@medz The more traditional, "roll the dice," is "crapshoot." I just prefer the alternate spelling in this case, specifically because of the literal. It's not a literal roll of the dice. It can certainly precipitate one's becoming a crap chute. "Crap shoot" also works literally.
@DrunkCat I can somewhat appreciate where you're coming from, but a celiac diagnosis can be difficult and imprecise and I know people who have serious issues with gluten and don't yet have an official diagnosis.
I will judge someone who makes a big deal of not eating gluten just because they heard it's the thing to do. I will definitely judge someone who is inconsistent with their diet (for instance--and this request was received by my stepson, who's a waiter and who knew enough to call it to the customer's attention, and she laughed and went ahead anyway--someone who asks for gluten-free pasta covered in a sauce known to contain gluten). I reserve judgment on someone who's serious about avoiding gluten for whatever reason but doesn't have the "right" diagnosis.
Hell, I just don't have time to keep up with other people's problems.
@joelmw I'm almost certain that 80% of this thread could've been avoided if that line specifically said "I can't eat gluten, because I have celiacs/severe gluten intolerance". But I have a feeling the folks who made this are just looking to profit on a trend. (Which will suck when they stop making the disposable containers unless someone hacks them.)
@DrunkCat Yeah, it's a fine line. Some of the most legitimately concerned and careful people I know either have no or ambiguous diagnoses. I'm disheartened by many of the side effects of the fad and that statement did kind of bother me, but the more I've thought about it, the more appropriate it seems. I don't mean to beat a dead horse here, but ultimately what matters to me isn't the label or the medical certification, but how serious (including educated) and consistent the person making the claim is.
There are so many reasons why I hate this. Can you imagine someone inviting you over to dinner and you have the audacity to test the food in front of them?!?
This product should be called "FriendRemover". Or "Ass".
@ACraigL You're right. Much better off risking eating something you shouldn't, having an immediate issue in the friend's house and spraying shit all over their bathroom.
@ACraigL So, you see, here's our dilemma: It is generally NOT safe to consume food prepared by someone who is not a professional and doesn't live with a loved one who has celiac disease. And yet people insist. And I know from personal experience that the process of talking them down from their intended act of generosity is both awkward and exhausting. And sometimes even after the talk (or repeated talks) they insist anyway. In which case, the smart, still awkward, often still exhausting thing to do is say "no thanks."
At that point, I don't see that pulling out the tester is any worse than the (not yet literal) shit I've already gone through. I wouldn't begin to trust a casual friend anyway. Anyone with whom I'd even consider using this in their presence (anyone who doesn't deal regularly with celiac disease but whose gluten-free cooking or baking I'm willing to maybe try) would have to be a damn good friend in the first place and they'd have had to endure several questions and detailed instructions and caveats. If they can't handle my silly little fucking tester, their momentarily hurt feelings are the least of my troubles. Hell, it could even be a teachable moment: "See, this would slowly kill me. Good thing we checked, huh?" as I smiled awkwardly. If they can't get over it, fuck 'em. If you don't get that, well, all due respect, fuck you too.
And it would be great peace of mind in restaurants, which is actually where I'd be far more likely to use it.
Think of it this way, if you had, say a peanut allergy, would you expect your friends to be offended by your having an epipen handy when you dine with them?
@joelmw I'm still shocked that a friend with a severe peanut allergy let me cook dinner for her. I borrowed all her kitchenware and used unopened ingredients and asked about all ingredients that were at all questionable. She was literally trusting me with her life. (It was a dinner party... Worth the extra trouble in the end). Guess she trusted I would be neurotic about the whole meal. And no, I didn't pressure her into it. She's the one who suggested I use her kitchen equipment when we were discussing how she would fare at the party.
My sister's ex-boyfriend had Celiac's disease... Baked for him. I definitely went out of my way to make sure everything was gluten free. (I checked the ingredients of cinnamon. You know what it contained? Cinnamon. And cinnamon doesn't contain gluten. I know all this because I looked up EVERYTHING).
