More and more people are finding out that they have allergies to foods. One of the biggest allergens is Gluten. Being gluten intolerant myself I know how much it can affect your life and the foods that you eat. Amazingly enough, the European countries have a huge head start over the United States, due to the fact that people with European backgrounds seem to be very allergic to gluten. This is a MUST READ for people who have celiac’s disease, gluten intolerant, and food allergies. We pay huge amounts of money for foods that are “gluten free.” After reading this article, I might have to take a closer look at the ingredients listed on my products.
First, the United States’ Food and Drug Administration has never established a definition of how much gluten is safe for celiacs, or for that matter what the definition of gluten-free should be.
Then, we learned that in Europe, the
Codex Alimentarius (their food safety standards) considers foods with a trace amount of gluten (20 parts per million) to be gluten-free. Based on this standard, food companies in the European Union make products specifically for people with celiacs disease or gluten intolerance.
Here’s how the European standard works:
01 To be considered safe for celiacs, the total gluten content of the food can not exceed 20 parts per million (.002%).
02 Specially formulated wheat starch, also referred to as “codex wheat starch,” may be used. Codex wheat starch undergoes a thorough process in which all but a trace amount of the gluten is removed. This specially formulated wheat starch can dramatically improve taste and texture for many products, especially breads. If this wheat starch is included, the total gluten content of the food cannot exceed 20 ppm (.002%) (source).
This article makes you wonder what else isn’t on our food labels. It’s also is a glimmer of hope for those who suffer from allergies. Codex foods could be a great help to those who live without specific foods that they are allergic to.
Adria Ali
Leave a Reply