Minor problem this morning. I was up late last night and am admittedly a little foggy this morning. I forgot my “driving” caffeine – you know, the cup of something or other strong that gets you from home to the office with a minimal number of traffic accidents and missed red lights. So I get to the office, grab a fresh cup of coffee, (and here is where “tip” comes into play) start dealing with a couple of bills to mail.
Not being remotely close to properly caffeinated, I naturally finish the first bill, pick up the envelope, and proceed to lick it.
Uh-oh.
Envelopes are one of those risky things – sometime the glue contains gluten and sometimes not. Why people feel compelled to make envelope glue out of poisonous bread of death escapes me. Couldn’t they use Mighty Putty or something? I am starting to feel like my paranoia is justified after all.
After an 18 month adventure through the catacombs of the medical system, I was formally diagnosed with Celiac Disease. The bright side of that journey is that I know 3,712 nasty and horrible conditions that I do NOT have. 
oh for Heaven’s sakes….you will not be glutenized from an envelope..
Ciglee – Thanks for your comment and you bring up a couple of good discussion points.
First, let’s address the envelope glue issue. I did some research on the glue ingredients issue and there is some good news. According to the Envelope Manufacturers Association, enveloped made in the United States are gluten free. The glue is a corn starch based product. There is no word that I can find on envelopes made in foreign countries. I suppose that could be hit and miss. The other thing to consider might be age of envelopes. Who knows if things made 5 or 10 years ago are gluten free or not? All in all, sounds like envelopes are low risk and no-risk if manufactured in the US. So thanks for prompting some additional research on the envelope topic!
The second issue relates to ingestion. If something has contact with your mouth, you can get ‘glutinated.’ That’s why so many people have trouble with lip balms, lipsticks, shampoos, etc. It doesn’t take much! If it’s on your tongue or lips, consider it ingested.
I think the broader issue relates to generalization. Blanket statements about what is possible or impossible is a dangerous mentality for Celiacs. I much prefer a more cautious and ‘when in doubt’ type approach.