My point? I would have LOVED for either of them to have testers of some sort. It would have been a huge weight off my mind. I wasn't the one who could have gotten sick, but I was the one freaking out while they ate.
@connorbush Chicken can absolutely be contaminated with gluten. Hell, it can be fucking infused with gluten. See, this is why we spend so much time trying to explain these things and why we need these devices; people just don't get it.
I'm not trying to be harsh, but, yeah, short and sweet: yes, prepared chicken can contain gluten. It could have simply picked up gluten from the pan it was cooked in or the utensils it was prepared with or the dish it was served in. Or it could have been covered with something that contains gluten or even marinated in something that contains gluten. Or served with something containing or contaminated with gluten.
@joelmw hmmm my sources did not indicate as much.....
"Fresh chicken doesn't contain any gluten. In fact, all fresh meat, including beef, pork, turkey and seafood, are gluten-free options to add to your diet. The key is to use fresh meat, however, without any added ingredients, according to MayoClinic.com. When you coat chicken with batter, marinate it or bread it, chances are, it will contain gluten. Leaving these ingredients off your chicken will help ensure that it remains gluten-free."
Perhaps she is indicating that she does not trust the chef of the restaurant to cook in in accordance with her dietary restrictions.
I do not think that JUST prepared chicken can contain gluten ('toats could be wrong here, trusting mayo clinic).... I believe you might be referring to cross contamination with other food stuffs.
I also don't think that it could pick it up from the pan it was cooked in or utensils it was cooked with unless the pan came into contact with gluten--I have not come across too many pans made of gluten ;-)
I took her chicken in the video to be just that--chicken. I did not account for other ingredients. Hence why I asked "Did this fool just check a piece of chicken for gluten?"
You could have answered: "No, she is not checking if the chicken contains gluten, she is checking for additives that could contain gluten that could have been used in the preparation of the chicken."
I catch your drift--my bad for being captain literal over here.
@connorbush You are correct that fresh, raw, properly handled chicken doesn't contain gluten. Not many things (aside from wheat, barely, rye, triticale and similar hybrids) do.
But for all practical purposes, once people start handling and processing it, all bets are off. Any pan that hasn't been properly, thoroughly cleaned after, for instance, cooking something breaded (or--it wouldn't have to be so dramatic as breading--that simply contains gluten) is a danger. But so too are pans and cooking surfaces that have been scored (especially Teflon) and plastic utensils, even if they have been cleaned. And I forgot to mention airborne.
20 ppm isn't much. And that's not necessarily the minimum threshold for everyone with a gluten issue.
I definitely wouldn't automatically trust even unseasoned grilled chicken from any source. And that's exactly the sort of thing we celiacs tend to eat, just to minimize the risk. So, yes, this is exactly the sort of thing I'd test too.
I'm not making this up: these are guidelines that I've received from multiple medical professionals. Hell, @connorbush, I've been yelled at and lectured to sternly about this stuff. And please believe that I would much rather be casual about it.
@connorbush And just to be clear, the chicken has obviously been cooked. And it's surrounded by other stuff. And, yeah, it looks like someone prepared it.
I'm having a really hard time understanding your objection here and why you feel the need to lecture me about something I have to deal with whenever I eat.
@joelmw I did not know I was lecturing at all? I even used a wink face to acknowledge my awareness of my own ignorance and over-literal understanding of the topic. This has gone too far and I intended only to be silly. I meant no transgressions on your house or the people that share what you have to deal with whenever you eat.
@christinerenee Actually that is either a Great Pyrenees or another guardian dog and they are great because they will take a flock/herd/whatever as their own and protect them like family. Many farmers have these dogs for this reason
The killer is each test requires a one time use capsule, and they seem to be charging $48 for 12 capsules going by the preorder pricing. It's sad when the testing of the food may actually cost more than the food itself.
@joelmw@Nyc_Tattoo FWIW, I didn't mean to be insensitive to anyone with food allergies. My reaction above was more about the video and the actor, moreso than the content or the device. I'm fortunate to have have this issue, but I have many friends that do so I get it.
