The simple
answer is NO!
In my opinion,
the only truly safe gluten-free bakery is one that is 100% dedicated to baking
only gluten-free products. I believe
there are 3 kinds of baking facilities we need to review, 100% dedicated
facility, a shared facility that follows stringent protocol and those facilities that may not know the how to
properly maintain a safe gluten-free environment.
A gluten-free dedicated
bakery or facility is one that only produces products made with gluten-free
ingredients and does not ever use any gluten containing ingredients in the
facility. There is no possibility of cross-contamination.
Bakeries or
facilities that are not 100 % gluten-free, often share a physical space and/or
equipment with products produced with gluten ingredients. This may lead to cross contamination, unless
stringent protocols are followed.
Many commercial facilities
and small independent bakeries are extremely careful to avoid cross
contamination and go through extensive steps to thoroughly clean the equipment
and prep area before baking the gluten-free products:
According to The
Gluten Intolerance Group (GIG), once flour is used in a facility, it can take up to 24 hours for the flour to
settle out of the air and onto a surface. In order to avoid cross
contamination, the facilities baking
both gluten and gluten-free baked goods need to wait up to 24 hours between
baking a gluten item and a gluten-free item. (GIG) For people with Celiacs
& Hashimoto’s, even breathing in gluten can set off a reaction.
The prep area
must be scrubbed clean by a “wet cleaning system” before gluten-free products
can be baked in the area. Employees
cannot bring any gluten food items into the prep area such as; sandwiches,
crackers etc. Utensils, tools, and any equipment used to bake gluten-free
products need to be carefully stored, in order to avoid exposure to gluten. (GIG)
Not all small
mom and pops bakeries are aware of the specific requirements needed to be
completed, in order to maintain a safe, cross contaminated free environment for
gluten-free baking.
I have come
across some mom and pop bakeries that have decided to add gluten-free products
in their product list. One in particular started baking gluten-free and
dairy-free to increase their sales and knew very little about baking gluten-free
and the seriousness of cross contamination. I spent some time talking to the
owners, after finding an error on their label for gluten-free rolls. I purchased
the rolls from a health food store. My husband loved them, so I went to the bakery
to see what else they had.
Much to my
surprise and horror, the bakery was filled with gluten products and has been
around for many years. Just, being in the bakery made me nervous. They had a
small shelf of a few GF products, so I talked with the person behind the
counter, who happened to be the person who baked the GF products. I asked about
the process they use to bake the GF items.
Yes, they clean
the equipment before baking GF.
Yes, they package the goods before starting to
bake gluten items.
No, they do not wait any time between the
baking of gluten and GF products.
Next, I asked
the obvious question (if you are a GF consultant and a curious person) what
ingredients do you use to bake the GF rolls. I realized there was a label on
the package of GF rolls, I was holding, but by now I was getting a little
concerned. She kindly rattled off the
ingredients. “PLEASE repeat what you just said!” I asked. “Did I hear the word milk? There is no milk
written on the label.” She responded, “There must be a mistake because I use
milk to make these rolls.”
This set off a series
of phone calls to the owner. At first, the owner denied using milk. By the end
of the 2nd phone call he said, “It is only a little milk, it cannot
hurt anyone.” I was shocked and appalled. After we hung up, I wrote a long
email to the owners and included several article and websites about dairy
allergies and how a drop of dairy can kill someone with serious dairy
allergies.
The 2nd
owner called me and we met. She had never heard of Celiacs and did not realize
the cross contamination issues that could occur. She had not done any research
on gluten issues or allergy related issues. The bakery was failing and she saw
gluten-free products as a way to turn the business around. We spoke for a very
long time and I gave her as much direction and places to find information as
possible. They have since changed the label, use almond or rice milk and have
tried cleaning up their act. I see their products in the local health food
stores and hope the products are safe for those with food issues.
Many start- up
GF bakers need to find a commercial facility where they can bake. Often they
partner up with an already existing gluten baker and bake during the off hours.
I am very cautious of these bakers because cross contamination possibilities. It
is worth contacting these bakers and asking if the use are test kits to test
the products for gluten content.
Until there are
stringent rules that can be monitored, it is the consumer’s responsibility to
be aware of what they are purchasing and where they are buying it form.
Please see my post on Dedicated Gluten-Free bakeries in Orange County, CA
Disclaimer:
Persons
that are very sensitive to gluten or have other food allergies should review
all information in order to make an informed decision
