<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>>

I want to thank the 8 people who responded to my question......Hickory
Chips GF?  The following messages
were received.
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       I guess it is possible to be allergic to anything, but there is an
area here that could explain your problem. Sometimes when they smoke thick
meat products they inject fluids in to the meat. This is usually a salt
solution to help in the curing process. If the processor that smoked the ham
used flavorings in this salution it could posibly contain some of the
offending grains. I don't think that the hickory chips would contain any
thing that could hurt you unless you are allergic to hickory. I realize that
this isn't an answere or a solution to your problem, but maybe a direction
to consider.
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Let me venture to guess that like all processed meats, HAM, can have
flavorings, nitrates, lots of salt, etc.  Buffets should be avoided -
unless you are happy with lettuce and oil and vinegar.  Be safe.  Some ham
is gf safe.  Can you get Hormel Cure 81 in your area?  Its from MN.  It
does have nitrates.  Better yet, if you live in a large urban area - locate
a natural meats store, etc.  I doubt its the hickory chips.
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I wonder if they use "charcoal" than add the chips?   Charcoal uses wheat to
hold it together.
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Hickory chips come from Hickory trees.  They should be absolutely gluten
free.  However, sometimes, people can get stomach troubles from smoked foods
(smoke foods are known to cause stomach cancer).  Another
scenerio: the smoking may actually be a "flavour" (a liquid smoke for
instance).  In this case, we all know that liquid "flavourings" in most
forms can contain gluten.  Ask them if they actually smoke the ham using
chips, or if they use one of these liquids.
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Hi,  my husband gets sick whenever he eats smoked items.  We have basically
given up on eating anything smoked.
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If the hickory chips are made from hickory sawdust and are manufactured with
glue then they are not GF.  I had this same problem with Charcoal
Briquettes.
My husband found pure wood charcoal Lumps is what they call it.  This is GF.
I suggest you ask the buffet management wether it is hickory wood or
manufactured hickory chips.
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I'm interested in seeing your summary about it.  I am, however, shocked that
you can eat ham from the deli without any problems.
Since going on this diet 2+ years ago, I've stayed far, far away from
deli's....too worried about cross contamination, not to mention the "natural
flavors" and other questionable ingredients.  Maybe the ham that you're
eating has something more than just hickory chips added during the curing
process?
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I will be interested in your summary.  The problem may not be only in the
flavor agents applied to the surface of the ham.  I believe that some hams
are injected with solutions - like turkey, or other poultry - which is
designed to improve appearance, increase weight and act as a perser-vative.
As the contents of those solutions is not certain I avoid such products.  In
a deli situation we can never have access to the contents of the product, so
I avoid all such products in those circumstances.  Where they are sold
packaged we do have access to the label, and that can be of some help,
though not conclusive, as the contentent requirements do not resolve the
issues as they do not
contain the necessary information without additional work.
             - End of Comments -
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I did check with the company that makes the ham for the buffet.  The ham,
hickory chips and the netting around the ham are GF.  The hickory chips are
using for the smoking and the netting is dipped in a liquid smoke which is
GF.

The ham that I get from the deli is not smoked and I do not have any
problems with it.

Marilyn/Maizy
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