Multiple samples of manufactured foods sold in Australia and labelled as “gluten-free” in fact contain gluten, in a finding that will spark concern among sufferers of coeliac disease.
Researchers from the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute in Melbourne found detectable gluten in almost 3% of 256 of the most commonly purchased “gluten-free” manufactured foods, a study published in the Medical Journal of Australia on Monday says.
Coeliac disease is an autoimmune disorder, not a food intolerance or allergy, and the only treatment is a strict gluten-free diet for life. In coeliac sufferers, the immune system is triggered to attack the bowel after the ingestion of even a small amount of gluten, a protein found in grains such as wheat, spelt and barley. Over time, inflammation and damage to the small bowel means nutrients can’t be properly absorbed. Cancers, osteoporosis and other severe diseases may develop.
Sufferers may experience severe reactions from gluten, such as diarrhoea and stomach pain, while others have no visible symptoms despite the damage being done internally.
“The integrity of manufactured foods labelled gluten-free is imperative for people with coeliac disease, but in Australia only one formal analysis (of imported foods) has been published,” the study said. “We found that 2.7% of foods labelled “gluten-free” were not compliant with the national standard of no detectable gluten … repeat batches of five of seven contaminated foods also contained gluten, indicating that the initial results did not reflect isolated episodes of contamination.”
The food manufacturers were not named in the study. The authors concluded more frequent gluten testing by manufacturers would reduce the risk for people with coeliac disease.
It follows findings by the same researchers in May that of 158 samples of “gluten-free” dishes from restaurants within the City of Melbourne council, 9% contained detectable gluten and were not compliant with the Food Standards Australia New Zealand definition of gluten-free.
“It’s troubling to think that these foods could be hindering the careful efforts of patients trying their best to avoid gluten,” an author of the study, Dr Jason Tye-Din, said.
“For instance, the study found a ‘gluten-free’ pasta which contained more than 3mg of gluten in a standard single serve. This could have a harmful impact on patients with coeliac disease if consumed frequently.”
A spokeswoman from Coeliac Australia said the organisation was taking the findings seriously.
“The research team that conducted this study has liaised with the food companies and is following up the positive samples with further retesting to ensure the issue is resolved,” she said.
“Coeliac Australia advises all people with coeliac disease to have regular medical check-ups as they do have a serious autoimmune condition and medical assessment is important to determine that their gluten-free diet is going well and no complications are developing.”
