Cross Contamination

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Hello my fellow gluten free yummies! I just wanted to take a few moments to chat about cross contamination! Just a few things someone may not realize when cooking gluten free. I think the most important part to understanding the safety of a gluten free diet is getting to know the importance of eliminating cross contamination. Although Celiac Disease is not a food intolerance, eating gluten is what causes someone to have a flare up- I describe this as being just as serious as a food allergy. For some, it only takes a little crumb to irritate their insides. Cross contamination can happen very easily and you may not even realize it. An example, taking a knife and putting it in the peanut butter jar, touching a piece of regular bread and then placing the knife back into the peanut butter jar, contaminates the peanut butter and is no longer gluten free. It only takes a trace amount of gluten to send someone into a full blown "celiac attack". Yes, I refer to the flare ups as "Celiac attacks" because for many that's what it feels like. It's important to wash surfaces well and keep all gluten away from the gluten free items. Below I've listed a few things you may want to take into consideration when cooking gluten free.

• Sharing a toaster with gluten contaminates all gluten free products
• When preparing gluten and gluten free items on the stove be sure to use different cooking utensils
• Many cooking sprays have wheat as an ingredient
• Wash all surfaces before cooking gluten free
• Have a designated area to prepare gluten free when also cooking with gluten 
• When in doubt, throw it out!!

These are just a few things to consider when preparing gluten free food. As always, read labels and be sure you're taking the necessary precautions to keep your kitchen safe!

:)