Contamination Issues

The ingredient label only tells part of the story! You should know that there IS gluten contamination in supposedly gluten-free food. To minimize your risk, read Best Bets for Avoiding Cross-Contamination.

Although very few test results are published, here are some of the publicly available data:

In a paper by Collin, et al 17 of of 59 (29%) products labeled "gluten-free" contained levels from 10 to 200 ppm gluten. The tested items were the most commonly-used European GF products and were not made with wheat starch.

A study by Lardizabal showed similar results in American products.

In the process of validating a new test for gluten in foods, Valdes tested 3,088 "gluten-free" foods, commercially available in Europe. They found that fifty-five percent of the samples contained detectable gluten (>3.2 ppm). Thirty-five percent of these "GF" foods contained more than 20 ppm; ten percent contained more than 100 ppm; and six percent contained more than 200 ppm. These results are not directly applicable to American GF products because the "gluten-free" products tested in this study were purchased commercially from European countries. Codex Alimentarius wheat starch is often used in "gluten-free" products in Europe (but not the U.S.), so this is the source of some of the contamination. Unfortunately they did not break down the results by wheat-starch vs. non-wheat-starch-containing products.

This quote describes the situation in the U.S.:

"While a number of products on the market claim to be "gluten-free," there is no legal standard for such labeling, and testing for the presence of gluten is not required to make the gluten-free claim. Marketers of gluten-free products may base the claim on the presumption that, since ingredients in the product do not contain gluten, the product is gluten-free. However, consumers sensitive to gluten should be mindful that "gluten-free" products made in equipment and/or facilities that also make gluten-containing products can contain gluten through cross contamination. Therefore, individuals who are severely sensitive to gluten should confirm that so-called "gluten-free" products are substantiated by tests showing that gluten is not present in the product." (Message quoted from a letter from Shaklee Products, Celiac Listserv, Item #54914, 22 Sep 2004 14:20 - Calcium recommendation)

The FDA has proposed that products labeled "gluten-free" should not contain more than 20 ppm gluten. This is still a proposal and is not currently backed up by testing. In July, 2005, the FDA held a meeting to discuss how to set thresholds for contamination in gluten-free food. There were many interesting presentations by experts in the field. The transcripts are available at:

http://www.fda.gov/ohrms/dockets/ac/05/transcripts/2005-4160t2.doc

The table of contents is on page 4.

The slides that accompany these talks are at:

http://www.fda.gov/ohrms/dockets/ac/05/slides/2005-4160s1.htm

Jane DeMarchi from the North American Miller's Association spoke at another FDA meeting on Gluten-Free food labelling in August, 2005, explaining the milling process and why oats (and possibly corn) obtained from large mills are expected to be contaminated.

Read the transcript and see the slides of her excellent talk.

How to handle the problem of contamination?

Everyone with Celiac Disease needs to follow at least the standard GF diet, i.e., no ingredients containing gluten and reasonable attempts to verify that foods prepared at home, commercial products, and restaurant meals are not contaminated.

However, some find it necessary to go to the next level of safety. This might include reducing or eliminating any restaurant meals due to the strong potential for mistakes by the restaurant staff. Beyond this, it may be necessary to eliminate foods that are processed on equipment shared by gluten-containing foods, or even in facilities that contain gluten, buying only from dedicated gluten-free companies. Some eliminate processed foods entirely, since there is no way to know which ones may be contaminated. You may even need to avoid having any gluten in your home.

See Additional recommendations to help you make a full recovery from Celiac Disease from Celiac.com