Contamination On Food Boxes

[heidi b]

I am the only non-celiac in our family. Our house is gluten-free. I would like to buy gluten-containing frozen meals on my way to work for my lunches. Other members of the family think there could be gluten on the outside of the food box or that some crumbs might spill out in a wreck. I think that if I keep the food boxes tied up inside a bag while it is in the car that the car should still be safe for the celiacs to ride in. What do you think?

[rosetapper23]

I think you are very conscientious...and that your celiacs are all safe. Just my own opinion....

[Skylark]

I'm celiac and I ride in my friends' cars all the time without worrying about gluten from their groceries. I don't see any issue.

[captaincrab55]

I am the only non-celiac in our family. Our house is gluten-free. I would like to buy gluten-containing frozen meals on my way to work for my lunches. Other members of the family think there could be gluten on the outside of the food box or that some crumbs might spill out in a wreck. I think that if I keep the food boxes tied up inside a bag while it is in the car that the car should still be safe for the celiacs to ride in. What do you think?

IMHO, Show some LOVE for family members and honor their requests... Gluten most likely isn't any good for you either...

[IrishHeart]

I do not see how FROZEN meals, packed inside a plastic bag could possibly have any "loose gluten" on the outside of the package.

I honestly think there is no need to worry about it.

Keep them in a plastic bag in the trunk--if that would make them feel better.

We sometimes purchase gluten-filled groceries for an elderly aunt all the time, and I have no issues whatsoever from it and I am very sensitive to trace gluten.

Her frozen lean cuisines (gasp) even touch my stuff!!!

I would not be inclined to pick up a bag of wheat flour for her, however, as those tend to leak. (Nor would she ask me to.)

And finally, if your car is "in a wreck", your frozen meals possibly opening up and spilling out--is the least of your worries.

Your family is right to be cautious about CC, but in this case, they are being unnecessarily overly-fearful. IMHO

[Gemini]

IMHO, Show some LOVE for family members and honor their requests... Gluten most likely isn't any good for you either...

Talk about guilting people into being overly compliant when there isn't any issue! This has nothing to do with love and not everyone has a problem with gluten. If the food is being carried in a bag from the grocery store, there is no issue at all.

Have some common sense people!

[kareng]

Talk about guilting people into being overly compliant when there isn't any issue! This has nothing to do with love and not everyone has a problem with gluten. If the food is being carried in a bag from the grocery store, there is no issue at all.

Have some common sense people!

I agree! I would think her family buys food from a grocery. Or TP from a Walmart. Do they wash every bag and package before they take it in thier car?I suspect the family just wants to guilt the OP into eating gluten-free away from home. Perhaps they suspect that's for the OP's own good?

[Skylark]

Talk about guilting people into being overly compliant when there isn't any issue! This has nothing to do with love and not everyone has a problem with gluten. If the food is being carried in a bag from the grocery store, there is no issue at all.

Have some common sense people!

The "in a wreck and gluten spilling out" is really over-the-top. I agree with you that capitulating to this and not buying frozen food for work (that isn't even stored in the freezer) is enabling overly fearful behavior. We're in places with gluten all the time like grocery stores, our workplace where people eat bagels and donuts, friends' homes, restaurants, and cars. None of these situations pose any risk unless we're eating the food. (Give or take RARE allergic or anxiety reactions in the bread aisle.) It's important be realistic about what can cause issues for someone with celiac like getting crumbs in the butter, compared to safe things like transporting a boxed frozen dinner in a bag to work. To be completely honest, it occurred to me to wonder how your family would even know?

Heck, last time my picky nephews visited they wanted waffles and I didn't want normal Bisquik in the kitchen. I bought Eggos, kept them in the freezer, cooked them in the toaster oven, and put the toaster oven rack through the dishwasher afterwards. No big deal and I didn't get CC'd. You just have to use common sense.

[IrishHeart]

I tried so hard not use the word "paranoid" in my first reply, but since everyone else is chiming in here...what the heck.

They are being paranoid!!!

