A very interesting article in the January issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition asks a compelling question in its very title:
Might gluten traces in wheat substitutes pose a risk in patients with celiac disease?
The study evaluated gluten-free foods from four European countries where Codex Alimentarius guidelines are followed for the labeling of gluten-free foods: fewer than 20 parts per million of detectable gluten in order to be called gluten-free, and 21-100 ppm gluten to be called “very low gluten.”
All of the samples were analyzed using the R5 ELISA, and while we agree that using only one test for gluten is not sufficient, those of us who follow a gluten-free diet were still relieved to learn that the foods tested quite safely within the parameters of the study.
