Abstract
Introduction: Consumers with celiac disease are discouraged from eating fried foods cooked in shared fryers with wheat-containing foods at restaurants based on presumed gluten exposure. The purpose of the present study is to assess gluten levels of fries free of gluten-containing ingredients cooked in shared fryers with wheat.Methods: 20 orders of fries were purchased from 10 different restaurants. Restaurants confirmed that fries and oil were free of gluten-containing ingredients. All restaurants confirmed that their fryers were used to cook wheat-containing foods. Fries were sent to Bia Diagnostics and tested in 1-gram duplicates using the R7001 sandwich R5 ELISA and the R7021 competitive R5 ELISA. A microwave control also was run.Results: The sandwich ELISA found gluten in 9/20 fry orders (7 to > 80 ppm). The competitive ELISA found gluten in 3/20 fry orders (14 to > 270 ppm). In the microwave control (60-ppm gluten mixture of wheat flour and canola oil), the unheated mixture tested at a mean level of 64 ppm gluten using the sandwich ELISA and 137 ppm gluten using the competitive ELISA. The mixture heated to 190°C tested at a mean level of 55 ppm gluten using the sandwich ELISA and < 10 ppm and 16 ppm gluten using the competitive ELISA.Discussion: Based on test results, 25% of fry orders would not be considered gluten-free.Summary: Gluten cross contact may occur when gluten-free foods are cooked in shared fryers with wheat. ELISAs may underperform when analyzing for gluten that has been heated.
Highlights
Consumers with celiac disease are discouraged from eating fried foods cooked in shared fryers with wheat-containing foods at restaurants based on presumed gluten exposure
In the microwave control (60-ppm gluten mixture of wheat flour and canola oil), the unheated mixture tested at a mean level of 64 ppm gluten using the sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and 137 ppm gluten using the competitive ELISA
Summary: Gluten cross contact may occur when gluten-free foods are cooked in shared fryers with wheat
Summary
Consumers with celiac disease are discouraged from eating fried foods cooked in shared fryers with wheat-containing foods at restaurants based on presumed gluten exposure. The purpose of the present study is to assess gluten levels of fries free of gluten-containing ingredients cooked in shared fryers with wheat. Dietitians have long been discouraging consumers with celiac disease (CD) from ordering gluten-free foods cooked in the same deep fryer as gluten-containing foods at restaurants. This recommendation is based on presumed gluten exposure vs evidence-based research that gluten cross contact occurs. The purpose of the present study is to help inform consumer recommendations by assessing gluten levels of fries free of gluten-containing ingredients cooked in shared fryers with wheat
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