Contamination Present in 1/3 of Grains Tested

A research study cites that 32% of inherently gluten-free grains, seeds, and flour products were found to be contaminated with greater than 20 ppm (parts per million) of gluten when tested.

This research was presented in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association in June 2010. The researchers wanted to establish if a proposed law regarding the labeling of such products made sense and was beneficial to consumers. Under the Food Allergen and Consumer Protection Act, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) must issue a rule for the voluntary labeling of food as gluten-free.

In the proposed rule, US law states that inherently gluten-free grains will be considered misbranded if they carry a gluten-free label and do not also state that all foods of the same type are gluten-free. In other words, if a company that produced millet had on their label “gluten-free” they would be acting against the proposed law if they did not also say “all millet is gluten-free”.

I can imagine why such a proposal came about. Companies who didn’t want to spend the money having to test their ‘inherently gluten-free’ product, pushed the fact that testing was unnecessary due to the inherently or naturally gluten-free nature of their product. But at the same time, they didn’t want their competitors to get a ‘leg up’ on their consumers by being able to have a ‘gluten-free’ label.

Only 59% of ‘Naturally’ Gluten-Free Grains Passed the Test

Let’s see what the research actually revealed.

You can likely guess by the opening sentence, but here are the specifics: Twenty-two inherently gluten-free grains, seeds, and flours, that were not labeled gluten-free, were purchased and sent unopened to a company who specializes in gluten analysis.

All samples were tested twice utilizing a highly respected analysis technique, called the Ridascreen Gliadin sandwich R5 enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay with cocktail extraction.

Of the twenty-two foods tests, thirteen of them, or 59% were truly gluten-free. However, nine of them, or 41%, had a gluten content of anywhere from 8.5 to 2,925 parts per million of gluten. Of those, seven or 32%, contained greater than 20 ppm, making them a gluten-containing food that would not pass our law of what can be considered gluten-free.

Yet, while these foods ‘broke the law’ for containing gluten, another proposed law forbids a company that is putting out truly gluten-free products and willing to spend the money to test them, from putting it on their label.

Clearly, we have a problem that needs addressing. Cross-contamination is obviously occurring rampantly.

How to Avoid Contamination

Here’s what you should do:

1. If you have celiac disease or gluten sensitivity, you should avoid any grains, seeds, or flours that don’t specifically state they are gluten-free. Even if they also state that “all grains of this type are also gluten-free”, you now know better.
2. If possible, try to deal with companies that are dedicated gluten-free. The likelihood of cross-contamination is minimized with such a company.
3. If you are someone who continues to have symptoms or feels ‘glutened’ after eating some foods that ‘should’ be safe, consider calling the company, as well as related companies that offer the same product, and become a customer of the one that regularly checks their products for gluten.
4. According to the researchers, rice was found to be safe across the board, so there’s one safe grain to enjoy.
5. If you are having issues with your health and don’t seem to be getting better, please consider calling us for free health analysis. (408-733-0400) Our internal medicine and clinical nutrition department know what to do to figure out what’s being missed. It is, in fact, our specialty.

Our destination clinic treats patients from across the country and internationally, so you don’t need to live locally to receive help. Last week I posted a blog entitled, “A Serious Form of Celiac Disease is ‘Cured’ by Diet Alone”. If you haven’t yet read it, I urge you to take a look. It reviews a diet free from contamination that can make a difference in those suffering continued symptoms, as well as those diagnosed with refractory celiac disease (RCD) or non-responsive celiac disease (NRCD), both very serious conditions.

Lastly, if you have a ‘political bent’, I urge you to bring this discrepancy to legislators and congressmen. This loophole in our law opens the door to dangerous gluten contamination that can affect our health in a serious manner.

Please pass this along to those whom you believe would benefit. We have a long way to go to ‘trust’ our food, unfortunately, but the more we are armed with data, the more in control of our health that we can be.