The risk of cross contamination with a coeliac diet.

Now this was something that took me by surprise, just how easy it is to have gluten even though you’ve removed it competely from your diet. Once you commit to this diet & cut out all traces of gluten, even the smallest amount can cause an issue. A sprinkle of ordinary bread crumbs may be enough!

I started doing research when I was initially diagnosed to figure out what this really meant. The dietician mentioned that meals for coeliacs need to be prepared separately, as using the same knife to cut GF bread & regular bread could cause a problem. Some sites mentioned needing a separate toaster, chopping boards, new pots & pans & new utensils!! This was starting to sound expensive, but luckily my household jumped completely on board with me & we’re almost all gluten free at home. Having support at home is essential & another topic which I’ll cover later.

Our house is pretty much free from gluten & products that contain gluten. The other half still drinks beer but I request that he doesn’t lick my face when doing so. I’ve yet to replace utensils & chopping boards (wash everything as you go) as I figure I’ll take this thing one step at a time. If I find that I do have a reaction in ‘the safe zone of my own kitchen” then that’s something I’ll need to address.

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Tips on kitchen sharing between Coeliac & gluten eaters.

If you do have gluten eaters sharing the same cooking space, the advice is have clearly defined gluten free zones. Clearing out one shelf specifically for GF ONLY in the pantry, one shelf in the fridge & one in the freezer. Clearly mark GF products with a sharpie/marker – peanut butter/jam/butter etc. Cross contamination can easily happen here if a knife goes from a non GF container & into a GF container. This is no longer considered safe to use for the coeliac.

Buy different coloured utensils to be used for GF cooking only. Chose a colour theme to keep it consistent so they’re easily identified. Where possible create a GF only work space on a bench.

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Casual dining: what Coeliacs need to consider

Bakeries that produce regular bread & also GF versions will find it quite difficult to avoid cross contamination without vigorous precautions in place. Ask your local baker about their practices.

Cabinet food in cafes – also a potential no go zone for coeliacs. You will need to ask the staff how the food has been prepared. Even if it states it’s GF it may not be safe if the food has been produced or placed next to products containing gluten.

Potluck & BBQs – this is like playing Russian Roulette – all of those delicious looking dishes hanging out together on a big table. Even though people will state their dish is GF, it’s still difficult to trust that it’s been prepared safely. Or the spoon that was scooping up the pasta dish, that’s now used for serving the rice dish, so innocent but could still be a problem depending on your sensitivity. It’s these occasions where coeliacs turn on their ‘spidey-sense’ to anticipate attacks & the presence of enemies. This is my first BBQ’s season as a coeliac… so watch this space for some tips to come.

Hot chips – now this one hurt, not only are my beer drinking days over (let’s not talk about beer festivals!!) but hot chips as well!! Gone are the days of popping out to the local pub for a quick pint & a bowl of chips (yes I’m British). Why are these out, it’s only fried potato right? It’s highly likely that the oil in which they are deep fried will also have been used for gluten (battered) based products. Unless the cafe/bar has a separate fryer which is used for GF products only….. oh well… moving along.

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Recipe for today – Potato Cake

I’m only interested in food that I create from scratch, nothing processed, or pre-made out of a packet. Just good honest food that I know exactly what it contains. This recipe came from a failed attempt at making hashbrowns, which I’ve yet to perfect.

The simple potato cake.

These guys are so easy to make & very versatile, you can simply add to breakfast, lunch or dinner. You can use left over boiled or mashed potato, or if starting from scratch, boil up some spuds. I like to leave the skin on, but that’s totally up to you.

I usually make these for breakfast, with salmon, lettuce & a bit of beetroot humus. If you want to mix this up a bit, you can add small pieces of fried bacon which would work well for dinner with steak, steamed greens & a red wine jus.

Enjoy!!

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