Re: kitchen cross contamination

[Guest guest]

One thing to consider, Alison, is the level of sensitivity to gluten and the nature of your response. Small levels of gluten seem to aggravate my wife's celiac (severe anemia), so we have dispensed with almost all gluten-containing products in our kitchen. I just have wheat bread and cereal, and I wash all surfaces, dishes, and tools that I use with them.If you do not have a response to small amounts of gluten in your environment, than simple washing of dishes, surfaces, and tools may be all that is necessary.If you have a more severe reaction, then, providing you have the storage in the kitchen, I would suggest a separate cabinet to keep all the dishes, tools, cutting board, sponge, etc. uncontaminated. It's just easier. You--and they--don't have to think each time

about what is being used to prepare foods. HogleFreelance academic librarianInstructor, online researchEmail: jjhogle@...Web: (under de- and re-construction) www.blueroom.comReality ain't what you think it isArt Graphics & Photographs[http://www.blueroom.com/realityaint.htm]From: alisonjhughes25 <alison.j.hughes@...> Sent: Fri, March 5, 2010 10:59:01 AMSubject: [ ] kitchen cross contamination

Hi All,

I'm newly diagnosed and a new member. I am wondering if anyone can give tips on setting up my kitchen. I'm just out of grad school, living in SF with 3 other non-celiac housemates.. . So I'm going to have to take some measures to make sure we don't have cross-contamination in our house. I'm thankful my housemates are all very understanding of the matter. My nutritionist gave me some tips about using my own kitchen sponge and dish towel. And I've read to get my own toaster, pasta strainer, pasta pot and cooking utensils. But I'm wondering about this: why the separate "gluten-free" sponge if I'm eating off plates and using forks that were probably used before by another housemate? Do I just need all my own kitchen-ware? I'm wondering how far I need to go to prevent contamination, but also want to be respectful towards my housemates and try to not make this situation more difficult for them.

[Guest guest]

Sometimes I live in a house that I keep GF. Sometimes I live in a house I share with a couple of non-GF relatives. In the shared house, I mark any condiments that call for a spoon or knife. For example, mustard that I use is green taped. That used by non-GFs is supposed to get red tape. The same goes for butter, jam, etc. We each have our own supplies of these things.

In the GF/non-GF house, we have separate pans for GF food, just in case of cross-contamination. Washing well keeps stainless steel GF, but we decided it's easier just to have dedicated pans and skip the worry.

When non-GF relatives come to my GF house, if they want gluten bread, cereal, pasta, it stays in dedicated plastic containers, marked with red tape.

And, of course, GF and non-GF don't share toasters, teflon pans, wooden spoons, or bread-makers.

Do you know about Toasta-Bags? They allow you to put your GF toast into a non-GF toaster.

Watch out for crumbs that fall into the flatware drawer.

We are very careful about wiping down counters. As you're the minority in your shared household, it would be a good idea to always cover the counter with paper towels or parchment paper before working on a counter, and to wash off the cutting boards before using. Crumbs happen.

Depending on how your household operates and whether it has a dishwasher, you might want to set yourself up a "picnic basket" of flatware, a plate or two, basic sharp knife, saucepan, that sort of thing. I've lived in communal houses; sometimes members' good intentions don't follow through.

If you share a bathroom, keep your toothbrush put away in case of mistakes.

-----Original Message-----

From: j. hogle <jjhogle@...>

Sent: Fri, Mar 5, 2010 6:40 pm

Subject: Re: [ ] kitchen cross contamination

One thing to consider, Alison, is the level of sensitivity to gluten and the nature of your response. Small levels of gluten seem to aggravate my wife's celiac (severe anemia), so we have dispensed with almost all gluten-containing products in our kitchen. I just have wheat bread and cereal, and I wash all surfaces, dishes, and tools that I use with them.

If you do not have a response to small amounts of gluten in your environment, than simple washing of dishes, surfaces, and tools may be all that is necessary.

If you have a more severe reaction, then, providing you have the storage in the kitchen, I would suggest a separate cabinet to keep all the dishes, tools, cutting board, sponge, etc. uncontaminated. It's just easier. You--and they--don't have to think each time

about what is being used to prepare foods.

HogleFreelance academic librarianInstructor, online researchEmail: jjhogle Web: (under de- and re-construction) www.blueroom.com

Reality ain't what you think it is

Art Graphics & Photographs

[http://www.blueroom.com/realityaint.htm]

From: alisonjhughes25 <alison.j.hughesgmail>

Sent: Fri, March 5, 2010 10:59:01 AM

Subject: [ ] kitchen cross contamination

Hi All,

I'm newly diagnosed and a new member. I am wondering if anyone can give tips on setting up my kitchen. I'm just out of grad school, living in SF with 3 other non-celiac housemates.. . So I'm going to have to take some measures to make sure we don't have cross-contamination in our house. I'm thankful my housemates are all very understanding of the matter. My nutritionist gave me some tips about using my own kitchen sponge and dish towel. And I've read to get my own toaster, pasta strainer, pasta pot and cooking utensils. But I'm wondering about this: why the separate "gluten-free" sponge if I'm eating off plates and using forks that were probably used before by another housemate? Do I just need all my own kitchen-ware? I'm wondering how far I need to go to prevent contamination, but also want to be respectful towards my housemates and try to not make this situation more difficult for them.