"Gluten Free" has officially gone too far.

Flying Squid@lemmy.worldmod to Lemmy Shitpost@lemmy.world – 104 points –

Bonus: Gluten-free play-dough!

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Honestly yes. Why it's also labeled peanut and soy free.

If your kids are eating sand so often that you have to make sure the sand is gluten free, I think that's the least of your worries.

It's important for children with celiacs or allergies as even a tiny amount of exposure can have catastrophic effects. They don't need to consume it, even touching it can affect them.

Do I think it's silly to have it in rainbow letters right smack at the top of the package? Absolutely, but it's nothing to be annoyed about.

I'm not annoyed. I was amused. I'm still amused at the idea of gluten-free sand. All sand is gluten-free. It's sand.

This is KINETIC sand, a special compound that is either made with polymers, starch or flour. It isn't just sand.

And if you spend any amount of time with children, you'll know they put anything in their mouth.

Maybe listen to people who are parents and have legitimate concern of products containing gluten being problematic for their offsprings.

As I said to someone else, no one needs to buy kinetic sand, it's incredibly easy to make. If an allergy is an issue with that sort of thing, they can make it themselves. Same with play-dough. Why are they trusting someone else to do it with stuff so easy to make they literally have kids make it themselves in things like Girl Scouts.

What's your problem with something adequate for children with health issues being available off the shelf anyway? I know how to make many things, but I'm not cooking strawberry marmelade or baking bread every time I have breakfast either.

Little scenario:

Grandma wants to bring a little present for her grandkid and pop at the shop, sees something that's marketed gluten free and remembers that they are allergic, so they buy it. Grandkid has fun, grandma is happy, gluten free kinetic sand brand has made a sale.

Or do you suggest that grandma should look up the recipe online, then go to home depot to buy sand and to walmart to get starch, beforehand?

The only problem I have is a bunch of people are coming in pissed off that I thought the idea of gluten-free sand was amusing.

That hill you're dying on is made out gluten free kinetic sand.

I mean, actually eating it isn't necessarily the thought. Putting it—and especially in the case of nut allergies their hands—in their mouth is the main consideration. I can't speak to the rest of the design choices.

Nut allergies, sure. But I've never heard of someone with celiac not being able to touch something with gluten in it. Someone here claims their child does, but that sounds surprisingly niche to be in a regular toy aisle. The sand just mentions about being gluten free.

I don't know, I just don't know why anyone would expect sand to have gluten in it in the first place, even a parent with a gluten-sensitive kid. It's sand.

From what I'm reading on their website it's definitely a hypoallergenic/safety feature.

Okay, but who ever heard of sand that wasn't hypoallergenic? Is that really a thing? Has someone with celiac or a nut allergy had that allergy triggered by sand?

I would certainly hope not, but this stuff is more like playdough

Yeah, but as far as I know, it's sand and corn starch. At least that's what my daughter used in the girl scouts.

And there's such a thing as a corn allergy as well, so I guess those people have to look for the corn-free kinetic sand?

Unfortunately that may be a thing.

Not according to my searching. I mean kinetic sand is so damn easy to make, it's not worth buying period. But if you're really worried about the gluten thing, it's so easy to make it yourself.