Do Grains Have To Be "certified Gluten-Free"?

[Minette]

Our family eats a lot of brown rice (and even more since my daughter's diagnosis). Do I need to be seeking out certified gluten-free rice, or is just a bag of regular rice OK? (I know it's not safe from the bulk bins.) What about quinoa, or corn tortillas?

[sa1937]

I just buy regular rice and don't worry about it (I don't buy bulk anything). Mission brand corn tortillas are made on dedicated lines so a lot of us use them. For quinoa Ancient Harvest needs no pre-rinsing and is marked gluten-free on the box.

[Adalaide]

Not only do I not buy certified gluten free grains (other than oatmeal) but I buy most in bulk. We have three local stores that sell in bulk, one isn't really safe, they have small bins which all have scoops and everything is easily contaminated. I skip their bulk section. The other two primarily use the large bins where you pull a handle and the food comes out a shoot into your bag. Those are super because some moron can't be double dipping their wheat flour scooper into my rice flour or something.

All three stores offer a 10% discount off their prices if I buy an unopened box of something. I suppose it's a lot less work to have someone grab that out of the back rather than having someone refill those bins all the time. So if you have a store that will just do that for you, it's a good way to be able to buy in bulk safely and save even more! My husband won't touch quinoa so I'm pretty sure that 25 pound box is probably a lifetime supply. I also buy exclusively Mission tortillas, although one of these days I'll be in our local Hispanic market at a time of day they're still making tortillas so I can find out if they make the wheat and corn ones separately. They always smell and look so yummy!

[irish daveyboy]

Not only do I not buy certified gluten free grains (other than oatmeal) but I buy most in bulk. We have three local stores that sell in bulk, one isn't really safe, they have small bins which all have scoops and everything is easily contaminated. I skip their bulk section. The other two primarily use the large bins where you pull a handle and the food comes out a shoot into your bag. Those are super because some moron can't be double dipping their wheat flour scooper into my rice flour or something.

All three stores offer a 10% discount off their prices if I buy an unopened box of something. I suppose it's a lot less work to have someone grab that out of the back rather than having someone refill those bins all the time. So if you have a store that will just do that for you, it's a good way to be able to buy in bulk safely and save even more! My husband won't touch quinoa so I'm pretty sure that 25 pound box is probably a lifetime supply. I also buy exclusively Mission tortillas, although one of these days I'll be in our local Hispanic market at a time of day they're still making tortillas so I can find out if they make the wheat and corn ones separately. They always smell and look so yummy!

All grains have the capacity of cross-contamination, at harvest, in processing or packing.

Grains that are certified gluten free are far more expensive because of the cost of testing at all the various stages.

Depending on your sensitivity, you may or may not show an outward sign of a reaction, but it's what's happening inside that counts.

People that say I don't have any reactions and I use it all the time, cannot stand by that statement unless they have had a colonoscopy after prelonged use and there is no damage to their villi.

(In my opinion) it's unlikely people will have colonoscopies every time they use a NON certified grain, flour or product.

[kareng]

All grains have the capacity of cross-contamination, at harvest, in processing or packing.

Grains that are certified gluten free are far more expensive because of the cost of testing at all the various stages.

Depending on your sensitivity, you may or may not show an outward sign of a reaction, but it's what's happening inside that counts.

People that say I don't have any reactions and I use it all the time, cannot stand by that statement unless they have had a colonoscopy after prelonged use and there is no damage to their villi.

(In my opinion) it's unlikely people will have colonoscopies every time they use a NON certified grain, flour or product.

Hi David. I think you meant endoscopies not colonoscopies. I'm only clarifying that as we have seen that a lot of American GI docs seem to not understand that Celiac is in the small intestine (endoscopy) rather than the large (colonoscopy).

[irish daveyboy]

Hi David. I think you meant endoscopies not colonoscopies. I'm only clarifying that as we have seen that a lot of American GI docs seem to not understand that Celiac is in the small intestine (endoscopy) rather than the large (colonoscopy).

Mea Culpa, of course you're correct.

You haven't questioned my logic, so I assume that part makes sense.

[bartfull]

All grains have the capacity of cross-contamination, at harvest, in processing or packing.

Grains that are certified gluten free are far more expensive because of the cost of testing at all the various stages.

Depending on your sensitivity, you may or may not show an outward sign of a reaction, but it's what's happening inside that counts.

People that say I don't have any reactions and I use it all the time, cannot stand by that statement unless they have had a colonoscopy after prelonged use and there is no damage to their villi.

(In my opinion) it's unlikely people will have colonoscopies every time they use a NON certified grain, flour or product.

And THAT'S the reason I wish I could have been tested. When people ask whether they should get tested or just go gluten-free, I am torn. Knowing what a bad track record doctors in general have when it comes to testing and diagnosing, I think, "Why pay some clueless doctor who won't know enough to do it right anyway?" But I also will always wonder if I am glutening myself and doing damage. It would be SO NICE to know for certain.