Cross-Contamination Woes

July 6th, 2012

The weather hasn’t been very kind to us so far this year, but that doesn’t stop the fact that it’s (kinda) summer and we should be as summery as possible – don’t you think..

And, let’s face it, what better way to force your mind into sunny mode than with a delicious G Free salad – it is, after all, National Salad Week from the 9^th-16^th July!

But, while salads may add a little brightness to these grey days they also force many people with Coeliac disease into the dreaded realm of cross-contamination (CC) fear.

We all know that awareness of Coeliac disease amongst non-sufferers isn’t the greatest; in fact many people still believe that you can ‘grow out’ of it when you become an adult, and so they don’t take into consideration the risks when preparing meals.

So what is cross-contamination?

CC is when non-gluten free products come into contact with the G free stuff.

There are loads of ways this can happen in the home.  So, here are our top tips for CC prevention to keep your tum smiling, even if the weather outside is miserable!

• Preparation – don’t prepare any products containing gluten in the same area, or by using the same utensils, as G free.  If you have to prepare on the same surfaces make sure everything is cleansed and disinfected well beforehand.

• See double – that’s right, have two toasters, sieves and any other gear that comes into contact with gluten regularly.  Label them clearly and cleanse the G free utensils thoroughly before and after each use just in case someone’s been sneaky!

• Keep your eyes peeled – Look out from crumbs in condiments like jams, butter or dips, especially if you live in a shared household.  Why not have a clean container for coeliac use only?  Or, make sure non-coeliac’s dip into the produce with clean cutlery every time.
• Cleanse – We understand that it’s not always practical to buy two of everything, so after each use of cutlery and utensils make sure they have a deep cleanse to get rid of any unwanted gluten.
• Avoidance – easier said than done, but if you want to be 100 % certain that your food won’t have any risk of CC with gluten products, avoidance is your only option – although it’s not really practical!

Missed any top tips out?  Share them with us on Facebook..

Tags: careful preperation, cross contamination
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