"Do you control for cross-contamination?" The question that changed everything. Welcome to GlutenFreeMap.es

Hello everyone, and welcome to what we hope will become your new favorite tool.

If you're here, it's likely that your life (or the life of someone you care about) revolves around a series of questions. Questions like "does this have gluten?", "do you use a separate fryer?" or the million-dollar question, the one we ask almost in a whisper, afraid of the answer:

"Excuse me, do you control for cross-contamination?"

My name is Rubén Batanero, and I'm the founder of GlutenFreeMap.es. This website was born, like so many good projects, out of sheer frustration.

Recently, during a weekend getaway with my partner (who was recently diagnosed with celiac disease), we faced the reality of what "eating out" truly means for a celiac.

It was no longer just about finding "gluten-free options," which is a challenge in itself. It was about finding safe options.

We spent hours digging through Google reviews, searching for the words "celiac" or "contamination." We found some lists on blogs, with names and addresses, but no details. Was it a 100% gluten-free place? Or a place with a "gluten-free" label on the menu but where they fry the french fries in the same oil as the breaded items?

The uncertainty was overwhelming. Every meal began with an interrogation of the staff. Our relaxing getaway turned into a gastronomic minefield.

I came back from that trip with one clear idea: there had to be a better way.

I did my research. I found celiac organizations that verified places (great!), but they only offered lists. I found public APIs, but the information was generic. There was no single place that brought all this information together and displayed it in a simple, visual, and, above all, useful way.

There was no map that gave us peace of mind.

So I decided to build it.

Introducing GlutenFreeMap.es: The Safety Map

Today, I am proud to introduce GlutenFreeMap.es.

Our mission is simple: to help you find restaurants, cafes, and bakeries where eating gluten-free is easy and, above all, safe.

But what makes us different from everything else you've seen? The answer is context. We don't just give you a name; we give you a Safety Level.

You see, a restaurant that puts "gluten-free options" on its menu is not the same as a 100% gluten-free bakery verified by a celiac association.

And here, we treat them differently.

We have developed a system that rates the safety of each establishment based on its sources:

High Safety Level: These are our most trusted places. We're talking about restaurants verified by recognized celiac organizations, places our own team has visited, or 100% gluten-free bakeries. These are the places we recommend for celiacs.
Medium/Low Safety Level: This category includes restaurants found through public APIs, those with "gluten-free" tags, or some reviews that mention it, but for which we don't have strict verification regarding cross-contamination. These places may be perfect for those with gluten intolerance or people who simply choose to follow a gluten-free diet, but who do not require the strict control a celiac does.

We want you to be able to tell the difference between a "suitable" place and a "safe" place at a single glance.

You're not starting from scratch: You have +10,000 options today

You are not logging into an empty map.

Thanks to intensive data collection (APIs, public databases, websites, and documents), today, on launch day, GlutenFreeMap.es is starting with over 10,000 restaurants worldwide.

We have an especially high density in Spain, but you will find options in dozens of countries. And this is just the beginning.

This is a LIVE project. And we need you.

GlutenFreeMap.es is born today, but it's in full development. What you see now is the foundation of what we are going to build together.

And I say "together" because this map will only be its best if the community participates.

For now, we have enabled a Contact page. I want it to be your direct channel to us.

Is your favorite safe restaurant missing? Write to us.
Have an idea for a new feature? Write to us.
See something that isn't working? Write to us.

We are working tirelessly to implement the next phases: user ratings, detailed reviews, and a system for you to add places yourselves. Your future experiences will be what help raise or lower a location's safety score, making the map smarter every day.

And what will you find on this blog?

This blog will be our headquarters, the community's meeting point.

Here, we won't just announce new features. We are going to share incredible recipes, relevant news from the gluten-free world, interviews, and all kinds of content to help us enjoy our diet more.

No more settling for a salad. No more being afraid to ask.

It's time to reclaim the pleasure of eating out, with confidence and peace of mind.

Thank you for being here on day one.

Welcome to the community. Welcome to GlutenFreeMap.es.

Now, it's your turn: