"Made on equipment that also processes wheat..."

[CarolM]

I'm curious how other celiacs deal with the issue of products made on equipment shared with wheat.  I sometimes wonder just how much risk of cross-contamination truly exists with some products, such as chocolates.  Do you think the companies are just covering their fannies with this warning or do you take it to mean the risk is very real, each time you see it on a food label?

[the sensible celiac]

I believe many of these warnings about "Made on equipment shared with" are there primarily to deflect lawsuits.  I am not as worried as some people are about the dangers of cross-contamination.

I buy and use products labeled with these warnings as long as nothing listed in the intentional ingredients is problematic for celiac disease.

I realize that I run some degree of risk by eating foods with these warnings, so far it either has not harmed me, or at least I'm not aware of any harm.

I understand that some people are far more sensitive to very small traces of wheat or gluten, and I would not criticize them for using greater caution in their selections. 

As cases of celiac disease go, I seem not to be as badly off as many others with this condition. When something does trigger a reaction in me the worst of it is over in a few hours, and no harm or difficulty persists beyond 24 hours.  Some people have much more dramatic reactions that lay them low for days at a time.

This seems to be very much a gray area, where reasonable people might well reach different conclusions.  It all comes down to a risk/benefit evaluation.  I'm not prepared to give up all of the foods that carry this warning, so I choose instead to face any possible problems that may arise because of my choice to ignore these warnings.

[vpuri]

My daughter has Celiac and she gets sick very quickly with cross contamination.
We even use separate oils for frying gluten free things for her.

[jaysmommy]

It depends really on what it is. The only thing that we have tried is cereal.....he had a reaction to Honeycomb, even though the ingredients list was fine but it had the disclaimer. He can eat Fruity Pebbles with no problems....though their label doesn't have that disclaimer....but their website does.  So, for us, it will just be a try and see kind of thing.

[acjeff]

The Honeycomb cereal I am familar with has wheat flour as the third ingredient. Is it different in another country or something?