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Celiac.com 01/02/2024 - For those of us on a gluten-free journey, deciphering food labels is kind of an art form. The reassurance that comes from a gluten-free label is not just about choice; it's about safeguarding our health and well-being. However, recent revelations in the gluten testing landscape, particularly when it comes to fermented beverages like beer, are turning heads and raising concerns. A team of researchers recently set out to assess gluten and immunogenic epitope levels in low-gluten beers. The research team included Mitchell G. Nye-Wood, Keren Byrne, Sally Stockwell, Angéla Juhász, Utpal Bose, and Michelle L. Colgrave. They are variously affiliated with the School of Science, Edith Cowan University, Perth, WA, Australia; and the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, Perth, WA, Australia; and CSIRO Agriculture and Food, St. Lucia, QLD, Australia. Labeling regulations vary across jurisdictions, and this is particularly evident in the realm of fermented foods, where the debate around gluten content has taken center stage. The go-to method for measuring gluten, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays, aka ELISA, has long been the standard, but questions have arisen, especially concerning fermented and hydrolyzed foods like beer. Enter mass spectrometry, a powerful tool that directly identifies gluten peptides, leaving no room for ambiguity. Recent research delving into the gluten content of control and gluten-free beers has uncovered a surprising twist. Beers claiming gluten-free status, validated by ELISA, were found to contain gluten protein fragments carrying known immunogenic epitopes. Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry unveiled a different narrative, one where supposedly gluten-free beers exhibited hordein content comparable to or even higher than untreated control beers. This revelation challenges the assumptions we've held about gluten-free options and prompts a closer look at the methods we rely on for testing. The limitations of ELISAs, especially in the context of beer, are being scrutinized. The discord between ELISA results and those from mass spectrometry raises eyebrows and, more importantly, concerns about the reliability of gluten content labels. The gluten landscape is more complex than a simple "gluten-free" label might suggest. According to the study: "Nine beers were advertised as gluten free or low gluten (LG), LG1–LG9. LG1 is a German pilsner that uses gravitation, cold, and filtration to lower gluten content. LG2 is an Australian low-carb, low-gluten pale lager. LG3 and LG4 are British beers that use silica technology to remove gluten. LG5 and LG6 are Finnish beers that claim a filtration process. LG7, LG8, and LG9 are Finnish beers that use an undisclosed method to achieve gluten-free labelling status." Unfortunately the study does now indicate whether any of the beers used Clarex enzymes (AN-PEP) during production, which is considered the gold standard of gluten removal. Overall the LG9 beer seemed to be the safest of all beers tested, which uses "an undisclosed method to achieve gluten-free labelling status." The next two safest beers appeared to be LG5 and LG6, which are "Finnish beers that claim a filtration process." As we navigate this new terrain, questions arise about the adequacy of existing regulations. Are they equipped to handle the intricacies of gluten content in fermented foods? The conversation is ongoing, and the need for clearer, more accurate guidelines is apparent. For those of us championing a gluten-free lifestyle, these findings are a call to action. It's a call to scrutinize labels more closely, to be aware of the potential gaps in testing methodologies, and to advocate for a gluten-free landscape that truly prioritizes our health and well-being. As the gluten-free community, let's stay informed, stay vigilant, and ensure that our gluten-free journey is backed by reliable science and regulations that stand up to scrutiny. The short take away here is that, if these results are accurate, it might be good for people with celiac disease and gluten-sensitivity to switch to fully gluten-free beers, just to be safe. Read more in Foods 2023, 12(17), 3252

Celiac.com 08/03/2022 - We get more than a few questions from our readers about which items, brands and products are gluten-free. Lately, we've been getting numerous questions about gluten-free beers. Specifically, what are the best beers that are gluten-free, and safe for people with celiac disease? Gluten-Free Beers vs. Gluten-Removed Beers First, not all gluten-free beers are the same. There are two main types of gluten-free beers: Gluten-Free Beers and Gluten-Removed Beers. Naturally Gluten-free Beers Naturally gluten-free beers are made with all gluten-free source ingredients, and use grains like rice, sorghum, buckwheat, and millet, instead of barley. This is important to many people, especially those with high sensitivity, or the belief that gluten-removed beers may trigger celiac-related problems. Pros: Guaranteed gluten-free from start to finish. As close to 100% gluten-free final product as it gets. Cons: Beers made without barley can taste tart, or have a shallow flavor