Wheat allergies

[Guest guest]

I am glad you posted the distinction between a wheat allergy and gluten intolerance. They are a whole different thing and a lot of people, not referring to this list, do not understand that. People who have not experienced a life threatening allergy often do not "get it". Cross contamination can be deadly. I have had relatives tell me my allergies are all in my head because I do not "like" things. I had a friend (now ex friend) nearly kill me because she was going to do me a favor and prove to me that I was not allergic to shellfish by burying it in a chicken salad with plans to enlighten me later with what I had eaten. The ER was barely able to resuscitate me, thank God for epipens. It only took one bite for my windpipe to swell shut. Wheat allergies can do the same thing. Very serious stuff.1a. Re: Newbie looking for bread (Dry container) recipies Posted by: "" berrywell@... berrywell Date: Wed Mar 28, 2012 5:26 am ((PDT))Sadly, I "got the information" about Bob's Red Mill by landing in the emergency room with a severe allergic reaction (I am celiac AND have a TRUE wheat allergy-two very different things) Years ago, I contacted Bob's and was told flat out by their customer service rep that SHE wouldn't even consume their products, as the cross contamination was an issue for her too. Like most companies, Bob's follows FDA guidelines that allow a food to be labeled "gluten free" if it contains "less than 20PPM of the contaminant. For someone with celiac, or just trying to avoid gluten, this may not be an issue, but with a true allergy, ANY "ppm" is too much. If you have ever baked a cake in your kitchen, you know how impossible it is to handle flour without some of it flying around as dust and settling on your kitchen counter. This is similar to how it works in a factory processing other grains or allergens-if it is being processed on the same equipment, there WILL be cross contamination. Bt their OWN admission, Bob's does process these other grains, and they "source" their grains from companies that are not dedicated gluten free. My understanding is that they have made some improvments over the years, and I have heard good things about their gluten free oats, but because of how they are sources, I simply can't take that risk. Keep in mind that cross contamination starts in the growing field-if a combine that harvested the wheat growing next door, harvests the oats and loads them on to the the same truck that carried the wheat, there WILL be cross contamination issues. Again, they may have drastically improved over the years, but for those of us with a TRUE ALLERGY, that isn't enough. I have to go to great lengths to find my various grains from sources that process JUST that grain-not easy to do since many companies grow and process other grains (or allergens such as corn and soy) rather than doing just once specific grain. In my network of contacts with people with TRUE allergies, all of us have had problems with commercially avalable, pre ground grains...which is why we all rely on our Vitamix to make our own! :)Pat Sannwww.perceptionsinwatercolor.com