Following a strict gluten free diet is essential if you’ve been diagnosed with coeliac disease. But buying gluten free ingredients is only half the battle. You still need to be aware of the risks of cross contamination when you’re preparing your food, especially if you share your kitchen with family or housemates.

Gluten can find its way into your food all too easily in a shared space, and even the smallest amount can cause your symptoms to reappear. An isolated incident will be unpleasant enough, but more seriously, if this happens a lot, it can cause long term damage to your gut.

What is cross contamination?

Cross contamination occurs when particles of gluten are transferred from regular food to gluten free foods. This can happen in lots of different ways, so you need to be really careful when you’re sharing a kitchen.

There are obvious sources of contamination, such as the inevitable puff of dust that happens when you move a bag of flour. However, there are also lots of less obvious sources, such as crumbs in the toaster or the dozens of tiny cuts in your chopping board.

Staying safe in a shared kitchen means being aware of all these potential sources of contamination and taking sensible steps to avoid them. Unless you have your own dedicated gluten free kitchen, with your own oven and other equipment, there is always the potential for cross contamination to occur, but by following these simple tips, you can help to eliminate the risks.

Top tips for sharing a kitchen

1. Wash your hands and surfaces before you start – as for preparing any food, it’s important to wash your hands before you start. Always wipe down kitchen surfaces with a clean cloth and dry your hands with a clean towel.
2. Get your own kitchen equipment – a dedicated chopping board is a must. If you don’t have your own utensils, cutlery, and pans, use stainless steel versions as these are easier to thoroughly clean.
3. Get your own toaster – crumbs from standard bread can easily contaminate your gluten free toast. Ideally get your own toaster or use toaster bags if this is not possible. If all else fails, use the grill, but line it with foil first.
4. Use the top shelves – always put gluten free ingredients on the top shelf of the cupboard or fridge to avoid gluten particles dropping onto them. Cover gluten free ingredients wherever possible to avoid contamination.
5. Never reuse oil – gluten is not destroyed by heat, so gluten containing foods will contaminate cooking oil. The same is true for boiling water used to cook pasta. Always use fresh oil or water for cooking.
6. Don’t share an air fryer – either buy a dedicated air fryer for your gluten free food or buy a two-drawer model and make one side gluten free only.
7. Always cover food in the microwave – use cling film to prevent cross contamination dripping from the walls or top of the microwave.
8. Use foil on the grill pan – place a layer of foil on the grill pan to protect your gluten free ingredients from contaminants on the grill rack. Do the same with the oven if you’re cooking things like pizza that go directly on the shelves.
9. Have your own butter – don’t risk a dirty knife contaminating your butter or spread. Get your own and label it clearly. The same is true for things like jam, marmalade and chutney. It costs a little extra to start with, but it’s worth it for the peace of mind.
10. Buy squeezy condiments – keep contaminated knives and spoons out of mayo and sauces by buying the squeezy style products. If you must use a knife or spoon, make sure your family always use a clean one and avoid ‘double-dipping’ with contaminated cutlery.

Remember, it’s not just you that needs to follow these tips. You need to educate everyone who uses your kitchen about cross contamination and the importance of keeping your food, implements and chopping boards separate and exclusively for your use.

By working together in the kitchen, and being sensible about safety, there’s no reason why you can’t share the space and keep yourself healthy and gluten free.

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