Many will eat in advance of a social engagements where food is involved, just to be safe, then load up on scotch or red wine while there. Everyone wins.
@ACraigL Not Scotch, guys. Regardless of what you may have heard about "the distilling process removes all of the gluten" (which is accurate) - the final product is NOT gluten-free. Two problems: Distillers add back some of the starter barley malt/slurry after distillation to get the unique flavor of Scotch; and most of the better quality brands are then aged in French oak barrels - which are caulked and sealed with wheat paste.
And I am quite unhappy about that, because I love a good 18 year old (If it ain't old enough to vote, it hasn't aged properly) single malt. But it's not worth 14 -20 days of dealing with a DH outbreak on my elbows and ankles - which is how I know I've been glutened. So watch out for the barley juice - it will get you.
@rockblossom Ha. I've been hesitant to drink Scotch for the reasons listed and I never drank much before my diagnosis. But I wasn't sure if there might be some good stuff out there or what others know that I don't.
@joelmw It's another crap shoot. Whatever the distiller adds after distillation is proprietary info, so good luck getting it from the manufacturer. Much of the Scotch (maybe most) is aged in steel vats, not wood barrels. Some add oak, or charred oak to the vats for flavor, so those are likely safe. However, if the bottle says "aged in oak" it could be either an oak barrel or vat, and good luck finding out which. So some brands may be completely safe. Or not. Same with brandy aged in oak. Actual oak barrel or vat with oak added for flavor? I've yet to find a list of either Scotch or brandy that is safe.
@joelmw 1) I totally understand your pain/frustration with this topic, while i have no problem with Glutens myself, My mother and Brother do. Mom, just a slight intolerance. My Brother, while not having the official, biopsy evidenced diagnosis, has all the classic Celiac symptoms, Literal Crap Chute indeed.
2) that's one of my Fav. XKCD's. I have an autographed Print hanging in my bedroom.
I know it's a serious issue for some, but this is still one of my favorite videos: I think I learned it from someone here on Meh, but I can't remember who, sorry.
I kind of want to buy this just to see what happens when I put the Gluten I add to my pizza dough in this thing. I know it wouldn't do anything cool, but a small part of me thinks it just might explode.
I don't suffer from this issue, but I'd be pretty fucking reluctant to trust the accuracy of a non-FDA approved device that has no published independent third party verification as to the veracity of their test / methodology. Not to mention you're relying on a fairly sophisticated device to give you a smiley face (vs PPM) after being repeatedly banged around during travel and repeatedly subjected to temperature extremes in transit. So the thing malfunctions and you go hungry and get pissed at your favorite restaurant (or friend or family member) and come to find out that food what gluten fucking free all along . . . not to mention someone will have this thing malfunction on them and threaten a lawsuit, etc. . . . If I ran a responsible restaurant and I offered a gluten free option for my diners and you whipped one of these out at the table, I might ask you politely to leave based on the aforementioned alone. Some business is going to get yelped into oblivion over a malfunctioning unit. Livelihoods and reputations will be destroyed.
I too honestly thought this was onion when I watched it and then I was all like, Da fuk??
Oh, and apparently you need to sell a kidney or a start-up to Google to be able to afford the test canisters.
Brilliant on extracting the money from the wallets of true sufferers - talk about ultimate FUD . . . Amazing.
I'll just say thanks for the education. I don't know anybody (as far as I am aware) with a true sensitivity to gluten and (perhaps erroneously) thought the real incidence was a tiny, tiny portion of the population. I believed it was otherwise a fad thing. Must not be fun.
My brother in law is one those unfortunates that suffers until the lining of his intestines heals after accidentally eating gluten. Given the discomfort level, this would be worth the cost for him, assuming it actually works.
He wouldn't need to use it for every meal, just for new products.
I used to eat meat. I remember back in the 1970s when they started selling budget lunch meat that included mystery binding agents. A big chunk of meat was created by gluing together lots of little scraps of meat. Then it was sliced and sold.
