Jump to content

  • Welcome to Celiac.com!

    You have found your celiac tribe! Join us and ask questions in our forum, share your story, and connect with others.



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A1):

    Celiac.com Sponsor (A1-M):

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Our Content
    eNewsletter
    Donate

Blue Cheese - Yes Or No

IronedOut

Recommended Posts

IronedOut Apprentice
IronedOut
Posted

I've seen blue cheese listed in several places as a no-no and was wondering why? I'm guessing that some grain product is used to make the 'blue' in the cheese?

Adding to my confusion is the list of safe meals my friends brought back from a restaurant called The Macaroni Grill. On it was their blue cheese salad.

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


rmmadden Contributor
rmmadden
Posted

I'm no cheese expert but, as I understand it the mold in Blue Cheese is started from bread. I don't know the details about how much (if any) gluten gets transfered over in the making/aging process.

I think this is one of those personal decisions.....How sensitive are you type things.

Best of Luck,

Cleveland Bob B)

skoki-mom Explorer
skoki-mom
Posted

Blue cheese is allowed by the Canadian Celiac Association. I eat it, but not very often. Sharp cheese is a special treat for me :) However, I understand that it is not considered ok in the USA. I'm not sure if it is just a different philosophy, or if it is actually cultured differently between the countries. This sort of stuff is confusing, I agree! Though I admit I am a bad-ass and if I can find it on a "safe list" from a reputable source, I'm likely to eat it.

lovegrov Collaborator
lovegrov
Posted

The culture or mold for blue cheese is sometimes started on bread but more often these days is started on an artificial medium. So if you know a blue cheese wasn't started on bread, you know for certain it's gluten-free.

Even if it is started on bread, no one really seems to know whether any of the gluten actually carries over to the culture. And even if it does carry over, the amount used in a huge vat would mean that even if the culture were 100 percent gluten (which it wouldn't be), the gluten in the cheese would be maybe a couple of parts per million.

This is strictly a personal choice, but I don't even worry about blue cheese any more. IMO, eating out anywhere or cooking in a mixed kitchen at home carries more risk of gluten.

richard

floridanative Community Regular
floridanative
Posted

This too is confusing to me. I went through the Delphi list highlighting all the things I normally buy that are safe. So I read every word carefully and there are some blue cheese items listed from various manufacurers - some were listed as safe and others not. At the one support group meeting I attended last Fall they brought this up and most everyone seemed to agree since the mold was started from bread we should probably avoid it. But I don't want to avoid anything if I can confirm it's okay.

p.s. thanks Richard - your post wasn't up when I started mine.

IronedOut Apprentice
IronedOut
Posted
  • Author
The culture or mold for blue cheese is sometimes started on bread but more often these days is started on an artificial medium. So if you know a blue cheese wasn't started on bread, you know for certain it's gluten-free.

Even if it is started on bread, no one really seems to know whether any of the gluten actually carries over to the culture. And even if it does carry over, the amount used in a huge vat would mean that even if the culture were 100 percent gluten (which it wouldn't be), the gluten in the cheese would be maybe a couple of parts per million.

This is strictly a personal choice, but I don't even worry about blue cheese any more. IMO, eating out anywhere or cooking in a mixed kitchen at home carries more risk of gluten.

richard

Thanks Richard. How reactive are you to getting glutened? I think I am very sensative to the gluten in terms of villa destruction but very non-reactive in terms of symptoms to tell when I've goofed.

StrongerToday Enthusiast
StrongerToday
Posted

Blue cheese was one of the first foods I noticed an instant adverse reaction too - and I love it! But it's just not worth it to me.

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


lovegrov Collaborator
lovegrov
Posted

If you are reacting to blue cheese started on an artificial medium then you're not reacting to gluten. Those blue cheeses are without question gluten-free.

If you truly are reacting to whatever tiny amount of gluten might be in blue cheese started on bread, I'd most definitely avoid eating out or even using any processed products made on shared lines.

richard

VegasCeliacBuckeye Collaborator
VegasCeliacBuckeye
Posted

I will echo what Richard said, I have no problem with bleu cheese either.

I actually did a substantial amount of research on the subject. Even if the mold was made from bread, the amount of potential gluten would be so trivial that 99% of people would not react to it (unless you are lactose/mold intolerant).

