Unless you’re cooking in a dedicated gluten free kitchen, every time you eat you risk exposure to gluten through cross-contamination.
AT HOME
At home you have some control of your cross-contamination risks. Assuming you share a kitchen with non-coeliacs, here are some of the potential trouble spots that you and your family and friends need to be careful of:
- Cutlery & tools. Clean ’em. Don’t share ’em.
- Cutting boards. Same.
- Bench tops. Wipe them down carefully before you start anything in the kitchen.
- Airborne contaminants. Flour dust hangs in the air, eventually dropping onto all kitchen surfaces. If you’re sharing your house with flour users, you need to assume that all surfaces are coated in gluten and should be cleaned before use.
- Butter. Whether it’s margarine, jams, peanut butter or any other spreads, inevitably there will be bread crumbs in there at some stage. Why not segregate? Get some dedicated, identifiable containers, or a section of the fridge set aside for gluten free. Ask that people respect your sensitivity and make sure they know how sick you get if your food is contaminated.
- Cooking oils. Gluten is a tough protein, and cooking heat doesn’t break it. Sharing a fryer with non-coeliacs is not safe. You can make it so, easily, by using gluten-free flours in your coatings and batters. Potato starch is a great alternative, but you can use rice flour or mixed flours too. Your friends won’t notice the difference, and you can fry away safely!
EATING OUT
This is where things are largely out of your control and the risk is much higher. Here you’re relying on strangers understanding the implications to you of cross-contamination, and taking the necessary steps to protect you from it.
If that makes you anxious, good! Awareness is important if you’re going to enjoy eating out. There are also things you should know, and do, to protect yourself and minimize any problems:
- Fast food joints – this industry sub-set is very aware of the value of the coeliac market. Many of the chains are even including gluten free menu options now. It mostly consists of salads, but it is good that there’s recognition there, and they certainly still want your money. In kitchens staffed by low-paid teenagers though, serving food largely based around bread, batter, crumbs and flour coatings, the cross-contamination risk is practically unavoidable. You can ask if their GF options are pre-packaged in a GF kitchen, or cooked in dedicated grills/fryers/microwaves. If they’re made on the premises though, then unless they have a segregated, dedicated GF section of the kitchen, you eat at your own risk.
- Roadhouses – Hmm, well, there may be the odd unusual exception to the rule somewhere on your travels. But the rule is; roadhouses are not for you.
- Budget restaurants – these are usually businesses owned and run by families or partnerships that began with a shared love for a particular cuisine, combined with the hope of making a success out of it. So each one will have a different understanding of the requirements of coeliacs and a different motivation to provide options to them. The type of cuisine they specialize in will tell you something of the likelihood that they’ll be able to offer you something suitable. For example; Greek & Spanish food is great, Vietnamese and Thai are also generally very good, all offering fresh vegetable based food. Indian food too is traditionally GF. The problems always come with the sauces, where wheat flour has insinuated itself (in western cultures) into sauce mixes and flour blends. Italian food is largely based on wheaten flour through their pastas, pizzas and breads, and anything rooted in English, American or Australian food, where wheat has always been a staple, is questionable.
- Cafes & delicatessens – this group potentially offers better chances of finding suitable GF food. With the cooked and fresh options being more evenly balanced, the ability to personalize dishes is greatly improved. It’s simple for owners to stock GF bread and wraps, offer GF salads and cook un-coated proteins on a clean grill. You’d still need to be clear about your requirements when you order, but you’re a good chance of getting something you’re happy with.
- Pubs & hotels – here we’re thinking of kitchens that use a lot of bread and offer a lot of fried food. So the main worries for coeliacs would be cutting boards, food prep areas, and contamination of frying oils. There’s also another big variable; if the kitchen employs qualified chefs and you make clear your requirements, they will have no problem satisfying you somehow. If they use an unqualified cook, whose training is questionable, you’re taking a much higher risk
- Premium restaurants – in this sector you’re pretty much guaranteed of a chef being responsible for your order. While you still need to be clear about your requirements when you order (and be sure the wait-staff pass that message on), you can trust that the chef will know how to not only protect you, but also deliver you something delicious. It might not be cheap eating top-end food, but for coeliacs, you do get what you pay for.
In summary, there are places you know you shouldn’t go. If they only serve fried food that comes from packets in the freezer, it’s not the place for you.
Otherwise, if you’re planning on eating out, check out their website to see how they cater for coeliacs. Call them and ask, give them notice that you’d like to book and a chance to prepare something especially for you.
Every kitchen will have a different level of understanding of the risks of cross-contamination and the needs of coeliacs.
If you want to include eating out in your lifestyle you will have to accept a level of risk and take steps to protect yourself. Ultimately it will come down to the questions you ask of the staff and how you interpret the answers. If they sound comfortable and confident that they can cater for you, and they deliver, then you’ve just found someone you can rely on.
When you’ve had a good experience from a restaurant that clearly makes an effort to provide for coeliacs, please don’t keep it to yourself. Thank the staff, the chef, the owners. Let them know you appreciate their hospitality. But don’t stop there.
The coeliac fraternity wants to know too. Hit social media. Give those guys a review. Support a business that supports you. Spread the word that they’re doing a great job. You’ll not only benefit the restaurant, but offer other coeliacs an opportunity to add a reliable option to their lifestyle.