Safety Assessment of Foods and Drinks Consumed by People on a Gluten-Free Diet

Naturally gluten-free foods and processed foods that do not contain information about the potential presence of gluten in them pose a hypothetical threat to people with food allergies and celiac disease. Patients who should follow a strict gluten-free diet do not always do so. Therefore, the aim of this research was to analyze certified gluten-free and naturally gluten-free products without labeled may contain gluten information in terms of their content of gluten proteins. The enzyme immunoassay AgraQuant Gluten G12 ELISA test kit was used for the analysis. Of all the products used in the research, only 5.8% were found to contain gluten above 20 ppm. Only one product labeled gluten-free was contaminated with gluten at 79.3 ppm (cider cake). In addition, our research also examined the gluten content of commercial beers containing barley malt not labeled as gluten-free. Research has shown that 60% of samples are not safe for those on a strict gluten-free diet. Our research clearly shows that many manufacturers, although they do not monitor their products for the presence of gluten in them, offer safe products, although they cannot be recommended in a gluten-free diet. Therefore, there is a strong need to increase the frequency of testing by food manufacturers for the presence of gluten in their products, so that the number of products approved for people on a gluten-free diet continues to increase.

Automated summary

Naturally gluten-free foods and processed foods without information about potential gluten presence pose a hypothetical threat to people with food allergies and celiac disease. This research analyzed certified gluten-free and naturally gluten-free products in terms of their gluten protein content. The results showed that most products were safe, but some had higher gluten levels. Additionally, commercial beers containing barley malt were found to be mostly unsuitable for a strict gluten-free diet. Therefore, there is a need to increase testing frequency by food manufacturers to provide more products suitable for those on a gluten-free diet.