AACCI Approved Methods Protein and Enzyme Methods Technical Committee Collaborative Study: Detection of Gluten in Corn Flour and Corn-Based Foods by R5 Qualitative Test Method

Abstract

The AACC International Approved Methods Protein and Enzyme Methods Technical Committee has completed a collaborative study of a method for the qualitative detection of intact gluten in processed corn-based products and nonprocessed corn flour. The method has been approved as AACCI Approved Method 38-60.01. The method uses an R5 immunochromatographic test strip. The strip is designed to determine whether potential gluten-free products contain gluten clearly below the Codex Alimentarius Commission established threshold of 20 mg/kg. The results of the collaborative trial confirmed that the sensitivity of the method is sufficient to detect gluten contamination levels well below the 20 mg/kg threshold established for gluten-free products. In the case of a positive result, additional quantitative testing using ELISA is strongly recommended to estimate the gluten concentration of the sample for product labeling.