The Condiment Problem

You’ve cleaned your cutting board. You’ve got your own toaster. But what about that jar of peanut butter that everyone uses?

Condiment contamination is insidious, and often overlooked.

How Contamination Happens

The Double-Dip

1. Someone makes a sandwich with regular bread
2. They dip their knife into the peanut butter
3. They spread peanut butter on their bread
4. They re-dip the knife (now with bread crumbs) into the peanut butter
5. The jar is now contaminated

This happens with:

• Peanut butter and nut butters
• Jam and jelly
• Butter
• Cream cheese
• Mayonnaise
• Mustard
• Hummus
• Any dip or spread

The Scooping Problem

Even without double-dipping, utensils that have touched bread can contaminate when scooping condiments.

The Lid and Rim

Contamination can happen at the jar’s rim and lid, touched by crumby hands or contaminated utensils.

High-Risk Condiments

Butter

Butter dishes are major culprits:

• Crumbs fall into the butter
• Knives touch bread then touch butter
• Butter is used for everything

Peanut Butter and Nut Butters

Everyone double-dips. The jar mouth is narrow. Contamination is almost guaranteed.

Jams and Jellies

Same problem as peanut butter, used primarily with bread, constantly re-dipped.

Mayonnaise

Used for sandwiches. Same double-dip risk.

Hummus and Dips

People dip bread and crackers directly. High contamination.

Solutions

Squeeze Bottles

Many condiments come in squeeze bottles:

• Mayonnaise
• Mustard
• Ketchup
• Some jellies

Squeeze bottles eliminate utensil contact. No double-dipping possible.

Switch where possible. Even if you’ve always bought jarred mayo, the squeeze version is safer.

Dedicated Jars (Labeled)

For condiments that don’t come in squeeze:

• Have your own dedicated jar
• Label it clearly (your name, “GF only”, etc.)
• Keep it in a separate spot if possible
• Never share utensils with it

This works for:

• Peanut butter
• Butter (your own dedicated butter dish)
• Jam
• Cream cheese
• Hummus

The “Scoop and Serve” Method

If you must share jars:

• Always use a clean utensil
• Scoop what you need onto your plate/bread
• Never re-dip

This requires discipline from everyone in the household.

Individual Portions

Single-serve packets when available:

• Nut butter packets
• Small butter pats
• Individual hummus cups
• Restaurant-style condiment packs

More expensive, more packaging, but guaranteed uncontaminated.

The Serving Dish Approach

Transfer condiments to serving dishes with dedicated spoons:

• Butter goes in a serving dish with a butter knife
• Jam goes in a small bowl with a spoon
• Scoop from the serving dish, not the jar

Requires more dishes but keeps main supply clean.

Room-by-Room

Kitchen

High priority for dedicated condiments:

• Butter
• Peanut butter
• Mayo
• Mustard
• Jams/jellies

Squeeze bottles where possible; dedicated jars for everything else.

Refrigerator

Contamination risk on:

• Condiment jars (as discussed)
• Cheese (if someone cuts with a contaminated knife)
• Sliced meat (if handled after handling bread)

Keep your dedicated items on a dedicated shelf if possible.

Pantry

Lower risk (less bread interaction) but watch:

• Honey (people dip after touching bread)
• Maple syrup
• Chocolate spread

In Shared Households

Family/Spouse

If you live with people who eat gluten:

Ideal: Dedicated condiments for you, clearly labeled and separated.

Acceptable: Strict “no double-dipping” rule enforced by everyone.

Risky: Shared condiments with hope that people remember.

The dedicated approach is most reliable. Human error is common with the “be careful” approach.

Roommates

Roommates may be less invested in your health:

Best approach: Maintain your own condiments entirely. Don’t share.

Label everything clearly. Store separately if possible.

College/Dorm

• Bring your own everything
• Keep condiments in your own mini-fridge or sealed container
• Don’t rely on communal condiments ever

At Other People’s Homes

When eating at friends’ or family’s:

Assume contamination. Shared condiments in non-celiac households are contaminated.

Bring your own. Small packets or a dedicated jar of what you need.

Skip condiments. Sometimes easiest to just not use them.

Ask for unopened. If they’re willing to open a fresh jar for you, that’s safe.

The Butter Dish Deep-Dive

The butter dish deserves special attention because:

• Butter is used constantly
• Crumbs are visibly obvious (but still there even when not visible)
• People who don’t have celiac don’t think about it

Solutions:

1. Your own butter dish (labeled, kept separate)
2. Squeeze butter (exists now!)
3. Individual butter pats (more expensive)
4. Butter in sticks (cut off what you need with clean knife)

Teaching Others

In a shared household, others need to understand:

“When you put a knife back in the peanut butter after it touched your bread, crumbs get in. Those crumbs make me sick. Please use a clean utensil every time.”

Some people will get it. Some won’t. Plan accordingly.

The Annoying Reality

This level of vigilance feels excessive. It’s annoying to maintain multiple jars of everything.

But condiment contamination is a real source of ongoing exposure. If you’re doing everything else right and still having symptoms, check your condiments.

The minor inconvenience of dedicated jars is worth feeling well.