@darkzrobe I... uhh... how would one test for GMOs? Are they expecting to detect a single DNA alteration, in a home test kit? People make my head hurt.
So...how many ingredients in that Cobb salad she's eating? I count at least six.
And she's testing each ingredient individually?
So, unless she's got another five devices hidden in her purse, it's gonna take her at least 12 minutes before she's even able to begin eating, at which time her friends will probably already be done, and her salad will likely be close to room temperature, which because it's a salad is probably not that huge of a deal...
Plus, if the capsule pricing from @Nyc_Tattoo is correct (and it appears to be), her salad just cost her 24 bucks to test, and later on, it'll cost her $30.
Perhaps that little smiley face should have dollar signs for eyes.
Bottom line: If I had celiac disease, I'd only eat what I've prepared myself.
@mrslug For whatever it's worth, I showed dramatic improvement in various symptoms after being on a gluten-free diet for just two weeks. Three years in, as part of a study, I had my innards and blood tested: both showed significant healing.
All of that while eating out fairly often, but only at a handful of places that I trust. I tend to be especially cautious when scoping out a new place. Our local Gluten Intolerance Group (most of whom seem to be celiacs) checks out different restaurants periodically. Honestly, we've not always been impressed by their standards.
On the other hand, we sort of overhauled our kitchen (replacing problematic dishware, cooking and storage equipment, etc.), and other than self-contained items which are typically eaten (by those who can eat them) outside the house, nothing gets in the house that's not gluten-free.
It's kind of a pain in the ass not being able to eat out at just any old place at work, but they usually think about me. I miss a few lunches that I would have attended and have gone to a few others and just awkwardly sipped on a drink.
@mrslug While it would be nice to test everything, I'd argue that the probability of there being a problem with the chicken is significantly higher. It's more likely to have been seasoned, soaked or otherwise enhanced with something. It will have crossed cooking surfaces and utensils that are more likely to have been touched by gluten. Those veggies basically need to be cut and gathered. That's a cutting board (which one would hope would be reserved for other veg), a knife and whatever bowls. There are dangers of their being contaminated, but easier to isolate and verify otherwise. As has been noted, most foods don't naturally contain gluten.
A salad with grilled chicken is a pretty common option for eating gluten free at a restaurant that doesn't have a lot of options. The chicken is far more often the thing I'm nervous about.
@mrslug All that being said, we were told by multiple staff and former staff at Olive Garden that their salad bins are a virtual cesspool, and that the croutons are either premixed in or are likely to find their way into supposedly crouton-free salad. Needless to say we don't go there.
I always thought it was crap shoot. "Literal" though? Nasty.
@medz The more traditional, "roll the dice," is "crapshoot." I just prefer the alternate spelling in this case, specifically because of the literal. It's not a literal roll of the dice. It can certainly precipitate one's becoming a crap chute. "Crap shoot" also works literally.
@joelmw You'll literally be shooting crap out of your crap chute!
@brhfl Exactly.
@medz It is definitely "crap shoot" but "crap chute" is way funnier and grosser.
No your butt is a crap chute, roll of the dice is a crap shoot.
@cranky1950 You obviously don't have celiac disease.
Is this real or onion?
@DrunkCat I'm pretty sure it's real. I learned of it in an email from CeliAct. Here's their story.
@joelmw I think the line "I can't eat gluten, and the reasons why don't even matter" is extremely damaging and puts a damper on everything else.
This is a boon for celiacs but it's going to be a literal crap chute because it's pandering to the gluten-free trend club crowd.
@DrunkCat I can somewhat appreciate where you're coming from, but a celiac diagnosis can be difficult and imprecise and I know people who have serious issues with gluten and don't yet have an official diagnosis.
I will judge someone who makes a big deal of not eating gluten just because they heard it's the thing to do. I will definitely judge someone who is inconsistent with their diet (for instance--and this request was received by my stepson, who's a waiter and who knew enough to call it to the customer's attention, and she laughed and went ahead anyway--someone who asks for gluten-free pasta covered in a sauce known to contain gluten). I reserve judgment on someone who's serious about avoiding gluten for whatever reason but doesn't have the "right" diagnosis.
