Hidden Dangers: Common Sources of Gluten Cross-Contamination You Might Be Missing

If you live a gluten-free lifestyle or care for someone who does, it is important to know the hidden dangers and common sources of gluten cross-contamination you might be missing. Gluten can easily contaminate common kitchen tools and surfaces. However, by knowing what to look for and how to avoid cross contamination, you can be better equipped to keep gluten at bay so you can feel your best.

What Is Gluten Cross Contamination?

If food is cross contaminated, it essentially means it may also contain or have touched the residue of another food. This term is often used when discussing food allergies and food sensitivities. Cross contamination can happen via a surface, food, a dish, or even a person’s hands.

Gluten cross contamination is when a food that is gluten-free is contaminated with even the smallest, microscopic amounts of gluten. For a person who must eat gluten-free for medical reasons, ingesting contaminated food could potentially be catastrophic.

Unfortunately, even cross contamination that is accidental does not lessen its potentially life-threatening effects.

Hidden Gluten Can Spell Big Problems for Gluten-Free Individuals

In most cases, cross contamination is typically a result of either careless or accidental food prep.

• Careless exposure may come from not properly cleaning (not just sanitizing) the kitchen counter in between making gluten sandwiches and gluten-free sandwiches on the same kitchen counter. This might happen if a person is in a hurry to make a meal. They could know the importance of cleaning the counter properly but just be in a hurry and assume that since they couldn’t see any breadcrumbs, they likely weren’t there.
• Accidental exposure usually pertains to those who do not yet know any better because they have not lived a gluten-free lifestyle or cared for someone who does. It can look like serving gluten-free bread that was toasted in the same toaster that regular bread goes into. Accidental cross contamination in this particular scenario could be because the person serving it usually does not realize that using the same toaster contaminates gluten-free food.

Regardless of the reasoning behind the cross contamination, the effect of small amounts of gluten being ingested by a person who is gluten-free due to gluten sensitivity, food allergy, or celiac disease could result in serious consequences, including death in extreme cases.

Top 10 Common Sources of Gluten Cross-Contamination You Might Be Missing

Gluten can lurk in some hidden places and areas that you would not normally think of in the kitchen. Some of the most common hiding places for gluten include:

1. Toasters are notorious for being a hidden source of cross contamination for gluten free foods. If you live in a household that caters to gluten-filled and gluten-free diets and both parties use the same toaster, your gluten-free bread that goes in the toaster will not be so gluten-free when it pops out. Instead, have two toasters, with one designated to be for gluten-free bread only. It is also not uncommon to find pieces of bread littering the counter where the toaster sat before it was put away. Be sure to properly clean the counter surface right away and thoroughly to avoid contamination issues.
2. Butter sticks and tubs. Butter and margarine are common ingredients found in many households in either stick or tub form. People who do not have allergies or sensitivities to worry about will often spread some butter on a roll and then dip into the butter again with the same knife. At this point, the butter stick or tub is now contaminated with gluten and should no longer be considered gluten-free. Consider having one container of butter that is clearly marked as “gluten-free foods only.”
3. Sandwich spreads. If having toast, spreads of choice can include butter, honey, jelly, and jams. If making a sandwich, popular spreads include peanut butter, mayonnaise and mustard. Even if these spreads are gluten-free, once a utensil that has touched gluten goes back into that container, it is no longer gluten-free. It may be best to have some spreads marked for use only on gluten-free foods.
4. Pots, pans, and griddles. People cook with pots and pans every day. They can use them to cook pasta, meat, soups, and more. But if gluten has been used on a pot, pan, or griddle that once contained gluten, it may still contain remnants of gluten if not properly washed. This means that the next recipe made in that vessel may contaminate what was intended to be a gluten-free meal.
5. Because colanders are often used to separate foods and liquids, they are frequently used to drain water from cooked pasta. The dozens of tiny holes in a colander can be difficult to get completely clean and may contain small bits of gluten that are hard to see. For this reason, it may help to have two colanders, one of which is designated for gluten-free use only. Another option would be using a scrub brush with bristles to make sure the holes in the colander are thoroughly cleaned and free of gluten.
6. Kitchen counters. Most people underestimate the amount of food particles that remain on kitchen counters after cooking. Whether it is because the counters were not properly cleaned or not cleaned at all is somewhat immaterial, because the result can be the same. Before using a kitchen counter to do any food preparation, ensure that the counters are thoroughly cleaned.
7. Cutting boards. Both plastic and wooden cutting boards can retain gluten either through the grooves left behind by a knife, or by absorbing gluten directly. This is an unnecessary risk to take when preparing a gluten-free meal. Since cutting boards can be easy to store, it may be more prudent to have multiple cutting boards with one that is dedicated strictly to gluten-free food.
8. Today, blenders can be used for everything from smoothies to soup to oatmeal. Some soups and smoothies could have thickeners which contain gluten, and some oatmeal may have already been cross contaminated in the field with gluten. This means that after every use, the blender and its blades must be completely cleaned and sanitized.
9. Wooden spoons. Much like wooden cutting boards, wooden spoons may absorb liquids from foods containing gluten. This can make them a prime hiding place for gluten. What is one more spoon in your kitchen drawer? It is better to have multiple spoons, some of which are to be used for gluten-free food only to keep your family safe.
10. Silverware drawer. This drawer can be one of the sneakiest places for gluten to hide. If a drawer isn’t closed all the way when making a sandwich or cutting bread on the counter above it, it does not take much for some of that gluten to make its way into the drawer. Ensure that the silverware drawer is closed tightly, and if need be, move silverware to a safer place that is less prone to being contaminated with gluten.

Hidden dangers and common sources of gluten cross-contamination you might be missing could be what is making you or your gluten-free loved one sick. Be a part of the solution for the gluten-free people in your life and take active steps to limit cross contamination.