Gluten-Free Food Safety Roundup
Living gluten-free means having to remain aware of what you are eating all the time, and not just what you eat. You often need to determine how and where the food has been prepared, the details of ingredients used, and how it is served. Every aspect of food purchasing, preparation, serving, and eating is a potential opportunity for getting exposure to gluten.
We have put together some of our top articles that address food safety and how to watch out for—and avoid—gluten.
General Safety
Did you know that there are many places where gluten could appear that might not be obvious? We list 43 foods where gluten may be “hidden.” It is not really hidden but the label on the package might be confusing, or you might assume that something does not have gluten, but it is in there, like in some imitation meats!
Gluten can make its way into your gluten-free foods through cross-contact with gluten-containing food—even crumbs or small particles from those foods. We list 25 ways cross-contact could happen, both at home and outside your home, and give you tips on how to avoid that.
Shopping
Staying safely gluten-free often involves doing your homework. When at the grocery store, reading labels takes on more importance when you have dietary restrictions. When it comes to gluten, reading labels is essential, but can be confusing. We laid out three tips for gluten-free label reading and even more details about what those mentions of “wheat” on food labels really mean.
At Home
If you have an entirely gluten-free home, you’ve mostly cut out many of the risks of cross-contact with gluten that could happen in a “mixed” home of gluten-free and gluten eaters. If you’re still getting started with removing gluten from your home—or setting up a safe mixed household—take a look at your kitchen utensils and appliances to make sure they are free of gluten crumbs or particles.
Cooking and baking gluten-free might be challenging at first unless you know what to replace and how to change ingredients and techniques. When it comes to cooking, baking, or serving food for others, we have some useful tips for gluten-free entertaining.
Away From Home
Eating out at a restaurant requires vigilance—and asking a lot of questions—to ensure what you are served is gluten-free. Simplify eating out by choosing restaurants where the work has been done for you by GIG’s GFFS Gluten-Free Food Service Validation program. Anytime you are on the go, being prepared with gluten-free snacks can take a lot of pressure off making sure you can eat safely. We compiled some tips on being gluten-free on the go to give you some fresh ideas. When traveling, there are even more things to look out for, especially on trains, planes, and road trips.
Kids at School
If you have kids, you need to stay on top of what they eat—and what food is being served to them at school—and this can be challenging. We cover tips for making sure your child has the support they need at school in our Gluten-Free Back to School Roundup. And if you do not already have a 504 plan in place for them to accommodate their gluten-free needs, you may want to learn more about them.
Looking for more tips about living gluten-free? We publish new articles on our website every week. You can find a complete list of our articles under All Articles, with the most recent ones at the top.
The information on this website is for educational purposes only. Consult your healthcare team when considering this information.
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