Trader Joe's Shared Facility?

[GlutenFree-MLDub]

I'm pretty sure I've now been glutened twice by Trader Joe's products that were made in shared facilities. How can I know what products I can try? I really don't want to be so vigilant. Once, I marinated chicken with their Romano Caesar dressing. SICK. Very sick. Then, I ate their black bean chili... also made in shared facility with wheat. Again... SICK... and on my birthday too.

How do you decide? I want to stop being cross-contaminated, but making everything from scratch is hard with my schedule.

[eatmeat4good]

I have found that if I am sick I cannot have a busy schedule. I didn't want to be that sensitive either...but I react to everything I have tried that is made in a shared facility. Some of us are lucky enough to draw that Celiac lotto card. It isn't a choice. If you don't want to be sick, you might have to stick to only Cetified Gluten Free with the black gluten-free inside a black circle. That is what I have to do. It's a bit inconvenient, but way better than being sick.

[TiaMichi2]

I'm pretty sure I've now been glutened twice by Trader Joe's products that were made in shared facilities. How can I know what products I can try? I really don't want to be so vigilant. Once, I marinated chicken with their Romano Caesar dressing. SICK. Very sick. Then, I ate their black bean chili... also made in shared facility with wheat. Again... SICK... and on my birthday too.

How do you decide? I want to stop being cross-contaminated, but making everything from scratch is hard with my schedule.

I do not trust any of the Traded Joe's products that say gluten-free, every time I tried them, end up getting sick. I too only stick to Certified gluten-free,some people can tolerate CC, I am one of the "lucky ones" that can not.

One thing I learned since being diagnosed, plan ahead, and yes I make everything from scratch; over all it is a lot healthier, not just gluten-free, but free of other processing chemicals and things that they add to processed foods. The reward has been strong nails, beautiful skin, and an overall feeling of wellness.

It is a big adjustment, but worth it!!!

[GlutenFree-MLDub]

I keep thinking it can't possibly be the food from shared equipment because my TTG antibodies were only mildly elevated when they were. And I had three clean biopsies and a fourth that showed mild flattening and broadening of the villi. I can't seem to accept high sensitivity like this when the tests run on me had trouble finding it. I may have to start a new topic on this, but is there any correlation in test results and sensitivity after going gluten free? It just doesn't make sense to me.

I do a lot of planning ahead, but I planned ahead to sometimes eat things that I had decided were probably safe... like this chili. I've seen the comparisons to help visualize 20ppm and I can't quite get how a half can of chili was contaminated by any more than that. I guess I have to practice my acceptance, but I am working through some other food intolerances and I guess I was hoping maybe it was something else... or that I got contaminated from the salad bar at my office. Those were the only things I ate that weren't prepared in my kitchen and I purposely stayed away from the parts of the salad bar that were near gluten foods. I'm 95% positive it was the chili though because every time I get glutened, my stomach starts grumbling loudly after I've eaten the food and then the next morning is when the serious symptoms kick in... many trips to the bathroom, fatigue, dizziness and depression.

Live and learn...

It would be nice to have a database somewhere that we can all report getting cross-contaminated by packaged foods that are supposed to be safe. I guess the manufacturer can change over time though and it wouldn't be a guarantee. I know there must be safe foods though. I'm not quite sure how to find out if the chili is made next to a line that uses flour or whether it's way across the facility in another section. Or, everyone can stop eating gluten for us.

[Jestgar]

but is there any correlation in test results and sensitivity after going gluten free?

No.

Just as two people can get the same cold virus and have two completely different physical interpretations, how sick you feel has nothing to do with how damaged your body is.

[jerseyangel]

No.

Just as two people can get the same cold virus and have two completely different physical interpretations, how sick you feel has nothing to do with how damaged your body is.

You have that so right, Jess sweetie

I have had Celiac blood work rechecked while in the middle of a reaction. I was not gluten-free for long, and was still making mistakes. I was really ill with my glutening symptoms but my blood work came back perfectly normal. I continue to be very sensitive to cross contamination 7 years into it, and react strongly (but rarely anymore)--have had a follow up endoscopy which was also normal.

[GottaSki]

When first diagnosed I could eat TJ's items that had the shared facility statement - within months I started reacting to them. We no longer purchase any shared facility statement items from any source - it's not worth the risk.