A Quantitative Assessment of Gluten Cross-Contact in the School Environment for Children with Celiac Disease

. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2021 Mar 1.

Published in final edited form as: J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr. 2020 Mar;70(3):289–294. doi: 10.1097/MPG.0000000000002588

What is Known	What is New
• Maintaining a strict gluten-free diet is challenging for children with celiac disease. • Some school supplies are made from gluten-containing materials. • To date, there is no data documenting potential levels of gluten exposure in school classrooms.	• Paper mâché, cooked pasta, and home-economics baking activities may present a high risk of gluten exposure • Use of Play-Doh and dried pasta may present a very low or negligible risk of gluten exposure. • Based on our data, schools may consider providing gluten-free materials for students with celiac disease in scenarios that present a high-risk of gluten transfer. • Robust cleaning methods may be needed to prevent gluten transfer from common classroom materials.

What is Known

What is New

• Maintaining a strict gluten-free diet is challenging for children with celiac disease.
• Some school supplies are made from gluten-containing materials.
• To date, there is no data documenting potential levels of gluten exposure in school classrooms.

• Paper mâché, cooked pasta, and home-economics baking activities may present a high risk of gluten exposure
• Use of Play-Doh and dried pasta may present a very low or negligible risk of gluten exposure.
• Based on our data, schools may consider providing gluten-free materials for students with celiac disease in scenarios that present a high-risk of gluten transfer.
• Robust cleaning methods may be needed to prevent gluten transfer from common classroom materials.