Hell, I just don't have time to keep up with other people's problems.
@joelmw I'm almost certain that 80% of this thread could've been avoided if that line specifically said "I can't eat gluten, because I have celiacs/severe gluten intolerance". But I have a feeling the folks who made this are just looking to profit on a trend. (Which will suck when they stop making the disposable containers unless someone hacks them.)
@DrunkCat Yeah, it's a fine line. Some of the most legitimately concerned and careful people I know either have no or ambiguous diagnoses. I'm disheartened by many of the side effects of the fad and that statement did kind of bother me, but the more I've thought about it, the more appropriate it seems. I don't mean to beat a dead horse here, but ultimately what matters to me isn't the label or the medical certification, but how serious (including educated) and consistent the person making the claim is.
There are so many reasons why I hate this. Can you imagine someone inviting you over to dinner and you have the audacity to test the food in front of them?!?
This product should be called "FriendRemover".
Or "Ass".
@ACraigL You're right. Much better off risking eating something you shouldn't, having an immediate issue in the friend's house and spraying shit all over their bathroom.
@ACraigL So, you see, here's our dilemma: It is generally NOT safe to consume food prepared by someone who is not a professional and doesn't live with a loved one who has celiac disease. And yet people insist. And I know from personal experience that the process of talking them down from their intended act of generosity is both awkward and exhausting. And sometimes even after the talk (or repeated talks) they insist anyway. In which case, the smart, still awkward, often still exhausting thing to do is say "no thanks."
At that point, I don't see that pulling out the tester is any worse than the (not yet literal) shit I've already gone through. I wouldn't begin to trust a casual friend anyway. Anyone with whom I'd even consider using this in their presence (anyone who doesn't deal regularly with celiac disease but whose gluten-free cooking or baking I'm willing to maybe try) would have to be a damn good friend in the first place and they'd have had to endure several questions and detailed instructions and caveats. If they can't handle my silly little fucking tester, their momentarily hurt feelings are the least of my troubles. Hell, it could even be a teachable moment: "See, this would slowly kill me. Good thing we checked, huh?" as I smiled awkwardly. If they can't get over it, fuck 'em. If you don't get that, well, all due respect, fuck you too.
And it would be great peace of mind in restaurants, which is actually where I'd be far more likely to use it.
Think of it this way, if you had, say a peanut allergy, would you expect your friends to be offended by your having an epipen handy when you dine with them?
@Nyc_Tattoo Well put. :-)
@joelmw I'm still shocked that a friend with a severe peanut allergy let me cook dinner for her. I borrowed all her kitchenware and used unopened ingredients and asked about all ingredients that were at all questionable. She was literally trusting me with her life. (It was a dinner party... Worth the extra trouble in the end). Guess she trusted I would be neurotic about the whole meal. And no, I didn't pressure her into it. She's the one who suggested I use her kitchen equipment when we were discussing how she would fare at the party.
My sister's ex-boyfriend had Celiac's disease... Baked for him. I definitely went out of my way to make sure everything was gluten free. (I checked the ingredients of cinnamon. You know what it contained? Cinnamon. And cinnamon doesn't contain gluten. I know all this because I looked up EVERYTHING).
My point? I would have LOVED for either of them to have testers of some sort. It would have been a huge weight off my mind. I wasn't the one who could have gotten sick, but I was the one freaking out while they ate.
@primrosewater
@joelmw Sure. I even have a stockpile of gluten free foods... And feel free to bring a sensor. ;-)
Did this fool just check a piece of chicken for gluten? at 00:48
@connorbush Chicken can absolutely be contaminated with gluten. Hell, it can be fucking infused with gluten. See, this is why we spend so much time trying to explain these things and why we need these devices; people just don't get it.
