Back to School Tips for Gluten Intollerant Children

Now that school is back again for another year here are a few tips from the Coeliac Society to help make it easier for gluten free children.

You can Download a copy of our Gluten Free Catering Guide from the Coeliac Society. This is the perfect resource for your school tuckshop/canteen. Teachers may also like to have a copy of it if they are planning any class cooking.

It may seem daunting to offer gluten free options on your menu, but with simple procedures in place people with coeliac disease can enjoy a bought meal. Gluten is a protein found in wheat, rye, barley, oats and their derivatives

It may be easier than you think to offer a couple of gluten free selections on your menu.

Changing just one ingredient or the brand of the ingredient may make many items on your existing
menu gluten free.

You may also find a lot of your existing products are gluten free. Gluten free products can be categorised into three broad groups:

•  Naturally gluten free foods
•  Foods labelled as gluten free
•  Gluten free by ingredient

Hidden gluten
Most people think gluten is only present in bread, pasta and cakes. Be aware, some brands of the following items often contain gluten:

•  Processed meats – sausages, smallgoods, bacon, rissoles, crumbed items, meats with marinades
• Cornflour – some cornflours contain wheat
• Stocks (gluten free varieties are available)
• Gravies (gluten free varieties are available)
• Sauces – barbecue, soy sauce, sweet chilli, worcestershire (gluten free varieties are available)
• Icing sugar mixture – some contain wheaten cornflour
• Mayonnaise - some contain wheat (gluten free varieties are available)
• Vinegars – malt vinegar is not gluten free as it contains barley (but all other varieties are gluten free)
• Salad dressing (gluten free varieties are available)
• Mustards – always check the label
• Flavoured milks – may contain malt (barley)
• Soy milk – some brands contain gluten
• Barbecue chicken – contains gluten in the stuffing and coating.
• Hot chips - some chips contain wheat dextrin and some seasonings may also contain wheat. There is also a contamination risk if foods containing gluten are cooked in the same oil as the chips.
• Ice cream - some brands may contain wheat

Food preparation and cross contamination

A small crumb of bread left in the butter or on a bread board may make a person with coeliac
disease physically ill. Simple procedures for gluten free food preparation remove the risk of crosscontamination:

• Have a designated gluten free food preparation area. Depending on the size of your ktichen this can be a whole separate bench or just designated gluten free cutting boards, tongs, utensils and trays. Colour coding is a great way of identifying which utensils are for gluten free food preparation.
• Mark gluten free orders with a sticker or highlighter to ensure they are prepared first
• When using the sandwich press, completely wrap the gluten free sandwich in baking paper. This ensures there is no cross-contamination from crumbs. Do not re-use the baking paper; discard immediately after use. Alternatively have a dedicated gluten free sandwich press.
• Use separate butter and condiment pots to prevent crumb contamination.
• Use separate water in a clean pot/strainer for cooking/reheating. Ensure all pots and strainers are thoroughly cleaned to remove any excess residue. e.g. pasta residue.
• Make sure the brand of cornflour you use to thicken sauces does not contain wheat.
• When frying gluten free food be sure to use clean oil that is free of any crumbs to avoid contamination from gluten-containing foods.
• Do not dust cake tins with gluten containing flour (including wheaten cornflour)
• Beware of icing sugar mixture (some contain wheat).
• Do not dust meats or fish with gluten containing flour prior to cooking.
• In the oven, put gluten free products on a separate, clean tray on the top shelf of the oven to avoid gluten containing crumbs falling on the tray. Use designated gluten free tongs to handle food.
• Clean all grills, trays and other cooking surfaces before cooking gluten free food, or fully line with baking paper.
• Store gluten free products and ingredients in separate clearly marked containers. Waterproof gluten free labels are available for purchase from Coeliac Queensland. Gluten free flours are best kept in the refrigerator.
• Use a separate toaster to toast gluten free bread or use ‘Toastabags’ (available for purchase from Coeliac Queensland).

For recipe ideas, download the Coeliac Society Gluten Free Catering Guide.