Illuminating foods for gluten
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- The new gluten test: the precise quantity of gluten components can be measured as a function of the luminous intensity. Source: Research Center Borstel
04.02.2014 -
Fresh whole grain bread or pasta dishes are regular dinnertime items in most households. For at least 250 million people worldwide, however, such foods are a trigger for serious health problems. The reason for this is a condition known as celiac disease. This is essentially a sensitivity to the protein glutens found in many types of grains. There is no treatment for the inflammatory bowel disease that the gluten causes in sufferers, who have to maintain a strictly gluten-free diet. The current tests for the detection in foods of the toxic cereal components are extremely time consuming and can only specifically identify a certain portion of the gluten. To overcome these limitations, the research network GLUTEVIS has been established to develop an optical measuring device that can quickly detect even the smallest traces of gluten in foods. The initiative is funded with a total of €2.5 million up to 2016 by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF).
In Germany, between 150,000 and 400,000 people suffer from celiac disease. This is an intolerance to a range of grain storage proteins known as gluten, which occur naturally, for example, in wheat, rye and barley. The ingested gluten causes a defensive reaction in the body of those affected. The result is an inflammation of the small intestine, which in turn affects the absorption of nutrients. Symptoms of gluten intolerance include diarrhoea, abdominal pain, weight loss and fatigue. A gluten-free diet is therefore essential for those people suffering from celiac disease. Today, there are already a number of products labelled ‘gluten free’ on the market. However, the process of fully extracting the gluten from cereal products is difficult and technically extremely complex. Moreover, the currently available immunochemical analysis methods are not able to detect all gluten components and thus are liable to deliver incorrect results.
| Background |
| More information about EU regulations on food labelling for individuals with gluten intolerance can be found here |
EU regulations require correct identification
Since 2012, the EU Regulation 41/2009 requires accurate information about gluten content and corresponding correct identification on products. Accordingly, foods can be labelled as ‘gluten-free’ if their gluten content is no higher than 20 milligrams per kilogram. Raw commodities such as wheat starch, which are used as ingredients in processed foods, can be labelled ‘very low gluten’ up to a gluten content of 100 milligrams per kilogram. This regulation has underlined the need for analytical methods for the precise determination of gluten content..
New research network
The GLUTEVIS research network now wants to develop an optical rapid test by 2016 that can reliably detect gluten. The device should be able to detect even trace quantities of gluten in foods. The consortium is coordinated by the Research Center Borstel. The Leibniz Center for Medicine and Biosciences in Schleswig-Holstein is developing the corresponding gluten-specific detection reagents for the test system. “With this new test system, the food processing industry will have a tool to hand that will significantly improve analysis in the field of gluten-free foods, and crucially, will increase safety for the consumer,” explains project coordinator Andreas Frey, who is working in Borstel on immune reactions and their diagnostics on mucous membranes.
Device provides gluten detection in 30 minutes
In contrast to the usual quick tests, which feature coloured stripes in the manner of a pregnancy test, the researchers have turned to a highly sensitive optical method. “The test system comprises a portable measuring device in combination with small disposable measuring chambers that contain the required gluten detection reagents,” says Frey. “If a test substance includes additional gluten components, light is emitted by the fluorescent reagent, which is detected in the instrument”. The light intensity indicates the exact amount of gluten components. One of the advantages of the system is the speed at which it operates: a reliable result is available within half an hour.
Quality control for the food industry
Unlike conventional analyses, this process is hoped to be able to reliably detect all gluten-containing cereals – in both raw materials and finished products, which also includes baked goods. Previous gluten tests were dependent on the presence of gliadin, the alcohol-soluble component of wheat gluten. The total gluten content is calculated by multiplying by a factor of two – an approach that does not always reflect the reality. Furthermore, in some cases the previously available tests delivered extremely imprecise results for other grain types such as rye or barley. The users of the newly developed rapid test – which eliminates these drawbacks – will be largely from the food industry. Above all, manufacturers of gluten-free specialty products will welcome the optical quality control unit.
Partners in academia and industry
| Funding: Glycobiotechnology: Where science meets sugar |
Alongside the Research Center Borstel, the research group includes the German Research Centre for Food Chemistry in Freising as an academic partner, and three companies in industry. Here, the partners are ideally suited for the quick joint development of a functioning rapid gluten test. In addition to the work carried out by the Research Center Borstel, the diagnostics manufacturer R-Biopharm in Darmstadt will develop reagents and methods required for the new process. The rewired standardised reference substances and methods will be provided by the German Research Centre for Food Chemistry. The microfluidic specialist GeSiM in Großerkmannsdorf is responsible for the development of the hardware, including the measuring chamber and the reader, and the starch producer Kröner-Stärke in Ibbenbüren will provide the necessary user feedback and carry out practical trials of the new system. The research project is expected to last three years. “By this time, we should have a test system and demonstrator in place,” says Frey. It is likely to be some time until the rapid test is used in industry, however. “Following the completion of the project, we anticipate a launch in 2016 at the earliest,” says project coordinator Andreas Frey.
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