I'm not trying to be harsh, but, yeah, short and sweet: yes, prepared chicken can contain gluten. It could have simply picked up gluten from the pan it was cooked in or the utensils it was prepared with or the dish it was served in. Or it could have been covered with something that contains gluten or even marinated in something that contains gluten. Or served with something containing or contaminated with gluten.
@joelmw Or melamine, if it's Chinese pet food. Now there's a new market.
@joelmw hmmm my sources did not indicate as much.....
"Fresh chicken doesn't contain any gluten. In fact, all fresh meat, including beef, pork, turkey and seafood, are gluten-free options to add to your diet. The key is to use fresh meat, however, without any added ingredients, according to MayoClinic.com. When you coat chicken with batter, marinate it or bread it, chances are, it will contain gluten. Leaving these ingredients off your chicken will help ensure that it remains gluten-free."
Perhaps she is indicating that she does not trust the chef of the restaurant to cook in in accordance with her dietary restrictions.
I do not think that JUST prepared chicken can contain gluten ('toats could be wrong here, trusting mayo clinic).... I believe you might be referring to cross contamination with other food stuffs.
I also don't think that it could pick it up from the pan it was cooked in or utensils it was cooked with unless the pan came into contact with gluten--I have not come across too many pans made of gluten ;-)
I took her chicken in the video to be just that--chicken. I did not account for other ingredients. Hence why I asked "Did this fool just check a piece of chicken for gluten?"
You could have answered: "No, she is not checking if the chicken contains gluten, she is checking for additives that could contain gluten that could have been used in the preparation of the chicken."
I catch your drift--my bad for being captain literal over here.
My brain went chicken>>>meat>>meat>>>no gluten.
@connorbush You are correct that fresh, raw, properly handled chicken doesn't contain gluten. Not many things (aside from wheat, barely, rye, triticale and similar hybrids) do.
But for all practical purposes, once people start handling and processing it, all bets are off. Any pan that hasn't been properly, thoroughly cleaned after, for instance, cooking something breaded (or--it wouldn't have to be so dramatic as breading--that simply contains gluten) is a danger. But so too are pans and cooking surfaces that have been scored (especially Teflon) and plastic utensils, even if they have been cleaned. And I forgot to mention airborne.
20 ppm isn't much. And that's not necessarily the minimum threshold for everyone with a gluten issue.
I definitely wouldn't automatically trust even unseasoned grilled chicken from any source. And that's exactly the sort of thing we celiacs tend to eat, just to minimize the risk. So, yes, this is exactly the sort of thing I'd test too.
I'm not making this up: these are guidelines that I've received from multiple medical professionals. Hell, @connorbush, I've been yelled at and lectured to sternly about this stuff. And please believe that I would much rather be casual about it.
@connorbush And just to be clear, the chicken has obviously been cooked. And it's surrounded by other stuff. And, yeah, it looks like someone prepared it.
I'm having a really hard time understanding your objection here and why you feel the need to lecture me about something I have to deal with whenever I eat.
@joelmw I did not know I was lecturing at all? I even used a wink face to acknowledge my awareness of my own ignorance and over-literal understanding of the topic. This has gone too far and I intended only to be silly. I meant no transgressions on your house or the people that share what you have to deal with whenever you eat.
Again, no lecturing, no yelling, no sternness.
Was just being insensitive, silly, and ignorant.
@connorbush I probably over-reacted. I appreciate your goodwill and I apologize if I went too far.
@joelmw 'tis all good, we can be friends again. let's show the world that glutens and nonglutens can coexist is peace
@connorbush
@connorbush That photo is amazing. And something tells me it is not at all what it looks like. (poor zebra)
@christinerenee Actually that is either a Great Pyrenees or another guardian dog and they are great because they will take a flock/herd/whatever as their own and protect them like family. Many farmers have these dogs for this reason
@christinerenee ...Annnnd I just realized you said zebra and I was looking at the dog and goat pic. ignore me!
The killer is each test requires a one time use capsule, and they seem to be charging $48 for 12 capsules going by the preorder pricing. It's sad when the testing of the food may actually cost more than the food itself.
