If your kitchen is not entirely gluten-free then you’ll need to be careful about cross-contamination. Here’s a few simple steps to avoid gluten-free food becoming cross contaminated in the home.

Storing food

• Keep your gluten containing food e.g. bread, biscuits, cakes separate to other food items.
• Make sure butter, jam, mayonnaise etc. do not become contaminated with crumbs from gluten containing bread. Doubling up on containers and keeping one set gluten-free is a good way to prevent this. Alternatively your household needs to get into the habit of using a separate knife or spoon to serve some butter or jam etc. onto their plate rather than using their own cutlery.
• When freezing gluten-free foods, remember to mark gluten-free on the item, just in case there is a mix-up.
• When storing gluten-free food in the fridge make sure it is well sealed in a container, bag or wrap.
• It’s a good idea to have a stash of your favourite gluten-free foods to save yourself from gluten envy when someone else in the household is eating something that’s off-limits for you.

Preparing food

• Always ensure that the area where your gluten-free food is prepared and cooked is thoroughly clean. If you have room it’s helpful to designate gluten and gluten-free areas of the work surface.
• Ensure electric mixers, food processors, sieves, colanders, graters, whisks, tin openers, grills, kitchen scales, blenders and cutlery drawers are completely free of gluten.
• Cook gluten-free items in the oven separately from gluten containing foods.
• Be sure not to place serving utensils that have been in contact with gluten in gluten-free food.
• Buy a separate toaster for gluten-free bread. Alternatively use toaster bags for gluten-free bread. It is not sufficient to shake the toaster free of crumbs.
• Use separate colanders for gluten-free pasta and noodles.
• If you are using a deep fat-fryer ensure that the oil is not contaminated with gluten.
• Get into the habit of preparing the gluten-free meal first.