Are Modern Varieties of Wheat Linked to The High Number of People with Wheat Issues? Probably Not

With what seems to be an increasing number of people having issues with wheat, mostly gluten from the wheat, researchers looked to see whether this increase was related to modern varieties of wheat.  Looking at 120 years of wheat (taken from historical archive of wheat samples), investigators determined that this is not related.

"Analyses by the team of scientists show that, overall, modern wheat varieties contain slightly less protein than old ones. In contrast, the gluten content has remained constant over the last 120 years, although the composition of the gluten has changed slightly. While the proportion of critically viewed gliadins fell by around 18 percent, the proportion of glutenins rose by around 25 percent. In addition, the researchers observed that higher precipitation in the year of the harvest was accompanied by a higher gluten content in the samples." 

 "Surprisingly, environmental conditions such as precipitation had an even greater influence on protein composition than changes caused by breeding. In addition, at least on the protein level, we have not found any evidence that the immunoreactive potential of wheat has changed as a result of the cultivation factors," explains Katharina Scherf, who is now continuing her research as a professor at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT).

Leibniz-Institute for Food Systems Biology at the Technical University of Munich
https://www.leibniz-lsb.de/en/press-public-relations/translate-to-englisch-pressemitteilungen/translate-to-englisch-pm-20200811-pressemitteilung-wheatscan/

Is modern wheat off the hook?
Gluten in wheat: What has changed during 120 years of breeding?

Freising, August 11,2020

FDA - Impact of Gluten Free Labeling Standard

From the FDA website, a conversation about the impact of the gluten free labeling standard.  Three years ago, FDA rolled out what it means for a label to say "Gluten Free".  In short, it must have less than 20 PPM of gluten.  Overall, it has been successful in helping people with celiac disease - a serious ailment that damages the lining of the small intestine gut that prevents the body from absorbing nutrients.

FDA has been conducting testing on products labeled "Gluten Free".  "Earlier this year we released the results of a sampling assignment in which 702 samples from more than 250 products labeled “gluten-free” were analyzed. Only one of those products did not comply with our labeling requirements."  FDA plans to continue testing.

FDA Website
https://www.fda.gov/Food/GuidanceRegulation/GuidanceDocumentsRegulatoryInformation/Allergens/ucm577489.htm
Updated 10/04/17
Three Years Later, What is the Impact of the Gluten-Free Labeling Standard?

Gluten Free Cheerios Recalled Due to Transportation Error that Caused Contamination

General Mills is recalling 1.8 million boxes of gluten-free Cheerios after FDA received 125 complaints from people having an adverse reaction, primarily gastrointestinal issues associated with celiac disease, an extremely painful disorder triggered by the ingestion of gluten.

According to the report - "The company said Monday the foul-up occurred when the Lodi plant lost rail service and its gluten-free flour was transferred from rail cars to trucks.....General Mills said oat flour was contaminated when bulk rail cars full of the stuff were offloaded into bulk trucks, Foster said. The bulk trucks were believed to recently have carried wheat, she said."
An incredible error for a product purchased specifically because it is supposed to contain no gluten.

It is important to see how a monumental error can occur when responding to a crisis. In this case, people worked around the loss of rail service only to contaminate product by not considering the gluten issue in the stopgap measure - off loading into uncleaned transport vehicles.

Untrained logistics/transportation people?  This is a reminder of ensuring that all people within the organization are trained in food safety - both general food safety as well as the food safety issues specific to the activities that with which they are tasked.

From Celiac.org
https://celiac.org/celiac-disease/what-is-celiac-disease/
Celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder that can occur in genetically predisposed people where the ingestion of gluten leads to damage in the small intestine. It is estimated to affect 1 in 100 people worldwide. Two and one-half million Americans are undiagnosed and are at risk for long-term health complications

When people with celiac disease eat gluten (a protein found in wheat, rye and barley), their body mounts an immune response that attacks the small intestine. These attacks lead to damage on the villi, small fingerlike projections that line the small intestine, that promote nutrient absorption. When the villi get damaged, nutrients cannot be absorbed properly into the body.

Star Tribune
http://www.startribune.com/fda-says-125-people-complained-about-problems-from-gluten-free-cheerios/330957131/
FDA says it received 125 complaints about gluten-free Cheerios before recall
General Mills said it knows how the gluten got into its flour and has taken steps to prevent it.

Federal food regulators said Tuesday they have received 125 reports of adverse health effects — mostly gastrointestinal problems — from consumers who ate gluten-free Cheerios.