@Nyc_Tattoo You mean the killer idea that got this going. Nothing says money grab as finding a group to gouge.
GET IT WHILE THE GLUTEN IS GOOD
@matthew This song has now been stuck in my head for 6 hours.
I'll just leave this here.
I honestly didn't mean to start this shitstorm. I think the video is funny. And it hit home for me and I thought it would for some others.
If people will refrain making stupid judgments about shit they don't understand, I'll be happy to stop correcting them. ;-)
I mean, if you don't mind being educated, that's cool. But, well, I'll just leave it there, lest I really piss anyone off.
@joelmw @Nyc_Tattoo FWIW, I didn't mean to be insensitive to anyone with food allergies. My reaction above was more about the video and the actor, moreso than the content or the device. I'm fortunate to have have this issue, but I have many friends that do so I get it.
Many will eat in advance of a social engagements where food is involved, just to be safe, then load up on scotch or red wine while there. Everyone wins.
@ACraigL Hell, if I can get liquored up, I'm all for that. And none of those silly unfermented grains to interfere with the buzz. :-)
@ACraigL Not Scotch, guys. Regardless of what you may have heard about "the distilling process removes all of the gluten" (which is accurate) - the final product is NOT gluten-free. Two problems: Distillers add back some of the starter barley malt/slurry after distillation to get the unique flavor of Scotch; and most of the better quality brands are then aged in French oak barrels - which are caulked and sealed with wheat paste.
And I am quite unhappy about that, because I love a good 18 year old (If it ain't old enough to vote, it hasn't aged properly) single malt. But it's not worth 14 -20 days of dealing with a DH outbreak on my elbows and ankles - which is how I know I've been glutened. So watch out for the barley juice - it will get you.
@rockblossom Ha. I've been hesitant to drink Scotch for the reasons listed and I never drank much before my diagnosis. But I wasn't sure if there might be some good stuff out there or what others know that I don't.
@joelmw It's another crap shoot. Whatever the distiller adds after distillation is proprietary info, so good luck getting it from the manufacturer. Much of the Scotch (maybe most) is aged in steel vats, not wood barrels. Some add oak, or charred oak to the vats for flavor, so those are likely safe. However, if the bottle says "aged in oak" it could be either an oak barrel or vat, and good luck finding out which. So some brands may be completely safe. Or not. Same with brandy aged in oak. Actual oak barrel or vat with oak added for flavor? I've yet to find a list of either Scotch or brandy that is safe.
@joelmw
1) I totally understand your pain/frustration with this topic, while i have no problem with Glutens myself, My mother and Brother do.
Mom, just a slight intolerance.
My Brother, while not having the official, biopsy evidenced diagnosis, has all the classic Celiac symptoms, Literal Crap Chute indeed.
2) that's one of my Fav. XKCD's.
I have an autographed Print hanging in my bedroom.
I know it's a serious issue for some, but this is still one of my favorite videos:
I think I learned it from someone here on Meh, but I can't remember who, sorry.
I kind of want to buy this just to see what happens when I put the Gluten I add to my pizza dough in this thing. I know it wouldn't do anything cool, but a small part of me thinks it just might explode.
I don't suffer from this issue, but I'd be pretty fucking reluctant to trust the accuracy of a non-FDA approved device that has no published independent third party verification as to the veracity of their test / methodology. Not to mention you're relying on a fairly sophisticated device to give you a smiley face (vs PPM) after being repeatedly banged around during travel and repeatedly subjected to temperature extremes in transit. So the thing malfunctions and you go hungry and get pissed at your favorite restaurant (or friend or family member) and come to find out that food what gluten fucking free all along . . . not to mention someone will have this thing malfunction on them and threaten a lawsuit, etc. . . . If I ran a responsible restaurant and I offered a gluten free option for my diners and you whipped one of these out at the table, I might ask you politely to leave based on the aforementioned alone. Some business is going to get yelped into oblivion over a malfunctioning unit. Livelihoods and reputations will be destroyed.
