Re: Cross Contamination issues

[Guest guest]

> Date: Wed, 21 Feb 2001 11:43:57 -0500

> From: sharon.morris@...

> Subject: Contamination Issues

>

> Help! where do I go for supportive literature about cross

> contamination concerning gluten.

>

> Specifically about gluten from food handlers who handle wheated food

> items and then handle gluten free food items which they then hand to

> my son.

> HELP!!!!!!!

> Sharon in Virginia

>

I don't have scientific information although there may be some posted

with the explanation of the diet on the GFCFKids diet page or maybe at

other sites for celiacs but I have a very good friend who wanted so much

to help my son eat things other than his limited few. She baked cookies

every time we came, using gf flours, being careful to buy only the brands

I knew were safe. She often mixed the ingredients by hand as she and I

both felt his first episodes of explosive bowels was possibly from the

gluten in her vents in her mixer. She tended to use wooden spoons for

mixing them (these had been through her dishwasher) and when she cooled

them, she often laid them on wire racks which were a bit too large for

her to soak thoroughly in her sink, even though she brushed them off

extra before laying his cookies on them. But he still had explosive

bowels before we left her home every time. I appreciated so much her

attempts and looked forward to her treats although he rarely

ate more than one or two cookies each time -- it was the fact she made

him feel special by making something special for him that blessed him I

think. She'd always send the rest of the batch home with us but my

husband ate them to prevent more bowel problems than my son was already

dealing with. My friend would Never have carelessly mixed in any gluten

but it probably was the wooden spoon, possibly plastic measuring devices?

and contact with the cooling racks which probably had not been thoroughly

washed after she cooled bread, etc on them.

Thankfully my friend gave up after a couple dozen attempts. The next

many times we went my son would ask why she didn't have cookies for him

and it was embarrassing as I was secretly thankful she'd stopped and she

and I would try to come up with a good excuse as I pulled out a ziploc of

cookies from home for him to share with his friend (who thought gfcf

cookies were even better than her mom's! and her mom has done

professional baking in her home!)

Carol in Oregon