Need Biochemist/ Molecular Biologist Info

[RKB-MD]

I would like to get in contact with a protein/ sub-protein knowledgeable professional who can explain temperature breakdown of protein. I no longer work in a research institution, and therefore no longer have contact with these professionals.

I'll post my question, but please keep the flame-war to a minimum.

(Also, please keep personal "experience" out of this discussion! This is a serious biomolecular question, not a forum for "this makes me personally ill"...)

[sorry - but you've been warned!]

It makes no sense to me why a fermented alcohol, such a a grain based vodka is a "known safe" due to the "denaturation" of the giladin/ gluten protein, yet there is a general claim by many around here that "cross-contamination" occurs in deep fryers because the oil has come in contact with gluten containing products. It makes sense that gluten containing particular matter can be present that could contaminate the non-gluten food, but free floating gluten/giladin? If there are free floating proteins, why are they not also broken down by the heat of the fryer?

[JennyC]

Vodka is distilled after it has been fermented. (Distillation separates components of a liquid mixture based on their boiling point and also somewhat on weight if all other things are equal.) Alcohols have a much lower boiling point than does water and gluten. Gluten is a relatively heavy molecule and is VERY heat stable and has a high boiling point. Theoretically, if the alcohol has been distilled there should not be any remaining gluten, especially since drinking alcohol goes through many successive distillations to remove any methanol that might be present. That being said, very few processes if life are perfect.

As I mentioned above, gluten is very heat stable. I googled it but couldn't find an exact temperature. Since it so heat stable it does not break down thoroughly in deep fryers or pots & pans. This is one reason that gluten is added to so many products as a stabilizer.

Hope this helps.

[Fiddle-Faddle]

I think the biggest problem with the deep fryers is that pieces of breading break off and stay in the oil, and then can attach to whatever gets fried next. If you've ever deep fried, or even just plain fried or sauteed in your own kitchen, you know what I mean.

[tarnalberry]

As Jenny noted, it's not the alcohols derived from wheat have had the proteins denatured to the point where they no longer cause reactions, it's that they are distilled, which does not allow proteins - with their large molecular weight - into the final process. Deep fryers don't get hot enough to denature a protein as stable as gluten, which owes some of it's stability to its proline content. An autoclave would probably do it, but food wouldn't much be edible after that.

(I'm not a molecular biologist, but my degree is in applied physics, with a heavy dose in physical chemistry.)