[ad_1]
A number of manufacturers have been surprised to sell "gluten-free" foods containing traces of gluten, which worries people with celiac disease whose health depends on a strict diet.
For the first time, laboratory results published on Monday and published in the Medical Journal of Australia, confirmed that one out of 40 products – including fruit and muesli bars, noodles, crackers, rice snacks and dry pasta – had failed gluten-free detection tests.
"It is disturbing to think that these foods could hinder the painstaking efforts of patients who do their best to avoid gluten," said Dr. Jason Tye-Din, principal investigator of the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute.
"Patients who need a strict gluten-free diet for their treatment should be able to trust foods labeled gluten-free."
Or The new daily neither the researchers intentionally imply that the manufacturers misled consumers.
The patient advocacy group, Celiac Australia, said the finding was "disappointing," but praised the majority of manufacturers who adhere to Australia's food standards for gluten-free products.
"While the researchers claim that the levels of gluten detected were very low and unlikely to be harmful, Celiac Australia takes the case seriously and examines this important information that can be used to help manufacturers," said a spokesman The new daily.
"People with celiac disease should continue to trust foods labeled gluten-free.
"The majority of GF foods in Australia are actually gluten-free and contain no detectable gluten," the organization said.
It is not known which products failed the gluten-free tests because the researchers chose to keep the proprietary information confidential.
All manufacturers of products containing detectable gluten have been notified, the researchers said.
A manufacturer has removed its rice-based product from Australian supermarket shelves since it's been informed of the results.
"More than an isolated event"
According to the study, over 97% of the 256 food products tested were in compliance with Australia's undetectable gluten standard.
However, seven samples of products labeled gluten-free contained gluten up to 49 parts per million (ppm).
Notably, five of the seven contaminated foods still contained gluten in a second series of tests on different lots.
This suggests that the problem "was more than an isolated event," said the study's authors.
In the most extreme example, a package of gluten-free pasta contained more than 3 mg of gluten in a standard serving, which could have a detrimental impact on patients with celiac disease if it was consumed frequently. .
Two of the products came from the same manufacturer and contained the same two ingredients.
The rice product, which has since been recalled, contained 24 ppm of gluten, equivalent to 20 g of gluten per serving.
All gluten-free products sold in Australia, regardless of their origin, must be tested to ensure that they do not contain detectable gluten, in accordance with the Australian and New Zealand Food Standard (FSANZ). In the United Kingdom, the United States and Europe, the threshold for gluten-free products is 20 ppm.
The researchers said the products were obtained from 16 major supermarkets in Melbourne and surrounding areas.
They also gathered food products in 10 discount or independent supermarkets and in a supermarket specializing in health products.
Celiac Australia, which supported the study, said The new daily he does not know which brands have failed the gluten-free tests and will not ask the researchers for this information.
Health risks are higher when you dine at the restaurant
According to Celiac Australia, a person is more likely to be exposed to harmful amounts of gluten at the restaurant than to eat non-compliant packaged foods.
An earlier investigation, supported by Celiac Australia, found that a sample of 11 gluten-free foods sold in restaurants and cafes in Melbourne was contaminated with gluten to levels that could be harmful to sufferers of celiac disease.
The tests were conducted in 127 food companies in the Victorian capital.
"We are informed that in the case of the food product with 49 ppm [dry pasta]it would still take several services a day for several months to reach potentially harmful levels, "said spokesman Celiac Australia.
People with celiac disease are encouraged to undergo regular medical examinations to check their gluten-free diet and to monitor health problems.
Untreated celiac disease can cause inflammation and intestinal damage, and affect bones, joints and organs.
A gluten-free diet for life is the main treatment for celiacs.
In October, Australian researchers announced that they are in Phase 2 trials for a first global vaccine against celiac disease. If successful, the experimental vaccine may eliminate the need for gluten-free diets in some patients.
[ad_2]
Source link