The mold doesn't carry any of the bread it was grown on as it spreads throughout the cheese...the only potential area where the "bread mold" could possibly have any miniscule amount of gluten would be on the outside -- even if this occurred in any substantial amount, the cheeses are cleaned before they go out -- it really is like a one in a million chance.

You have a much greater risk eating out restaurants than you do with bleu cheese.

If you reacted to bleu cheese, I do not think it is gluten -- probably a lactose or mold reaction...

elonwy Enthusiast
elonwy
Posted

I don't react to blue cheese either, and read the research broncobux was referring too, and feel safe. Do know that there are blue cheeses that will state "wheat" on the label, and those I avoid.

Elonwy

VegasCeliacBuckeye Collaborator
VegasCeliacBuckeye
Posted

Good point Elonwy!

Always read those stinkin labels!

astyanax Rookie
astyanax
Posted

recently outback took bleu cheese dressing off of their gluten-free list. i was pretty worried cos i used to eat it every time i went there and wasn't getting sick. i get ranch now, but i wonder if maybe they took it off the list cos of the bread thing ?

lovegrov Collaborator
lovegrov
Posted

From what I understand they took it off the menu because of a tarragon vinegar in the dressing -- not because of the vinegar itself but because they're not sure of something in the tarragon flavoring. GIG is advising people to avoid the dressing for now, even though it's very possible there's actually no gluten in it.

The blue cheese used in the dressing is one that's started on a medium other than bread, so it's not the blue cheese itself.

richard

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Celiac.com:
    Join eNewsletter
    Donate
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):
    Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):



    Celiac.com Sponsors (A17-M):



  • Recent Activity

    1. trents
      - trents replied to Atl222's topic in Post Diagnosis, Recovery & Treatment of Celiac Disease
      1

      Increased intraepithelial lymphocytes after 10 yrs gluten-free

      Welcome to the celiac.com community, @Atl222! Yes, your increased lymphocytes could be in response to oats or it could possibly be cross contamination from gluten that is getting into your diet from some unexpected source but not enough to damage the villi. And I'm certain that increased lymphocytes can be caused by other things besides celiac disease...
    2. Scott Adams
      - Scott Adams replied to Aretaeus Cappadocia's topic in Gluten-Free Foods, Products, Shopping & Medications
      1

      Brown Rice Vinegar (organic) from Eden Foods is likely gluten free

      This is a solid, well-reasoned approach. You’re right that “koji” by itself doesn’t indicate gluten status, and the risk really does come down to which grain is used to culture it. The fact that you directly contacted Eden Foods and received a clear statement that their koji is made from rice only, with no wheat or barley, is meaningful due diligence—especia...
    3. Scott Adams
      - Scott Adams replied to wellthatsfun's topic in Post Diagnosis, Recovery & Treatment of Celiac Disease
      1

      nothing has changed

      Seven months can still be early in celiac healing, especially if you were mostly asymptomatic to begin with—symptoms like low iron, vitamin D deficiency, nail changes, and hair issues often take much longer to improve because the gut needs time to recover before absorption normalizes. A tTG-IgA of 69 is not “low” in terms of immune activity, and it can t...
    4. Scott Adams
      - Scott Adams commented on knitty kitty's blog entry in Thiamine Thiamine Thiamine
      1

      About Celiac Remission

      This idea comes up often, but it’s important to separate theory from what’s actually supported by evidence. In celiac disease, the immune system does not “forget” gluten in a permanent or reliable way, even after long periods of avoidance, and the celiac genes do not turn off. While antibody levels (like tTG IgA) can normalize on a strict gluten-free diet an...
    5. Scott Adams
      - Scott Adams replied to TheDHhurts's topic in Gluten-Free Foods, Products, Shopping & Medications
      2

      need help understanding testing result for Naked Nutrition Creatine please

      Gluten testing is normally reported in ppm (parts per million), which is equivalent to mg/kg, not micrograms by itself. A result of <0.025 mcg only becomes meaningful if you know the sample size tested (for example, mcg per gram or per kg). If that value represents <0.025 mcg per gram, that would equal <25 ppm, which is above the gluten-free threshold...
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):

  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      133,190
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    Atl222
    Newest Member
    Atl222
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):

  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.6k
    • Total Posts
      1m
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):

  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • trents
      Increased intraepithelial lymphocytes after 10 yrs gluten-free

