Welcome to the forum, @ARutherford! Have you considered that your child may have gluten intolerance/celiac disease? It's not an allergy, it's an autoimmune response to the ingestion of gluten. It cannot be diagnosed by allergy testing but there are some specific antibody blood tests that any physician can order to check for it. Ask for a "total IGA test" and a "TTG-IGA" test. 

My child keeps getting rashes & stomach aches & l think it’s an allergy to gluten but l need to get a general allergy test done to confirm for sure what it can be. Getting an allergy test seems difficult, l keep hitting dead ends! I live in Christchurch & want to know if anyone can help with who to go to? Thanks

Good idea, @LynnM! That would be helpful to other celiacs who find themselves on the more sensitive end of the spectrum. You might also want to send them information about how to initiate the process with GFCO. But just a word of caution here, don't be surprised if the company is reluctant to pursue this certification as it can tie their hands with regard to changes in formulation in the future. Manufacturers often make ingredient decisions not only based on desired product outcomes but on cost factors. It can also put them at a liability risk should some ingredient supplier introduce an ingredient that was cross-contaminated with gluten without knowledge and cause someone to have a reaction. Testing for gluten-free certification is not done as frequently as consumers imagine and products can and do get out of spec at times. And once you slap a gluten-free certified label on a product, you are instantly open to possible liable suites. 

Hi Everyone. I just heard back from my son's GI doc and nutritionist. SHIELD products ARE gluten free. I am going to ask the company to Pursue gluten-free certification. 

Your experience highlights a common frustration in celiac disease diagnosis—discrepancies between lab results, biopsy findings, and clinical symptoms. The "localized mild nodular mucosa" noted in your duodenal bulb could indeed be significant, even if the overall pathology was deemed negative. Nodularity in the duodenum is often associated with lymphocytic infiltration, a feature seen in early celiac disease (before villous atrophy develops) or in conditions like H. pylori infection, chronic inflammation, or even food sensitivities (e.g., gluten or dairy). Since you had strongly positive celiac labs (e.g., TTG-IgA, EMA, or DGP), this nodularity might reflect an early or patchy immune response to gluten that wasn’t severe enough to meet traditional biopsy criteria (Marsh 3 damage). Some studies suggest nodular mucosa can precede classic celiac changes, especially in seropositive patients. Given your lab results and symptoms, it’s possible you have non-celiac gluten sensitivity (NCGS) or are in an early stage of celiac where damage isn’t yet widespread. False-negative biopsies aren’t uncommon due to sampling error (celiac can be patchy) or misinterpretation of subtle changes. If you’re still symptomatic, you might discuss repeat testing (e.g., HLA-DQ typing if not already done, or a gluten challenge with both serology and biopsy) or consider a capsule endoscopy, which can visualize more of the small intestine. Alternatively, H. pylori testing or a trial of strict gluten-free diet with symptom monitoring could provide clarity. Your case underscores the importance of correlating labs, histology, and clinical response—not just relying on biopsy alone. A second opinion from a celiac-savvy GI could be worthwhile!