Has anyone ever had a problem with cross contamination in basmati rice?

[Regalbirdy]

I am getting symptoms of being glutened and I am starting to be suspicious about a 10kg sack of rice I have. The rice is packed by Asian manufacturer. Has anybody else experienced anything like this?

[Mia1057]

Are you rinsing the rice well before cooking it. I eat lots of rice and haven't any problems but I always make sure I rinse well before cooking

[Regalbirdy]

Hi Mia, thanks to your reply. In answer to your question yes I am - that's the thing I can't understand

It is only a suspicion at the moment, I know that rice is normally gluten-free which is why it is puzzling me. I have been very fatigued all this week, which is normally one of my CD symptoms.

I would have blamed it on low B12 levels if I hadn't just finished a course of 6 B12 injections only two weeks ago.

[Hidden]

What you been puttin with your rice? You check for maltodextrin, or dextrose as they can contain wheat or barley....

Janie

[Regalbirdy]

Hi Janie, I made a batch of vegetable curry. I binned all my Indian spices that I thought could have been cross contaminated at factory level and bought new ones. The stock cube I used was Kallo - labelled as gluten-free. Any thoughts would be appreciated.

[remysmum]

Be careful with Kallo stock cubes. The ones that say gluten free, I think contain glucose fructose syrup, or maltrodextrin, I can't remember which, as it is a long time since I bought them. Howwever, you can get Kallo stock cubes that say reduced salt, and the ingrediends in thse are fine,

[Lexy in reply to remysmum]

if there is gluten in the glucose, fructose or maltodextrin then WHY are they labelled 'gluten free'? Surely that's at the least misleading, and at the worst an outright lie?? Is it not illegal to label something as 'gluten free' when it actually contains gluten ingredients?

[Hidden]

Bugger I use theses.......so I will get the reduced salt ones.....what stock cubes do you use remysmum?

Seems the longer your gluten free the harder it gets.....they love to hide wheat/barley by using it in sweeteners and binding agents.....

Janie

[Lexy]

Is it not more likely Regalbirdy that you are finding yourself not tolerating rice? That apparently is somewhat common in coeliacs - particularly if you are eating rice/riceproducts daily, and as some do, 3xdaily (ie breakfast, lunch and dinner). Have you considered cutting out rice and rice products for a time and then reintroducing either a rice dish or a rice-product and see how you fare? I went off gf rice-crispies ages ago, and have gone off gf ricecakes (admittedly they are both Kallo products, which according to remysmum's post may label things incorrectly as gf when they are not - although this was major news to me. It's just a thought, but perhaps you are developing an intolerance to rice?

[Regalbirdy]

Hi Lexy, thanks for the suggestion.

It is certainly an interesting thought and one I had never even considered. I would be gutted if I did prove to be intolerant rice as I love the stuff.

I have started keeping a food diary and will seriously consider cutting down on the rice for a few days to see if that makes a difference. Thanks again for the idea.

[Hidden]

Hi Lexy.

From the Australian Coeliac Bible. Glucose, Dextrose and Maltose even if derived via wheat are so highly processed as to be determined gluten free. ie. Less the 5ppm. However Maltodextrin derived from wheat is gluten containing. If derived from Barley etc. It is ok. Hope this helps.

Once again in Australia and product containing wheat, barley, rye or oats must be declared on the allergen panel.

[pretender]

Hi Roscoe, sadly there is more profit in the EU and our standards are well below yours, To compare check out the European Food Safety Authority website putting gluten in the search box. The 13-14 results will all say fragments/residual etc and gluten free in the EU is up to 20ppm per kilo finished product. There are no allowances in law for any diagnosed coeliac who cannot tolerate 20ppm. The EU also have exempted from labelling for ingredients from an allergen source ie wheat, rye, barley.

Hope this helps as well.

[cejay]

First, I got very ill from imported (Asian) rice flour a few years back; verified with import company that it did have X-contamination issues. And, actually, I am currently being tested for possibility of a rice allergy as well as monitoring thru food diary for the possibility of a cross sensitivity to rice. As background, rice was always a staple in my diet because, in my husband's country, rice is served every day. Then, when I was diagnosed as celiac 7 yrs ago, even more rice in cereal, breads, etc. From my food diaries I suspect my current gut probs are from rice. I'd know if it were gluten because I also have DH and if I'd been glutenized I'd have a rash. If I were you, I would not eat the imported rice. Go off rice for a few days, then try your normal brand to see if there's a reaction. (In the US we don't have standards for the GF labeling yet so we have to be very careful to check for the certification. 20 ppm is generally considered to be GF here though the certification logo guarantees 10 ppm or less.)