Post by kickingfrog on Feb 5, 2011 15:54:17 GMT
Advice from CUK re gluten cross contamination
The treatment for coeliac disease is a life long gluten-free diet.
This means removing all sources of gluten from the diet, including breadcrumbs made from wheat, rye and barley.
The reaction to eating gluten varies between individuals. In some it may trigger immediate symptoms that last several days, whilst in others no symptoms are experienced. However, even if no symptoms are experienced, eating gluten will damage the gut, the effects of which will depend on the amount of gluten consumed and your individual sensitivity to gluten. However, if you make the occasional mistake and eat gluten by accident, it is unlikely to cause lasting gut damage.
Gluten contamination is a major concern for people with coeliac disease. It is essential that care is taken to avoid contamination with foods that contain gluten in a variety of production environments.
Cross-contamination can occur in storage, preparation and serving. Here are some tips to help prevent the problem occurring:
- gluten-free foods must never be prepared on a wheat-floured surface or in a floury atmosphere
- wash down surfaces before preparing gluten-free food
- wash hands before handling gluten-free food (especially after other food preparation)
- use separate utensils, for example, a separate toaster for gluten-free bread, separate bread boards, separate containers for butter, margarine, chutney, pickle, jam etc, as knives can transfer crumbs from regular bread
- cook and serve gluten-free foods in separate dishes
- do not deep-fry gluten-free foods in oil which has been used for foods that contain gluten such as batters or breadcrumb coatings.
After you have eaten gluten you may suffer from diarrhoea or vomiting so it is essential to keep yourself well hydrated by drinking lots of water. Some people also find that taking medication to treat constipation, diarrhoea or headaches can ease symptoms, so speak to your pharmacist or GP. The most important thing is to get back onto your gluten-free diet to try to prevent further symptoms.
I hope this is useful.
With kind regards,
Nicola Crawford-Taylor
Dietitian
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