With the holidays just around the corner (only 2 weeks until Halloween!), there will be a lot of dinner parties and festivities going on. Whether they are at your house or you’re the guest in someone else’s home, cross contamination will undoubtedly be on your mind.  At least for parties in your own home, the stress isn’t so high, but when you are eating elsewhere you must be proactive. The best and only real solution is to educate your guests. If they want to help out in the kitchen, politely inform them you have everything in order and are okay without the help –unless you’re confident they will be careful.

During the meal, spreadable food and condiments are usually causes for concern. Inform guests to simply dollop any spreadable food onto their plates without touching anything else. Give them a separate knife to spread.  If you’re making separate dishes, it might be helpful to put all the gluten free foods in a particular colored serving dish so no one accidentally eats all your gluten free stuffing or gluten free gravy. Make any gluten meals first or at least in one half of the kitchen, leaving the other half for gluten food; it never hurts to continually clean and wipe down all surfaces and pots just in case.

The holidays can be a stressful time, but you can’t afford to get yourself too flustered in the kitchen. Take it one step at a time and trust that your family and friends can be extra careful in the kitchen.