[T.H.]

If extra care is taken about the wine and that doesn't solve the problem, you may want to investigate the wafers as well for potential cross-contamination issues.

What steps are taken during communion to ensure that your wafers are not coming into contact with gluten? Do you pick it up yourself from a special plate, or does someone who has been handling the gluten wafers hand it to you? Are they stored separately from the gluten wafers? That might be worth checking.

If you are Catholic, this article may be of interest as well:

https://www.celiac.com/articles/22314/1/New-Communion-Wafer-a-Blessing-for-Catholics-with-Gluten-sensitivity/Page1.html

While some churches allow gluten free communion wafers that are not wheat-based, the Catholic church does not. Most Catholics may do well on the low gluten wafers (they are actually not gluten free, as they are 100 ppm or so), but as it mentions in the article, individual sensitivity may vary.

[kaygato]

Thanks everyone! I'm planning on not dipping the wafer into the wine this Sunday. Also, I know that it's 100% gluten free.

[Di2011]

You might still want to check with the supplier of the wafers about the 100% gluten free. Best to be assured by the supplier that their suppliers are gluten free.

I'm a DH/super sensitive so maybe I am (ie need to be) a bit paranoid compared to regular gluten-free'ers

[Di2011]

Oh and blessings to you. I'm not a church frequenter but I know how much it means to you. Keep your church safe for you and your church will keep you safe.