Tracker Pixel for Entry

​“It was just a crumb”

All About Food | October 9th, 2014

To someone with celiac disease that “crumb” could wreak havoc on their lower intestine and cause crippling pain. Not all sufferers of this disease are that sensitive to small amounts of gluten, but like radiation, it stores itself in the body until it reaches a critical mass. So what might seem minor in fact will be a major issue down the road. Just follow the crumbs.

“Gluten Free,” you see it everywhere these days and even people without gluten sensitivity have got on the band wagon avoiding gluten in their daily diet. A while back I went gluten free and was astonished and pleased at the weight I lost in a short period of time. For those with celiac disease (an acute sensitivity to gluten in any form) this is not a passing fad but a necessary part of life.

Any amount of gluten they consume attacks the villi in the small intestine creating discomfort and pain. The villi are small fingerlike projections that promote absorption of nutrients into the body. Gluten destroys them and it can take up to a year for them to get back to normal. It was amazing to learn that one in 100 people worldwide are, to some extent, gluten intolerant. Some inherit the disease. For others, it can lead to type 2 diabetes.

As a professional chef I am concerned about the integrity of gluten free offerings on restaurant menus. I have guests who are on gluten free diets and I do what I can to meet their needs. I am cognizant of the responsibility that comes with putting (GF) on my menu. In talking with friends, who live in the sphere of gluten intolerance, I became acutely aware of how, without proper knowledge of where gluten resides, a cook could unwittingly serve gluten to a gluten intolerant person.

The obvious carriers of gluten are wheat, barley and rye. But gluten manifests itself in places we don’t readily think of. When you think of gluten, wheat is the first thing that comes to mind, as in bread and pasta. But it shows up in commercial salad dressings, cereals and soups as well. Barley, another gluten mainstay, is frequently used in food colorings, soups and malted liquids like beer. Rye has a lower profile in breads, beer and cereals.

But avoiding gluten is not easy. Like not eating a sandwich or ordering a pizza. You have to read labels as gluten is used in a large amount of processed foods and non-foods as well. Energy bars, granola, potato chips, candy, salad dressings, processed meats, veggie burgers and even communion wafers. One of the least thought of and most pervasive gluten ingredients sneaking into foods is soy. Yes, that healthful soy along with oats can have high quantities of gluten do to cross contamination from wheat. Lipstick, vitamins, medications and even Play-Dough all contain gluten.

There are other concerns for the home kitchen and more importantly for the professional kitchen that are offering gluten free items. Cross-contamination is a major concern when considering a gluten free existence. For gluten-sensitive people we are back to that “crumb.” That shared scoop at the bulk item bins, shared containers of any kind, the cutting board and even the deep fryer at your neighborhood restaurant. As crazy as it might sound, celiac sufferers who go out for breakfast should bring their own toaster. Because toasters hold those crumbs and there is no way any restaurant, other than a gluten free one, can assure you, the sufferer, that the gluten free bread you brought along to toast is safe.

Segregation, a word we have avoided for decades, is back, but only in the sense of keeping items such as flour away from your gluten free products. Plastic storage bins along with Teflon pans get scratched and will hold gluten. Measuring devices such as cups, when double dipped will contaminate a kitchen with gluten. The airborne dust from working with flour will affect a celiac sufferer. There are a lot of things to consider before you say a kitchen is gluten free.

We managed the vegetarian awakening of the ‘80s and thanks to the likes of Charlie Trotter and Roxanne Klein, white tablecloth restaurants began featuring vegetarian tasting menus. Then came the wave of vegans, and the restaurant industry absorbed that shock wave, embracing the needs of a few, but an important few. The minority was quickly becoming a voice to be heard. And now we have gluten free. Much more complicated than tossing some veg on a plate, a misstep in the kitchen has consequences, potentially serious consequences for the unwitting diner.  

Recently in:

By Laura Simmonslaurasimmons2025@u.northwestern.edu Dr. Stephen McDonough researched why North Dakota had the highest COVID death rate and cases in the fall of 2020. His investigation accumulated into a 1,000-plus page book titled…

By Michael M. Miller michael.miller@ndsu.eduOne of the most important books published about the Germans from Russia in North Dakota is “Along the Trails of Yesterday: A Story of McIntosh County” by Nina Farley Wishek, published…

photo credit: Jessica GavinSeptemberOktoberfest: Now-October 3Wurst Bier HallStein-holding competition, happy hour Mon-Fri from 4-6, wear your dirndl or lederhosen, German music.https://wurstfargo.com/Papa’s Pumpkin…

By John Strandjas@hpr1.comOur Opinion: Thank you, Reader readers, for 29 fulfilling yearsChugging along, The Little Newspaper That Could commences its 30th volume and year with this issue. Simply getting here speaks volumes. Just…

By Ed Raymondfargogadfly@gmail.comEighty Million Eligible Voters Did Not Vote in the DSA in 2020. Why Not?In the first week of February, 2023, Deborah Daub, 59, shot and killed her husband James Daub, 62, Morgan Daub, their…

We are looking for 55-gallon plastic food grade barrels, do you have ideas or connections?We use these barrels to teach our resilient yard workshop series including Make Your Own Rain Barrel and Make Your Own Compost Tumbler. If…

By Rick Gionrickgion@gmail.comMy new venture as a master’s degree student has got me thinking…again about food. Although I’m in an online program with the University of North Dakota, I thought it would be handy to list and…

By John Showalterjohn.d.showalter@gmail.comThe Melvins formed in 1983 Montesano, Washington, founded by singer/guitar player Buzz Osborne. The group is known for its heavy sound mixed with a dose of punk, forming its own subgenre.…

By Greg Carlsongregcarlson1@gmail.comFilmmaker Jacqueline Castel’s “My Animal” premiered at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival in January, but its vibes are better suited to the rising blood moon of autumn’s spooky season. Now…

By HPR Staffsubmit@hpr1.comThe Fargo Moorhead Visual Artists’ much-lauded neighbor lovin’ Studio Crawl is just around the corner – October 7 and 8, noon to 6pm. During the free event, the people who add culture and vibrancy…

By Eric Dallmanericd@hpr1.comWe recently watched “The PROM” at Chanhassen Dinner Theatre, and it was an experience that left a lasting impact on us. The story, a heartwarming yet familiar one, follows a group of Broadway stars…

By Annie Prafckeannieprafcke@gmail.com AUSTIN, Texas – As a Chinese-American, connecting to my culture through food is essential, and no dish brings me back to my mother’s kitchen quite like hotdish. Yes, you heard me right –…

By Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.comNew Jamestown Brewery Serves up Local FlavorThere’s something delicious brewing out here on the prairie and it just so happens to be the newest brewery west of the Red River and east of the…

By John Showalter  john.d.showalter@gmail.comThey sell fentanyl test strips and kits to harm-reduction organizations and…

JANUARY 19, 1967– MARCH 8, 2023 Brittney Leigh Goodman, 56, of Fargo, N.D., passed away unexpectedly at her home on March 8, 2023. Brittney was born January 19, 1967, to Ruth Wilson Pollock and Donald Ray Goodman, in Hardinsburg,…

By Faye Seidlerfayeseidler@gmail.com On the first day of the month I ask people to thank a journalist they know or someone who contributes to papers in some meaningful way. When I grew up, my best friend's father was a journalist…