We do not know why you are not gluten-free like the rest of your family (and it is none of our business either) but do not let them push you around with guilt, honey.

I was trying to picture any scenario where possible gluten from a frozen meal could harm me as I ride in your car, even if we had a car crash, and having it somehow magically open, defrost, then spill onto the seat and then what? absorb into my butt?? or by some bizarre twist of fate ---fly into mouth?? Ain't gonna happen.

[captaincrab55]

Talk about guilting people into being overly compliant when there isn't any issue! This has nothing to do with love and not everyone has a problem with gluten. If the food is being carried in a bag from the grocery store, there is no issue at all.

Have some common sense people!

Gemini, Do you know what IMHO means??? After suffering with undiagnosed Celiac & DH for 50 plus years, I can call it LOVE.... Some here may not respect my IMHO either, but so be it... Some here haven't suffered enough either... I say, Spread the Love to Family Members...

[squirmingitch]

Have the gluten-free family members ever considered gluten hands touching gluten-free canned goods in the store? Ooooooooo maybe they need to walk around wearing disposable medical gloves so they don't touch anything that gluten hands have touched. Or how about bags of flour breaking & spilling in the store room of the food warehouse or the grocery store back room & flour dust settling on everything in there? Maybe the gluten-free ought to live in a bubble like bubble boy on Seinfeld. Am I being over the top? YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

To the OP, WHATEVER you do, don't DARE mention the scenarios I just put forth --- they are likely to go to those lengths to protect themselves.

I stand with everyone except captaincrab. Take your frozen meals in the bag in the car. The celiacs in your family are being ridiculous.

[Skylark]

Gemini, Do you know what IMHO means??? After suffering with undiagnosed Celiac & DH for 50 plus years, I can call it LOVE.... Some here may not respect my IMHO either, but so be it... Some here haven't suffered enough either... I say, Spread the Love to Family Members...

When I first read the post I was reminded of a friend with OCD I used to help. She was obsessed with the possibility of germs on food boxes and when she shopped she would wear gloves, line the shopping cart with bags, wipe off the conveyer belt at the checkout, and double-bag all her food. She wanted me to do the same when I shopped for her. Her therapist told me shop the way I do for myself and NOT lie to her that I was doing these crazy things. (I was lying to simply get food into her apartment; this woman was severely disabled.) The problem is, if we agree to irrational and fearful requests, we continue to enable and encourage the fear. That's not an act of love. That's lazy and destructive and doesn't allow the people around us to face their fears and grow out of them.

There is NO DANGER to a person with celiac putting a frozen dinner in a bag in the car on the way to work. Period. It's pure irrational fear and the family member who is worried about this really needs a firm and loving reality check. It's stressful enough avoiding situations where there is a real danger of being glutened; creating danger out of safe situations will be detrimental to this person's mental health in the long term.

[captaincrab55]

When I first read the post I was reminded of a friend with OCD I used to help. She was obsessed with the possibility of germs on food boxes and when she shopped she would wear gloves, line the shopping cart with bags, wipe off the conveyer belt at the checkout, and double-bag all her food. She wanted me to do the same when I shopped for her. Her therapist told me shop the way I do for myself and NOT lie to her that I was doing these crazy things. (I was lying to simply get food into her apartment; this woman was severely disabled.) The problem is, if we agree to irrational and fearful requests, we continue to enable and encourage the fear. That's not an act of love. That's lazy and destructive and doesn't allow the people around us to face their fears and grow out of them.

There is NO DANGER to a person with celiac putting a frozen dinner in a bag in the car on the way to work. Period. It's pure irrational fear and the family member who is worried about this really needs a firm and loving reality check. It's stressful enough avoiding situations where there is a real danger of being glutened; creating danger out of safe situations will be detrimental to this person's mental health in the long term.

GOOD, GREAT, but One can do things for the LOVE of family members... REMENBER, I did Post IMHO.... They could do it for Family or just move out.... IMHO....

[bartfull]

And the FAMILY MEMBERS can do things for the LOVE of the OP - like allowing him/her to eat foods containing gluten when there is NO CHANCE of contaminating THEM.

