Can gluten be transferred through kissing?
Valentine’s Day is fast approaching and whether you’re single, dating, doing the relationship thing, engaged or married, who isn’t hoping for a cheeky pash come February 14th?!
For gluten intolerant individuals, the answer to that question is determined by their pash’s appetite for consideration. And let’s be honest; if they’re not considerate, maybe it’s time to find another pash who is!
While no scientific proof supports the risk of gluten exposure through kissing, there is a truck-load of anecdotal evidence – and why wouldn’t everyone just go gluten free when coeliac-safe beer is as good as it is in Australia?
Beer drinkers are actually named as the main culprits for compromising gluten safety through kissing. Of course, we understand that a little ‘Dutch Courage’ helps the nervous pashers out there – and beer consumption would go hand-in-hand with a lover’s kiss – but think of the particles!
Ingestion of even trace amounts of gluten can cause excruciating discomfort and internal damage to those with coeliac intolerances.
Beards, moustaches and sloppy eaters/drinkers can exacerbate the risk, with more chance of food or beverage containing gluten particles sticking around for longer and creating more contact points.
Chewing gum, make-up and lip products (all prime suspects on the pash scene) can also cause damage!
As the gluten intolerant among us will only be too well versed, if you can taste gluten-containing food or drink when engaging in a pash; chances are you are at risk.
How to avoid gluten contamination from kissing
- Have the conversation up front. It might be a little awkward, but it’s less awkward than suffering symptoms of being ‘glutenated’ (at any moment!)
- Ask your date to eat and drink gluten free – if you’ve chosen a decent eatery (which you will have for selfish reasons), the gluten free food should be great and a range of beautiful gluten free beer should be flowing! Who knows, your pash might even prefer gluten free!
- Carry gluten free dental products (and maybe a beard comb if you like the unshaven look) and ask your prospective pash to ‘clean up’!
Pulp Fusion Passion Fruit Sour is the obvious choice for Valentine’s Day – light, refreshing and mid-strength – but we’re pretty sure all gluten free beer contains aphrodisiacs, so Pale Ale, GFB Draught, Ginger Beer... whatever floats your mojo!
Crack open, sip (maybe sip again), pucker, pash, repeat!
Here’s a dating Tip from The Gluten Intolerance Group at gluten.org: Carry toothpaste, mouthwash and floss with you on your dates. Hopefully, you’ve introduced your gluten-free status early on in the date and given the other person plenty of options for enjoying gluten-free foods and drinks. But if you haven’t – or they haven’t been willing to accommodate your health needs (red flag?), you could whip out your handy mouth hygiene kit after a meal if you anticipate a kiss could be imminent. Awkward, yes, but better safe than sorry, right?
"As my wife and I own a gluten free brewery, I'm fairly safe from kiss-risk," says TWØBAYS CEO and Founder Richard Jeffares, who was diagnosed with Coeliac Disease in 2015.
"But I've been ‘glutenated’ and it's bloody unpleasant – not to mention harmful – so anything to avoid risk of ingestion; especially if it means Sarah washing down any food that contains gluten with one of our beers!"
"We've been married nearly 30 years (so I’ll take any pash I can!) and I've been a diagnosed with Coeliac Disease for almost 8 of those, so although she is not gluten free, she knows how to be considerate to my needs! But it would be petrifying for a newly diagnosed singleton looking for love. What a gluten-filled minefield!"
"My advice? Buy your lucky lover a TWØBAYS and they'll never look back!"