Why Community Support Matters for Living with Celiac Disease
August 27, 2026
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Written by: JoAnne Murray, August 27, 2026
Most people, when they are newly diagnosed with Celiac Disease, struggle with how and where to start in their kitchens to make the kitchen safe for whoever in their household is being impacted with all these changes all at once.
Unlike microbes and organisms that can usually be destroyed by heat or chemicals, gluten is a protein and this protein is visible and durable and needs to be removed.
The gluten protein can be removed from kitchen surfaces with regular kitchen dish soaps and warm water. Dish soap acts as a surfactant that makes it possible for food particles to be removed smoothly and easily from kitchen surfaces. It also makes it possible to remove gluten from ridges and crevices as long as they are accessible with soap and water.
Systematically empty each cupboard and drawer in your kitchen. This will allow you to take a close look at all food and food containers as well as all dishes, pots, pans, utensils and appliances.
Start with the food products. Are the packages open or sealed, in their original packaging or transferred to another container. Unless you are really certain, it’s wise to give open packages away because of the risk of cross contact. If the contents have been transferred from the original container, it’s wise to give the product away unless you have kept the original ingredient list and know there has been no cross contact. If the products are older than the date of the 2014 labelling regulation*, they may be way past their useful life.
Wash out your food cabinets and drawers and restock them with new items. If there are both gluten and gluten free users in the household, clearly label the items that are for the gluten free users only. Double dipping is a risk in most households. Follow through with these same hygiene practices with your fridge. There may be some spills caught in some of the crevices in the fridge that will require extra care.
Now you can move to the durables. That’s all the items that are used for cooking, eating and storage. Are they still in good condition. If there are chips, cracks or noticeable scuffs and gouges, they pose a kitchen hygiene concern generally, not just for gluten free care.
Now that you’ve discarded the items that need to be retired, wash everything thoroughly in hot soapy water, rinse, air dry and store in your freshly cleaned cabinets and drawers.
The durables also include appliances, and there are some specific concerns for some electric and manual appliances. Through the years, we’ve acquired an assortment of ‘RULES’ that are often ‘MYTHS’ about the safety of many of these pieces of equipment. Science now affords us a newer understanding** of the safety of many of these items, and many are safe for use in gluten free food preparation. Research has determined that many of the items formerly thought of as DO NOT USE items are now deemed to be SAFE. However, habits, customs, rituals and fears make it impossible for everyone to adopt some of these new ideas. As a result, there are many in the Celiac Community who simply say, make the decision that works best for you, but please don’t deny others the acceptance of the new information that allows them to engage in the new terms of safe use.
As a matter of interest, there are people’s homes I will not eat in, not because of fear of cross contact with gluten sources, but because they have such poor BASIC KITCHEN HYGEINE practices.
*In 2014, Canadian labels had to include the common names of all allergens and gluten sources. Most foods from prior to that time pose a risk because the contents weren’t clearly identified. Science says that many of these products are still consumable, but this is not recommended when setting up safe gluten free practices.
** Myth busting resources can be found on these websites.
https://www.celiac.ca/healthcare-professionals/position-statements/ https://www.celiac.ca/toasters/
References
1. Hill ID, Fasano A, Guandalini S, et al. NASPGHAN clinical report on the diagnosis and treatment of gluten-related disorders. J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr. 2016;63(1):156-165. doi:10.1097/MPG.0000000000001216
2. Hill ID, Dirks MH, Liptak GS, et al. Guideline for the diagnosis and treatment of celiac disease in children: recommendations of the North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition. J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr. 2005;40(1):1-19. doi:10.1097/00005176-200501000-00001
3. Jamieson JA, Blewett H. The Price of Canadian Gluten-Free Staple Foods Remains More than Double and Iron Content Less than Half of Standard Foods in 2024. Plant Foods for Human Nutrition. 2025;80(3):141. doi:10.1007/s11130-025-01365-0
4. Wang X, Anders S, Jiang Z, et al. Food insecurity impacts diet quality and adherence to the gluten‐free diet in youth with celiac disease. J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr. 2024;79(6):1180-1191. doi:10.1002/jpn3.12398
5. Mager DR, Jiang Z, Anders S, Bruce M, Turner JM. Gluten-Free Food Insecurity is associated with reduced Diet Quality and ultra-processed food intake in youth with Celiac Disease. Nutrition. Published online May 2026:113270. doi:10.1016/j.nut.2026.113270
6. Mager DR, Anders S, Bruce M, Turner JM. Parental perspectives concerning gluten-free food insecurity in households with children with coeliac disease: take away messages for policy makers. J Nutr Sci. 2026;15:e69. doi:10.1017/jns.2026.10131
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