After hearing of such complaints, General Mills Inc. on Monday recalled 1.8 million boxes nationwide of gluten-free Cheerios and Honey Nut Cheerios, concluding they inadvertently contained wheat, which contains gluten.

What is Gluten Free - FDA sets a standard

FDA established a standard that defines “Gluten Free”. Gluten free is a food that does not contain an a gluten containing grain such as wheat, does not contain an ingredient that is derived from a gluten containing grain, and does not contain an ingredient derived from a gluten containing grain that has been processed to remove the protein (such as wheat starch) where that ingredient has more than 20 ppm of gluten. And is produced so that the food will not be contaminated with the unavoidable presence of gluten to a level of no more than 20 ppm.

Foods that are free of gluten by their nature can be labeled as gluten free, however they do not have to be labeled as such if they are gluten free. It is voluntary. Manufacturers are not required to test for the presence of gluten, but are required to meet the requirements of the law, so manufacturers can use a number of tools to meet the standard.

Establishing this set standard allows uniform labeling thus making it easier for those with the celiac disease to make informed decisions regarding food items.

Gluten is protein that is found in wheat, rye, barley. In people with celiac disease, gluten triggers an immune reaction that results in antibodies attacking the intestinal lining. It can be painful for those individuals who inadvertently ingest gluten. It can also impact absorption of nutrients from the intestines. This condition is especially problematic in children where it can lead to growth problems, and weight loss. For adults, in addition to the stomach issues, it can lead to long term effects such as malnutrition, liver disease, and cancer of the intestines. It is estimated that roughly 1 in 100 people have the disease (whether they know it or not). http://www.celiac.com/articles/23024/1/Just-How-Common-are-Celiac-Disease-and-Gluten-Sensitivity/Page1.html

It is important to remember that gluten is an important part of the diet and a gluten free diet is not recommended for the general public



FDA NEWS RELEASE
 http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm363474.htm
For Immediate Release: August 2, 2013

Media Inquiries: Shelly Burgess 301-796-4651, shelly.burgess@fda.hhs.gov
Consumer Inquiries: 888-INFO-FDA
En Español1

FDA defines “gluten-free” for food labeling
New rule provides standard definition to protect the health of Americans with celiac disease

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today published a new regulation defining the term "gluten-free" for voluntary food labeling. This will provide a uniform standard definition to help the up to 3 million Americans who have celiac disease, an autoimmune digestive condition that can be effectively managed only by eating a gluten free diet.

“Adherence to a gluten-free diet is the key to treating celiac disease, which can be very disruptive to everyday life,” said FDA Commissioner Margaret A. Hamburg, M.D. “The FDA’s new ‘gluten-free’ definition will help people with this condition make food choices with confidence and allow them to better manage their health.”

This new federal definition standardizes the meaning of “gluten-free” claims across the food industry. It requires that, in order to use the term "gluten-free" on its label, a food must meet all of the requirements of the definition, including that the food must contain less than 20 parts per million of gluten. The rule also requires foods with the claims “no gluten,” “free of gluten,” and “without gluten” to meet the definition for “gluten-free.” 

The FDA recognizes that many foods currently labeled as “gluten-free” may be able to meet the new federal definition already. Food manufacturers will have a year after the rule is published to bring their labels into compliance with the new requirements.

“We encourage the food industry to come into compliance with the new definition as soon as possible and help us make it as easy as possible for people with celiac disease to identify foods that meet the federal definition of ‘gluten-free’” said Michael R. Taylor, the FDA’s deputy commissioner for foods and veterinary medicine.

The term "gluten" refers to proteins that occur naturally in wheat, rye, barley and cross-bred hybrids of these grains. In people with celiac disease, foods that contain gluten trigger production of antibodies that attack and damage the lining of the small intestine. Such damage limits the ability of celiac disease patients to absorb nutrients and puts them at risk of other very serious health problems, including nutritional deficiencies, osteoporosis, growth retardation, infertility, miscarriages, short stature, and intestinal cancers.

The FDA was directed to issue the new regulation by the Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act (FALCPA), which directed FDA to set guidelines for the use of the term “gluten-free” to help people with celiac disease maintain a gluten-free diet.

The regulation was published today in the Federal Register2.

For more information:
FDA: Gluten-Free Labeling3
FDA: Gluten-Free Labeling Final Rule Q&A4
Consumer Update5 

The FDA, an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, protects the public health by assuring the safety, effectiveness, and security of human and veterinary drugs, vaccines and other biological products for human use, and medical devices. The agency also is responsible for the safety and security of our nation’s food supply, cosmetics, dietary supplements, products that give off electronic radiation, and for regulating tobacco products.