There are so many delicious foods that are naturally gluten-free, like fruits, vegetables, and natural meats. Bacon and eggs also fall into that category. So, I wanted to give a quick warning about something that some restaurants will do with bacon and eggs, outside of normal cross contact during preparation, that contaminates them with gluten. Brace yourself for this information, because it is shocking to learn, but some restaurants will mop down bacon after it is cooked with pieces of bread to soak up extra grease. Crazy, right?!? Another insane thing that can happen at some restaurants (I am looking at you IHOP), is that the chef will add a little pancake batter to the eggs before cooking them to make them fluffier.
Once you have confirmed that a restaurant is taking precautions during cooking to prevent cross-contact, you will also have to make sure that they aren’t using these two techniques if you plan to eat eggs or bacon. For eggs, you can request that they use fresh cracked eggs when you order which would eliminate the pancake batter issue. If possible, call ahead to the restaurant to ask if they do this so that you can plan accordingly. Happy Eating!
I didn’t know that these techniques are followed for bacon AND eggs to make them fluffy and tasty by some restaurants. These techniques are intentional cheeting in my opinion but it is good to know that these things do happen. Thanks for spreading awareness.
Hi Hari, I am so glad that you found this helpful information! Thank you!
I will keep this in mind when I go out to eat with someone who has a gluten allergen. Thank you!
This is helpful to know! I love a good bacon & eggs brunch out, so it’s good to remember about cross contamination.
Hi Kaci, Cross contamination can be difficult. I hope that this information was helpful! Thanks!