Those were my feelings exactly. I worry about what happens when studies like this are misinterpreted. I think they need to be followed up with how to apply what we've learned to everyday life safely and successfully.
Those were my feelings exactly. I worry about what happens when studies like this are misinterpreted. I think they need to be followed up with how to apply what we've learned to everyday life safely and successfully.
I don't think it's bad to perform studies like this, but I do think the results can be more harmful than helpful depending on who's lap the information falls in. This study is interesting, but is it useful or helpful to people cooking at home or at restaurants? In my opinion it is not. I think it could even give false hope to celiacs who might read it and think it's ok to trust a restaurant with food prep, or make people feel more relaxed about cross contamination. I don't know how most celiacs feel but the only thing that would make me feel more relaxed about cross contamination is if everyone was more well educated about gluten allergies and how they work.
5ppm, 10ppm, 20 ppm, this is not basic knowledge for most people. It's not helpful to most people to talk about a food item being under 20ppm or not. What we really need to do is teach people how to properly clean. How to use their eyes to check a fork while it's being washed, to see if it has any food stuck to it. We need to teach people how to take their time and be meticulous about removing gluten from a countertop, dishes, or sponge. It just take a little work and a little effort. We need to teach restaurants and bars NOT to label menu items gluten-free if they don't have a dedicated prep area. They need to understand basic hand washing, outfit and apron changes, etc, how to be really careful if they are preparing both gluten-free and non gluten-free items.
Honestly for me it comes down to just use your eyeballs! If you see gluten, wipe it off. If you see crumbs on a plate and you're not sure what it is, scrape it off. There is no need for separate plates and utensils in your own home if stuff is cleaned properly. I do think in your own home if you have to be meticulous and careful every day, that is very stressful, so I think everyone needs to help out, or everyone needs to be ok with the household being mostly gluten free. Don't eat at restaurants unless you know the owner's level of knowledge (like they have celiacs or their wife has celiacs etc etc).
Cleanliness (to the extent celiacs need) and food prep dedication is really difficult and probably not cost effective for most restaurants. Not to mention, purchasing ingredients and understanding certifications and the ppm issues. This is just not feasible for most places. I don't expect this to change any time soon, and I don't think this study helps with these real life issues either.
