As any gluten-free cook knows, a good solid answer is hard to find. Especially in a world that is just starting to recognize the seriousness of food allergies, in my opinion.

Today, whole classes or lunchroom tables are deemed "peanut-free" if there is an allergy. A former educator in Clarkston wrote me about certain Oakland County schools offering gluten-free lunch items! GF Cucina's in Sterling Heights is completely gluten-free, and many other restaurants are catering to people with allergies or intolerances. Celiac is becoming a little less vague to the masses, and doctors are looking at how our diets might be making us sick.

All these things are great strides. And I believe we're well on our way to becoming "mainstream" eaters. An allergy or intolerance to a certain food is taken seriously, and specific foods can be taken out of our diets to make us healthy. However, some things are still a little grainy. The question I recently sought an answer for -- interestingly enough -- is often dubbed "controversial."

What about oats: Are some gluten-free?

The answer is: Sort of.

While oats themselves do not contain gluten, they do contain a protein (avenin) that is relatively similar to a wheat protein (gliadin). Further, current farming techniques could cause cross-contamination, as well. It is not uncommon for a farmer to rotate his oat crops with his wheat, rye or barley crops from year to year, and millers often encounter kernels from wheat when processing the oats. Also, wheat and oat seeds look very similar, so it's often difficult to pick them apart.

There are scientific papers delving into the molecular structure of both grains, farmers' reports on how the grains are milled and doctors' reports of these findings (my favorite is this one at Celiac.com). All of them seem to agree on the fact that some celiacs have an intolerance to the oat protein, some do not. And the wider concern is cross-contamination.

So, although we, as gluten-free cooks, have come a long way in the world of decoding what is and isn't safe to eat, it may be said that oats are on the shady end of the spectrum. I say, if gluten-free oats don't bother you, proceed at your own risk. But with little guys like mine, the line is made even more blurry. I don't know what is making him feel sick.

Maybe one day I will get a clearer view. But for now, I will eliminate oats.