Eating gluten-free is a challenge. Eating out is always a risk and requires an entire book to discuss. Most grocers know very little about handling food to avoid gluten contamination. Some in-store bakeries create “gluten-free” products but do not bake them in a gluten-free facility like Madwoman Foods. Most of the time, a thorough cleaning of the equipment will hold contamination to a minimum but there are times when it does not. Does the bakery staff really understand that “gluten-free” means absolutely no gluten flour on counters, equipment, pots, pans, utensils? We’ve found some in-store bakeries baking gluten-free muffins and the staff doesn't even know what gluten is!!
We offer free training and literature to store staff on how to handle food to avoid gluten contamination. Simple things like keeping conventional glutenous products, from baked goods to pre-breaded meats, in separate dedicated areas where they will have less chance of mistakenly mingling.
Pay attention when in markets, and try to notice:
- Did the meat person change gloves after handling breaded meats?
- Was the scale properly cleaned or protected?
- Are tongs, that are shared with gluten-infested products, used to grab the self-service muffins?
- What about the salad bars where the person before you used the sunflower seed spoon for croutons?
Cross
contamination is extremely easy. That’s
why Madwoman Foods securely wraps all of our
products to prevent contamination
in the store.
Some tips
for people living a gluten-free lifestyle who are living in the same
house as gluten-eaters:
- use separate toasters (yes, there is gluten-free bread available; usually in the freezer at natural food stores)
- use separate
butter, mayonnaise, jam, peanut butter... anything where a utensil
can “double
dip” from
gluten bread back into the jar.
never put your food on the counter... always use a clean plate and utensils. How do you know some big fat piece of gluten bread hadn’t just vacated that counter space? - always share your Madwoman Foods tea cakes and frozen pizza with the gluten-eaters... soon they’ll be gluten-free too!!