      By trents · Posted

      Welcome to the celiac.com community, @Atl222! Yes, your increased lymphocytes could be in response to oats or it could possibly be cross contamination from gluten that is getting into your diet from some unexpected source but not enough to damage the villi. And I'm certain that increased lymphocytes can be caused by other things besides celiac disease or gluten/oats exposure. See attachment. But you might try eliminating oats to start with and possibly dairy for a few months and then seek another endoscopy/biopsy to see if there was a reduction in lymphocyte counts. 
    • Scott Adams
      Brown Rice Vinegar (organic) from Eden Foods is likely gluten free

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      This is a solid, well-reasoned approach. You’re right that “koji” by itself doesn’t indicate gluten status, and the risk really does come down to which grain is used to culture it. The fact that you directly contacted Eden Foods and received a clear statement that their koji is made from rice only, with no wheat or barley, is meaningful due diligence—especially since Eden has a long-standing reputation for transparency. While the lack of gluten labeling can understandably give pause, manufacturer confirmation like this is often what people rely on for traditionally fermented products. As always, trusting your body after trying it is reasonable, but based on the information you gathered, your conclusion makes sense.
    • Scott Adams
      nothing has changed

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      Seven months can still be early in celiac healing, especially if you were mostly asymptomatic to begin with—symptoms like low iron, vitamin D deficiency, nail changes, and hair issues often take much longer to improve because the gut needs time to recover before absorption normalizes. A tTG-IgA of 69 is not “low” in terms of immune activity, and it can take 12–24 months (sometimes longer) for antibodies and the intestinal lining to fully heal, particularly in teens and young adults. Eating gluten again to “test” things isn’t recommended and won’t give you clear answers—it’s far more likely to cause harm than clarity. Weight not changing is also very common in celiac and doesn’t rule anything out. Please know that your frustration and sadness matter; this adjustment is hard, and feeling stuck can really affect mental health. You deserve support, and if you can, reaching out to a GI dietitian or mental health professional familiar with chronic illness could really help you through this phase. This study indicates that a majority of celiacs don't recover until 5 years after diagnosis and starting a gluten-free diet: Mucosal recovery and mortality in adults with celiac disease after treatment with a gluten-free diet However, it's also possible that what the study really shows is the difficulty in maintaining a 100% gluten-free diet. I suspect that if you looked closely at the diets of those who did not recover within 2 years might be that their diets were not 100% gluten-free. Perhaps they ate out more often, or didn't understand all of the hidden ingredients where gluten can hide. Either way, it shows how difficult recovery from celiac disease can be for most people. According to this study: This article explores other causes of flattened villi:    
    • Scott Adams
      need help understanding testing result for Naked Nutrition Creatine please

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      Gluten testing is normally reported in ppm (parts per million), which is equivalent to mg/kg, not micrograms by itself. A result of <0.025 mcg only becomes meaningful if you know the sample size tested (for example, mcg per gram or per kg). If that value represents <0.025 mcg per gram, that would equal <25 ppm, which is above the gluten-free threshold; if it’s <0.025 mcg per kilogram, it would be extremely low and well within GF limits. Without the denominator, the result is incomplete. It’s reasonable to follow up with the company and ask them to confirm the result in ppm using a validated method (like ELISA R5)—that’s the standard used to assess gluten safety.
    • Scott Adams
      Medications

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      Medication sensitivity is very real for many people with celiac and other autoimmune conditions, and it’s frustrating when that’s brushed off. Even when a medication is technically gluten-free, fillers, dose changes, or how your nervous system reacts—especially with things like gabapentin—can cause paradoxical effects like feeling wired but exhausted. The fact that it helped bloating suggests it may be affecting gut–nerve signaling, which makes sense in the context of SIBO, but that doesn’t mean the side effects should be ignored. You’re carrying a heavy load right now with ongoing skin, eye, and neurological uncertainty, and living in that kind of limbo is exhausting on its own. It’s understandable to feel overwhelmed and discouraged when systems and providers don’t meet you where you are—your experience is valid, and continuing to advocate for yourself, even when it’s hard, really does matter. You can search this site for prescriptions medications, but will need to know the manufacturer/maker if there is more than one, especially if you use a generic version of the medication: To see the ingredients you will need to click on the correct version of the medication and maker in the results, then scroll down to "Ingredients and Appearance" and click it, and then look at "Inactive Ingredients," as any gluten ingredients would likely appear there, rather than in the Active Ingredients area. https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/   
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

NOTICE: This site places This site places cookies on your device (Cookie settings). on your device. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use, and Privacy Policy.