I too honestly thought this was onion when I watched it and then I was all like, Da fuk??
Oh, and apparently you need to sell a kidney or a start-up to Google to be able to afford the test canisters.
Brilliant on extracting the money from the wallets of true sufferers - talk about ultimate FUD . . . Amazing.
@Pavlov Because I had to look it up I figured others might too FUD
Which made me realize that's the phrase to describe this:
@Pavlov so you're saying it might actually be a "crap shoot" machine?
I'll just say thanks for the education. I don't know anybody (as far as I am aware) with a true sensitivity to gluten and (perhaps erroneously) thought the real incidence was a tiny, tiny portion of the population. I believed it was otherwise a fad thing. Must not be fun.
My brother in law is one those unfortunates that suffers until the lining of his intestines heals after accidentally eating gluten. Given the discomfort level, this would be worth the cost for him, assuming it actually works.
He wouldn't need to use it for every meal, just for new products.
I used to eat meat. I remember back in the 1970s when they started selling budget lunch meat that included mystery binding agents. A big chunk of meat was created by gluing together lots of little scraps of meat. Then it was sliced and sold.
This statement in the comments bothered me much more than it should...
"I’d like to have one to test for GMOs as well, but I can’t afford the caps at this price"
@darkzrobe I... uhh... how would one test for GMOs? Are they expecting to detect a single DNA alteration, in a home test kit? People make my head hurt.
@Thumperchick Exactly
So...how many ingredients in that Cobb salad she's eating? I count at least six.
And she's testing each ingredient individually?
So, unless she's got another five devices hidden in her purse, it's gonna take her at least 12 minutes before she's even able to begin eating, at which time her friends will probably already be done, and her salad will likely be close to room temperature, which because it's a salad is probably not that huge of a deal...
Plus, if the capsule pricing from @Nyc_Tattoo is correct (and it appears to be), her salad just cost her 24 bucks to test, and later on, it'll cost her $30.
Perhaps that little smiley face should have dollar signs for eyes.
Bottom line: If I had celiac disease, I'd only eat what I've prepared myself.
@mrslug For whatever it's worth, I showed dramatic improvement in various symptoms after being on a gluten-free diet for just two weeks. Three years in, as part of a study, I had my innards and blood tested: both showed significant healing.
All of that while eating out fairly often, but only at a handful of places that I trust. I tend to be especially cautious when scoping out a new place. Our local Gluten Intolerance Group (most of whom seem to be celiacs) checks out different restaurants periodically. Honestly, we've not always been impressed by their standards.
On the other hand, we sort of overhauled our kitchen (replacing problematic dishware, cooking and storage equipment, etc.), and other than self-contained items which are typically eaten (by those who can eat them) outside the house, nothing gets in the house that's not gluten-free.
It's kind of a pain in the ass not being able to eat out at just any old place at work, but they usually think about me. I miss a few lunches that I would have attended and have gone to a few others and just awkwardly sipped on a drink.
@mrslug While it would be nice to test everything, I'd argue that the probability of there being a problem with the chicken is significantly higher. It's more likely to have been seasoned, soaked or otherwise enhanced with something. It will have crossed cooking surfaces and utensils that are more likely to have been touched by gluten. Those veggies basically need to be cut and gathered. That's a cutting board (which one would hope would be reserved for other veg), a knife and whatever bowls. There are dangers of their being contaminated, but easier to isolate and verify otherwise. As has been noted, most foods don't naturally contain gluten.
A salad with grilled chicken is a pretty common option for eating gluten free at a restaurant that doesn't have a lot of options. The chicken is far more often the thing I'm nervous about.
@mrslug All that being said, we were told by multiple staff and former staff at Olive Garden that their salad bins are a virtual cesspool, and that the croutons are either premixed in or are likely to find their way into supposedly crouton-free salad. Needless to say we don't go there.
There's a certain gentle poetic beauty in a thread about a literal crap chute turning into a literal shit storm.