According to a Food Institute Report in March 2009, the gluten-free food market grew 28 percent between 2004 and 2008. For those who follow a strict gluten-free diet, new products have made following the diet easier and more enjoyable. Because of a lack of standards for gluten-free products, not all products labeled as containing no gluten are 100 percent free of gluten.
FDA Label Laws
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has a proposed rule for the labeling of gluten-free. The proposed rule states a food must contain less than 20 parts per million of gluten to be labeled gluten-free, and the prohibited grains -- wheat, rye and barley -- cannot be in the product. As of March 2011, no rule has been finalized, and the FDA has no regulation defining gluten-free. The FDA states that labeling a food as gluten-free is acceptable as long as it is truthful and not misleading. Without testing levels of gluten, it's possible that foods containing higher than 20 ppm gluten could be labeled gluten-free and purchased by unsuspecting consumers.
Oats and Gluten Contamination
For many years, individuals with celiac disease were told to avoid these four foods: wheat, oats, rye and barley. The exclusion of oats in a gluten-free diet has been debated for more than 50 years. According to a 2004 report in the "Journal of the American Dietetic Association," in 1995, and the years following, several respectable studies suggested that eating moderate amounts of certified gluten-free oats, equivalent to about 1/2 cup of dried oats per day, is safe for most with celiac disease. Oats that are not certified as gluten-free are often highly cross-contaminated with gluten due to cross rotation of oat and wheat crops, storage, handling and processing practices.
Contamination of Other Gluten-Free Grains
It turns out that oats are not the only cross-contaminated grain. A June 2010 study in the "Journal of the American Dietetic Association" reports that other commonly consumed flours and grains considered gluten-free may contain high levels of gluten. In this study, naturally gluten-free flours, such as millet, soy, sorghum and buckwheat, were found to have significantly more than 20 ppm gluten -- with one sample of soy flour containing an average of 2,925 ppm gluten.
Contamination of Processed Gluten-Free Foods
There is little published research into the prevalence of gluten found in processed gluten-free foods. A Canadian study published in July 2008 tested 148 gluten-free foods, about half of which were labeled as gluten-free. Fourteen percent of these foods were found to contain more than 20 ppm gluten, and seven of these products with more than 20 ppm gluten were labeled as gluten-free. In a Polish study published in 2010, 22 specialty gluten-free products, and 19 naturally gluten-free foods were tested for gluten levels. The specialty foods were found to have anywhere from 5 to 57 ppm gluten, while the naturally gluten-free foods were found to have little detectable gluten with the exception of oat products, which were found to have more than 100 ppm gluten.
Choose Gluten-Free Foods Carefully
The 2010 study finding that gluten-free flours, such as rice and soy, can contain significant levels of gluten, raises a concern about the content of gluten in flours that food manufacturers are using for gluten-free products. If you have celiac disease, use caution when consuming these processed gluten-free foods. Whenever possible, choose companies that test their products regularly for gluten, and that have a dedicated gluten-free facility, such as a gluten-free bakery and gluten-free mill. Minimizing the amount of processed foods and flours, and choosing naturally gluten-free foods, such as meats, fruits, vegetables, eggs, dairy and unmilled gluten-free grains, may reduce the likelihood of unintentionally consuming gluten.
References
- "The Food Institute Report"; Gluten-Free Food and Beverage Market Growing; March 2009
- FDA; Questions and Answers on the Gluten-Free Labeling Proposed Rule; June 2007
- "Journal of the American Dietetic Association"; Oats and the Gluten-free Diet; T. Thompson; March 2003
- "Journal of the American Dietetic Association"; Gluten Contamination of Grains, Seeds and Flours in the Unites States: A Pilot Study; T. Thompson, et al.; June 2010.
- "International Journal of Food Science and Technology"; Gluten Contamination of Cereal Foods in Canada; P. Gelinas, et al.; July 2008.
- "Roczniki Pantswowego Zakladu Higieny"; "Gluten Content in Special Dietary Use Gluten-Free Products and Other Food Products; W. Daniewski, et al.; 2010.