profile. Aren't considered beer under German standards. A good example of a recent naturally gluten-free beers is award-winning La Grosa Rita Maragrite-Style Ale. Using without barley or wheat, malted with Rice Extract, and brewed with Zeus and Willamette hops, La Gosh Rita Maragrita-Style Ale offers "All the makings of a margarita, minus the tequila. Bright lime tartness, a bit of agave and orange sweetness and just the right amount of sea salt saltiness, brought together in this super refreshing Margarita Ale. Gluten-Removed Beers Gluten-removed beers use traditional source ingredients like barley to brew beer traditionally, then use various enzyme processes to break down the gluten to render the final product under 20ppm gluten. Pros: Traditional source ingredients. Traditional beer flavor. Test under 20 ppm gluten. Can be labeled as beer according to German purity laws. Cons: While many people with celiac disease seem to be able to tolerate gluten-removed beers, many claim that these beers trigger adverse symptoms. Still, in Europe, these beers are considered gluten-free, and safe for people with celiac disease. So what's the real difference? Mainly, taste, and labeling. Currently, the FDA only allows products that are gluten-free from the start, like Holidaily’s millet-and-buckwheat brews, to be officially labeled as “gluten-free.” According to the FDA, reduced gluten beers cannot be sold with a gluten-free label. However, most people with gluten sensitivities, even celiacs, are okay drinking them. Also, to further complicate matters, gluten-removed beers are allowed to be sold as gluten-free in Europe. Gluten-removed beers taste more like traditional beers, because they are made with wheat or barley. The beers made by Portland-based Omission Brewing are a good example. Omission beers are made with the standard ingredients: barley malt, hops, water, and yeast. The difference? When the product goes into fermentation, an enzyme called Brewers Clarex goes in with it. The resulting brews contain less than 20 parts per million of gluten are as good as gluten-free. Omission maintains a transparent testing page on its website where you can check gluten levels in their products. Omission beers are brewed and finished to have zero detectable gluten. Other breweries, like New Belgium brew and finish their beers to test under 10 parts per million, stricter than the FDA standard. So, both gluten-free and gluten-removed beers are likely fine for most people with celiac disease and gluten-intolerance. Of course, trust your gut, and avoid anything that doesn't agree with you. But, if you tolerate gluten-reduced beers, rest assured that they are likely every bit as safe as naturally gluten-free beers. Have we missed a favorite gluten-free or gluten-removed beer? Let us know in the comments below. Naturally Gluten-free Beers Anheuser-Busch Redbridge Bard's Gold Bard's Tale Beer Belipago by Jolly Pumpkin Brasserie Dupont Forêt Libre Brasseurs Sans Gluten Glutenberg Blanche Brunehaut Bio Ambrée Brunehaut Blonde Bio Brunehaut Blanche Burning Brothers Brewing Coors Peak Dogfish Head Craft Brewed Ales: Tweason'ale Drummond Gluten Free Epic Brewing Company: Glutenator Ghostfish Brewery Glutenberg American Pale Ale Glutenberg Blonde Glutenberg Belgian Double Glutenberg India Pale Ale Glutenberg Rousse Green's Discovery Amber Ale Green's Endeavour Green's Enterprise Dry-Hopped Lager Green's India Pale Ale Green's Quest Tripel Blonde Ale Ground Breaker Corsa Rose Gold Ale Ground Breaker IPA No. 5 Ground Breaker Dark Ale Holidaily Blonde Holidaily Buckwit Belgian Holidaily UFO Ipswich Ale Brewery: Celia Saison Joseph James Brewing Fox Tail La Grosa Rita Margarita-Style Ale Lakefront New Grist Ginger Style Ale Lakefront New Grist Pilsner Style Minhas Lazy Mutt Gluten Free Mongozo Premium Pilsener New Planet Belgian Style Ale New Planet Blonde Ale New Planet Pale Ale New Planet Raspberry Ale New Planet Seclusion IPA New Planet Tread Lightly Session Ale Nickel Brook Gluten Free Nouvelle France La Messagère Nouvelle-France Messagère Aux Fruits Nouvelle-France Messagère Red Ale Otherwise Brewing Calrose Crisp Otherwise Brewing Hella Nibs Otherwise Brewing IFLS Otherwise Brewing Meringue & Tang Otherwise Brewing Western Addition Schnitzer Bräu Hirse Lemon Schnitzer Bräu Hirse Premium Sprecher Brewing Company's Shakparo Ale Steadfast Beer gluten-free Blonde and Pale Ales Steadfast Beer Company's Oatmeal Cream Stout To Øl Reparationsbajer Gluten Free Whistler Forager Gluten-Removed Beers Alley Kat Scona Gold Kölsch Brunehaut Bio Tripel Celia Dark Estrella Damm Daura Estrella Damm Daura Marzen Lammsbräu Glutenfrei Lager Beer Mikkeller American Dream Gluten Free Mikkeller Green Gold Gluten Free Mikkeller I Wish Gluten Free IPA Mikkeller Peter, Pale And Mary Gluten Free New Belgium Glutiny brand Golden and Pale Ales Peroni senza Glutine (Lager) Short's Brewing Space Rock Stone Delicious IPA Sufferfest Brewing Company Pale Ale and Lager Widmer Omission Lager Widmer Omission IPA Widmer Omission Pale Ale Wold Top Against The Grain Wold Top Marmalade Porter Wold Top Scarborough Fair IPA Award Winning Gluten-Free Beers Ghostfish Jolly Pumpkin's Belipago IPA La Grosa Rita Margarita-Style Ale Award Winning Gluten-Reduced Beers Omission