If you have coeliac disease, it is of vital importance to keep your food - and by extension your cooking tools and storage equipment - separate from and uncontaminated by gluten. Even a tiny trace of gluten can trigger symptoms and cause damage to the lining of your small intestine if you have coeliac disease.
We’ve pulled together some top tips on how to keep your kitchen gluten free and avoid cross contamination:
First, make sure you are clean, you have washed your hands, and your clothes and hair have not been in a contaminated environment such as a pizzeria or baker’s store where fine flour particles can stay airborne for hours.
If your household is not completely gluten free, the ideal situation is that you have an area which is exclusively for preparing gluten free meals. Cleaning a kitchen surface of all traces of gluten is not impossible, but it is a challenge to attain perfection on a daily basis. With cooking and serving tools and equipment, again it is easier if you have a separate set to prepare gluten free food only. If you do use pans and utensils for gluten free and gluten-containing food, you must ensure they are washed properly between use. Some equipment, such as chopping boards, toasters and other machines (see Gluten free kitchen tools below) should never be shared between gluten free and gluten-eating users.
When it comes to storing food, again the optimal situation would be to have separate cupboards and storage areas. However, it may be inevitable that some sharing occurs, for example within a fridge. In this case, the key is to use the higher shelves for gluten free food to avoid any sprinkling downward of contaminating gluten-containing particles. Make sure to either wrap or store all gluten free food in clean containers or bags dedicated exclusively to this purpose.
Once again, the ideal situation is to have an entire set of equipment and utensils dedicated to gluten free food preparation, so that everyone can be a little more relaxed. However, some equipment is easier to clean and rid completely of gluten contamination than others. A smooth metal saucepan or a glass serving dish can be cleaned fairly easily, but other items such as a griddle are much harder to clean completely after use with gluten-containing bread, for example. A separate ‘gluten free’ chopping board is an absolute minimum requirement. Rolling pins and other wooden utensils are also best kept for exclusive ‘gluten free’ use.
Some machines by their very nature accumulate crumbs and particles, and these cannot be shared-use. This is clearly the case for toasters and the grain mill you may use to make your own gluten free flours for baking. Also take care with food processors, some of which may be easier to clean than others.
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