I was wondering what some of you thought about the acceptance of 20ppm of gluten as g-f in Europe. I was considering buying a few bread mixes etc. from a g-f company in Norway and then read on their site about the Codex Alimentarius, the European food safety standard which allows this stuff called Codex wheat-starch. It has a trace amount of gluten left in the wheat after they process it a certain way. I try to stay away from all gluten as well as processed foods, but I want a grilled-cheese sandwich, damn-it! I need some good bread!

Thanks in advance,

Debbie

Debbie, personally, I wouldn't eat anything with wheat starch in it. Too many people with celiac disease react to it.

It is entirely your choice if you want to take the risk. You may not obviously react to it, but will you know if it won't do internal damage, that will take years to build up to make you really sick?

I understand about the bread, though. When I was in Germany last summer I ate buckwheat bread for those six weeks. It looked and tasted just like regular pumpernickel bread and I loved it! Too bad that nobody here imports it, and the companies refuse to ship it to me here. I really miss it.

Maybe I'll have to get my sister-in-law to ship it to me, I bet she would.

Anyway, it is tough, but you would be taking a risk.

Ah, I was just having a "I miss grilled cheese" moment. I react to everything! No way I could try it unless I had a guarantee, and then I'm not even sure I would.

I was mostly wondering about people's opinions and if anyone had a nutritionist's view.

Personally I wouldn't touch it. A nutritionist may say it's fine, after all it has had the 'gluten' 'processed' out of it just like distilled vinagers and alcohols. I learned the hard way about vinager and alcohol, early on, after reading so often that they were safe I kept challenging in the first few months and learned that for me they are anything but.
I felt the same way you did about grilled cheese, have you tried Kinnickinick brand? Their Italian white, if you microwave it before you toast has that wonderful pasty white bread texture and an acceptable taste.

If you want a great grilled cheese, buy Glutino's "Fiber Bread." I liken it to a Pepperidge Farm type bread. I think when it's grilled, it's wonderful.

Regarding the 20 ppm, I think that's acceptable, but I don't consider myself a "sensitive" Celiac.

I live in England and my hubby & son both have celiac disease

Here, if a product has a codex level of gluten it should say so on the packaging
Suitable for Coeliacs means it may have codex levels
Gluten Free means just that (as much as is possible)


The majority breads/mixes available in our supermarkets do NOT have codex in them - rather it is the breads available on prescription (biopsy dx'd coeliacs are able to get some foods on rx here) that contain codex.

There's no denying that having baked with codex flour you definitely get a better result.

Neither my son or hubby seem to have a discernable reaction to codex but nonetheless they only have it occasionally as a treat

Nikki, that is something I didn't know, that they really let you know if it is actually gluten-free or has codex approved standards. That makes the choice much easier.

I know the bread I bought in Germany said gluten-free, and it didn't contain wheat starch. Otherwise I wouldn't have bought it.

Thanks! I never was a "white bread" type of girl anyway, but for some reason lately, I've been having a craving. I'm off to find Kinnickinnic's Italian white bread or Glutino's Fiber Bread, wish me luck!