Is Every Gluten Free Product Gluten Free ?

Celiac disease is an intestinal absorption problem that causes muscle loss in the intestinal mucosa, which occurs with the intake of gluten-containing food by people with genetic predisposition. Some complaints occur in people with the dietary intake of gluten-containing food / drinks. The only cure for celiac disease is gluten-free nutrition therapy. Patients must maintain a strict gluten-free diet for life. People diagnosed with celiac disease as a result of clinical symptoms, serological tests, and small intestine histology should start a gluten-free diet. Individuals who need to remove gluten from their lives should stay away from the consumption of wheat, barley, rye and oat-containing foods and beverages. Gluten-containing foods and beverages such as white bread, whole wheat bread, bran bread and pasta and bulgur are not consumed in the gluten-free diet.

What are gluten free foods?

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Legumes such as corn starch, rice, quinoa, flax seeds, buckwheat, lentils and chickpeas are naturally gluten-free foods.

Reading labels is very important

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80-90% of the products available in supermarkets contain gluten. Many foods that you think do not contain gluten (especially if they are packaged) can contain gluten. In other words, foods that we count as gluten-free may not be very reliable. Not only floury foods, but also ready-made and canned foods contain gluten. Gluten is a substance that has thickener, moisture retaining, adhesive, bleaching and shelf life extender feature. Since gluten-free grains do not have these features, the pastries made do not have the desired appearance and spread quickly. For this reason, even corn breads in bakeries often contain some wheat flour. In addition, thickener additives are added to both gluten-free flours and ready-made products. Therefore, reading labels is very important.

Meat, for example, is naturally a gluten-free food. However, for commercial reasons, the processes made to add weight to the meat or to make it look shiny contain gluten. This means that even meat is a danger for people with celiac disease. That’s why the list of gluten-free products should be learned thoroughly and gluten-free foods in the kitchen should be distinguished from others.

In patients on a gluten-free diet, a balanced diet should be made by using gluten-free special products together with gluten-free alternative grains. The gluten-free diet should be based on the combined use of gluten-free grains and gluten-free special products in the diet. The patient should be trained in reading food labels.

In a study conducted in the United States, contamination with approximately 20 ppm of gluten was found in 7 (32%) of 22 samples taken from foods such as gluten-free alternative grains and gluten-free flour (88). In another study conducted with 640 samples taken from flour and starch in order to determine the gluten content of gluten-free alternative grains in Canada, it was found that it contains 9,5% (5-7995 ppm) gluten. Moreover, although these samples have a gluten-free label, contamination between 5-141 ppm was observed in their content.

How Much Gluten Can Celiac Patients Tolerate?

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Gluten is not completely removed from the ingredients of gluten-free products. Gluten-free products may also contain small amounts of gluten. Many studies have shown that patients can tolerate small amounts of gluten without causing clinical symptoms and mucosal damage. According to the Codex Alimentarius in 2008 and the Turkish Food Codex “Communiqué on Foods Suitable for Individuals With Gluten Intolerance”, gluten-free products legally should not exceed 20 mg / kg.

What should be considered?

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In kitchens where gluten-free meals are prepared, some issues should be paid attention to. Gluten-containing flours and gluten-free flours should not be kept in the same cupboard drawer against the possibility of mixing with dusting. Since gluten reaches the patient in containers that are not well washed, the cutting boards, knives, spoon forks, and even saucepans used in preparing gluten-free foods should be separate.

Result

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Not all gluten-free products are gluten-free. The use of gluten as a commercial thickener, etc. makes label reading mandatory. Gluten can be found even in products that are naturally gluten-free. In order for a product to be considered gluten-free, the following statement is given.

Dietician Armoni Yılmaz