I was just diagnosed with Celiac and am confused as to when to avoid certain products. I have read disputing comments about wheat and Alcohol. Does anyone have advice?

Also I was told that Mayonnaise, Mustard and Caramel can all contain Gluten but most labels that I have read appear to be Gluten free. How do you deal with it?

Any advice would be appreciated!

Thank you!!

Welcome! Everyone here has been through the same things that you are going through now. If you have any questions, please ask - someone is bound to know the answer.

If you go to the home page of this board, on the left hand side, in green (towards the bottom), there is a list of safe and unsafe food. This will list all of the ingredients to look for when you are reading labels.
Cindy

http://www.glutenfreeindy.com/foodlists/index.htm This site contains a list of companies that will clearly disclose any gluten sources on the label. If you don't see wheat, rye, barley, malt, or oats on the labels of these companies, then it is not there, and you don't have to worry about it being "hidden."

All companies are required to list wheat, per the 2006 Food Allergen Labeling Law.

There used to be a concern about vinegar in those products. Distilled vinegar is safe according to the ADA. Most vinegars are safe except for "malt vinegar" and occassionally, specialty flavored vinegars.

If you see plain "vinegar" listed, it means from apples, and is safe 1. VINEGAR, CIDER VINEGAR, APPLE VINEGAR. The product made by the alcoholic and subsequent acetous fermentations of the juice of apples. (http://www.fda.gov/ora/compliance_ref/cpg/cpgfod/cpg525-825.html)

Distilled alcohols are safe. Wine is safe. Beer is not safe, but there are gluten free beers.
http://www.celiac.com/articles/222/1/Glute...ages/Page1.html

Welcome to our community.

I agree with Laura (happygirl). Vinegar is safe, except for malt vinegar. Distilled alcohol is safe.

This is my list of companies/brands have a policy that they will clearly disclose any gluten source. Just read the ingredient list, looking for wheat, rye, barley or oats. If you don't see any of those words, then there is no gluten hidden under another name.

Arrowhead Mills, Aunt Nelly's, Balance, Baskin Robbins, Ben & Jerry, Bertoli, Betty Crocker, Blue Bunny, Breyers, Campbells, Cascadian Farms, Celestial Seasonings, ConAgra, Country Crock, Edy's, General Mills, Good Humor, Green Giant, Haagen Daz, Hellman's, Hershey, Hormel, Hungry Jack, Jiffy, Knorr, Kozy Shack, Kraft, Lawry's, Libby's, Lipton, Martha White, Maxwell House, McCormick, Nabisco, Nestle, Old El Paso, Ortega, Pillsbury, Popsicle, Post, Progresso, Ragu, Russell Stover, Seneca Foods, Skippy, Smucker, Stokely's, Sunny Delight, T Marzetti, Tyson, Unilever, Wishbone, Yoplait, Zatarain's.

There are a lot of myths in wide circulation about things that we can't eat. Most are based on the false belief that vinegar and alcohol are sources of gluten.

Having said that, there are some of us who do react to other things besides gluten, and vinegar may be one of those things for some people. Alcohol is a whole topic on its own.

I have seen honey mustard with wheat in it. I think it was the Hickory Farms brand.

Everyone has different tolerances. Although many repeatedly say that alcohol and vinager are safe that is not true for everyone. The best way to tell if you tolerate these items is to wait to try until you are symptom free and then add them for 5 days straight one at a time and watch for a reaction.

The celiac sprue association has the best guidelines I have found. I am posting you a link. They have a stage for folks just diagnosed and for those that are ready to start adding questionable items in. They do not consider distilled gluten grains to be safe for everyone. Some may tolerate them but others do not. I am one who doesn't tolerate them as is my son and my husband.

http://www.csaceliacs.org/gluten_choices.php

With distilled alcohol, you have to make sure that there isn't some flavoring or coloring added after the distillation process that might contain gluten.

We are having a discussion about scotch in another thread as a matter of fact. The legal definition of scotch allows the addition of caramel coloring. I don't know that this has to be disclosed. The concern is that the coloring used to be made from maize and now the usual UK manufacturer is changing that to wheat. Glenlivet says that there is no measurable gluten in the coloring, but the UK standard, some say, is too high. The company won't give a straight answer as to which of their products contain the coloring (but does mention one product that does not).

Any scotch drinkers can go to that other thread.

About labels "appearing gluten-free," be sure to check those ingredients lists. Gluten can hide in things like natural and artificial flavors, unless you are dealing with a company that you know will disclose gluten sources.

Keep in mind that many distilled vinegars/alcohols are not made from wheat (etc) in the first place.

Thank you all so much for your advice! It is so nice to find somewhere that my questions can be answered because I have so many. I also have a doctor who seems confused about Celiac and doesn't have many answers for me.

I guess my biggest concern is eating out. I keep hearing that Mayo can have gluten but I have yet to see it as a listed, or hidden ingredient. Can I get Tuna Salad at a deli? or a spicy Tuna roll at a sushi restaurant?

What about Mustard, sometimes its used in salad dressings or as a filler in wasabi. Is it safe?

How do you eat out at a restaurant? Have you just overtime learned to decifer foods well. Even rice noodles can have wheat flour so I am trying to be as careful as I can. But do not want to go out and end up with a plate of dry lettuce.

Any advice would be welcomed! Restaurant suggestions in NYC that are Gluten Friendly?


Thank you for your help!!

BTW if you live in the Metropolitan area there is a lecture on Celiac and Food allergies at the 92nd st Y this weekend.