[IrishHeart]

GOOD, GREAT, but One can do things for the LOVE of family members... REMENBER, I did Post IMHO.... They could do it for Family or just move out.... IMHO....

She probably does lots of things for the love of her family, but

transporting a sealed up box of frozen food in her car does not

mean she does not love them.

Suggesting she move out? Now, that's completely over the top here, Capt. Why does she have to do that? Lots of people co-exist safely with GEs.

Come on, now. Let's be reasonable.

[Gemini]

Gemini, Do you know what IMHO means??? After suffering with undiagnosed Celiac & DH for 50 plus years, I can call it LOVE.... Some here may not respect my IMHO either, but so be it... Some here haven't suffered enough either... I say, Spread the Love to Family Members...

If you are going to offer up your IMHO, then be prepared to receive comments. Are you saying that just because you throw that in, I can't make a comment back? Poppycock! Again...new Celiacs need to know this is not an issue. There is no love of family if they are trying to manipulate and guilt another family member into eating "their way". Don't confuse love with control freak behavior.

[anabananakins]

My overactive imagination has conjured up an image of a terrible accident with a chicken nugget delivery truck that left billions of those little frozen crumbed morsels bouncing all over the highway like ping pong balls.

[kareng]

Gemini, Do you know what IMHO means??? After suffering with undiagnosed Celiac & DH for 50 plus years, I can call it LOVE.... Some here may not respect my IMHO either, but so be it... Some here haven't suffered enough either... I say, Spread the Love to Family Members...

But she's not taking it into the home, or eating it infront of them or eating it in the car. It sounds a bit controling on the family's part that she can't eat gluten when she isn't home. Unless they are rifing with her, they wouldn't even know she had the Lean Cuisine or microwave pizza.

[Adalaide]

Since you won't be bringing any gluten into the house I don't see how it's anyone else's business. Honestly, how will they know? And frankly if you are in a wreck that is bad enough to cause your frozen meals to pop open and spill all over your car you have a lot more problems than gluten. I thought I was paranoid but holy crap... do they make you strip naked and deposit your clothes in the garbage can outside if you stopped at McDonald's while you were out? Really though, even if there were somehow CC in your car as long as they aren't licking the seats I don't really see it being a problem.

[Skylark]

Wow, so Heidi please don't think we're all wanting to fight with other when you read this. I notice you're new here and I didn't even welcome you. Welcome to board. Feelings run a little high when it comes to how careful you have to be about gluten. We're usually a much more laid-back bunch!

[IrishHeart]

Well, we are a passionate bunch and the majority of us have told her the frozen items in a bag in the trunk should pose no problem.

Heidi, a bunch of passionate celiacs think it's cool to transport your food in your car. Please tell your family we do not think it's a CC issue.

Hope this helps!!

yes.... and welcome to the Forum!!!!!!

[Lisa]

Wow, so Heidi please don't think we're all wanting to fight with other when you read this. I notice you're new here and I didn't even welcome you. Welcome to board. Feelings run a little high when it comes to how careful you have to be about gluten. We're usually a much more laid-back bunch!

Well said!

[NickMcKinnis]

I was trying to picture any scenario where possible gluten from a frozen meal could harm me as I ride in your car, even if we had a car crash, and having it somehow magically open, defrost, then spill onto the seat and then what? absorb into my butt?? or by some bizarre twist of fate ---fly into mouth?? Ain't gonna happen.

I almost died laughing over this post. Thank you for your wisdom and hilarity.

[IrishHeart]

I almost died laughing over this post. Thank you for your wisdom and hilarity.

You betcha. Gotta keep these things in perspective. yes? Yes.

I see you're "new-ish" too, Nick. Welcome to the Forum!!!

[NickMcKinnis]

You betcha. Gotta keep these things in perspective. yes? Yes.

I see you're "new-ish" too, Nick. Welcome to the Forum!!!

Indeed, and thank you very much! This is not only my first Celiac forum, but my first forum ever!