Part 4: Wheat vs Gluten – Hydrolysed gluten: health risk?
FACTS receives many inquiries about the ‘significant’ cereal group, also called ‘gluten-containing’ cereals elsewhere in the world. We sympathetically refer to this as ‘Wheat vs Gluten confusion’. The goal of this four-part series is to help you go from confusion to clarity.
In part 4 we discuss the health risks associated with hydrolysed gluten.
What is hydrolysed gluten?
Hydrolysis is a chemical reaction in which bonds between molecules are broken. Specifically, when gluten proteins are hydrolysed, the peptide bonds that link amino acids together are broken, forming shorter peptide chains. Hydrolysis occurs naturally; but in the case of gluten-containing products, often the hydrolysis is intentional, and involves the use of enzymes. The term ‘extensively hydrolysed’ is applied to proteins that are broken down to the point that no characteristic sequences remain intact. Hydrolysed gluten can be found in sourdough breads, beer, soy sauce and shake-and-bake products, among others.
Why is hydrolysed gluten a risk?
As mentioned previously, it is the specific amino acid motifs that may be harmful to a coeliac patient, and many hydrolysis processes do not break these harmful sequences down fully; they may persist in the final food product.
GLOSSARY
Amino acids: small molecules that combine to form a protein.
Antibody: a protein that the immune system produces to fight off foreign substances.
R5 Enzyme‐Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA): an analytical method that utilises the R5 monoglonal antibody for the detection of a specific part of the gluten proteins.
Hydrolysis: a chemical reaction in which bonds between molecules are broken and water is released.
Liquid-Chromatography tandem Mass-Spectroscopy (LC-MS/MS): an analytical method that can separate and distinguish between different gluten proteins, after which the amount of gluten in the food product can be determined.
Peptide: a short string of amino acids consisting of between 2 and 50 amino acids.
How can we prevent the risk?
Two main defence strategies can be applied:
Firstly, the development of a gluten-free product starts with the ingredients that go into it. The list of ingredients used should avoid gluten-containing grains, before any processing even takes place. The US FDA has also advised this requirement for adequate assurance of a gluten-free product.
Secondly, to be able to claim that a foodstuff is gluten-free, the product must be tested using a reliable and accurate method. Currently, Codex Alimentarius endorses the R5 ELISA method for the measurement of gluten in food products. However, as noted in a wide range of published research, the R5 ELISA method has many limitations regarding the detection and quantification of hydrolysed gluten in food products. The FDA recently acknowledged that this method for detecting hydrolysed gluten is not infallible. Consequently, there are products in existence that are allowed to carry the ‘gluten-free’ claim – because they test negative using the R5 ELISA method – which may still pose a risk to the coeliac-suffering consumer.
LC-MS/MS is a more promising analytical technique for the detection of hydrolysed gluten, because it is able to detect a range of peptide sequences simultaneously – in some cases, including the potentially harmful sequences.
Moreover, the LC-MS/MS-based techniques have been proven to overcome many of the other more general limitations associated with immunoassays.
In summary, hydrolysed gluten products may still pose a risk to the coeliac-affected consumer. Food manufacturers and consumers must be provided with accurate information regarding the gluten-free status of products, and the only way to ensure this is to use the most reliable analytical methods available.
If you have any questions, please contact us.
Other articles and resources you may be interested in:
Part 1: Wheat vs Gluten – Medical Perspective
Part 2: Wheat vs Gluten – Regulatory Perspective
Part 3: Wheat vs Gluten – Testing Perspective
South Africa’s regulated common allergens
To claim or not to claim – the ‘Allergen-free’ controversy
Allergen labelling: Significant impact on product sales and market
‘Gluten-free’ under Scrutiny
VIDEO | Wheat vs Gluten
Allergen Testing Catalogue