| It's A Health Issue Gluten Free / Gluten Reduced by Christina Renello Hello Bob - While I love beer my problem is I'm glucose intolerant. My issue is with beers that to many blur the line ”glucose reduced" and "glucose free". Let me put it this way. If someone with a peanut allergy walked into a restaurant and told the chef she/he couldn’t have peanut oil, you wouldn’t hear the chef tell her/him that it’s peanut- reduced and it’s totally safe because it’s only a small percentage. The same concept applies to gluten-free. Either beers are, or aren’t gluten-free. There is no in-between. The emergence of gluten-free and gluten-reduced products may appear to be two similar additions to the beer market, specifically for those with gluten-intolerances, gluten allergies and even those with Celiac disease and Ulcerative Colitis.. But for some who may be ill- informed, there is still a potentially detrimental health risk of gluten- reduced beers. And that's why I hope you use my article since this need to be cleared up. Gluten-Free (GF) and Gluten-Reduced (GR) are not the same.They don’t even belong in the same conversation, let alone draft line or store shelf, and to confuse the two is jeopardizing the health of folks that need gluten-free products. Gluten-reduced beer is not gluten- free, plain and simple. GF beers are brewed using naturally gluten-free malted grains such as corn, quinoa, buckwheat, and sorghum, to name a few. GR beers contain barley, wheat, spelt, rye, and other gluten-containing ingredients. GR beers are brewed with an enzyme that breaks the gluten down to under 20 parts per million [or proprietary filtration methods to achieve the same results]. Research on whether or not gluten-reduced beers are safe to consume for Celiacs and gluten- intolerant patients remain inconclusive. To me inconclusive means don't take a chance. The hardest part in all of this, is based on FDA standards, any product containing under 20PPM of gluten may be called gluten- free. The TTB and Brewer’s Association both make the distinction between labeling beer GF versus GR clear, but this can still come with confusion towards retailers, wholesalers and consumers. If you were to find a section of ‘Gluten-Free’ beer at your local alcohol retailer, you will see a mix of both GF and GR beer. Because of this, many ill-informed people who need to avoid gluten for health reasons, will not see the difference, and will consume GR products. In some cases, these same consumers will still have symptoms. GR beers tiptoe a dangerous line for those who consume them due to any health-based reason. For those considering GR as a healthy alternative to traditional brews, this is a myth, as GR beers will still contain the same calories and alcohol and other, what may be considered, ‘negative’ health effects. These beers will simply have a low traceable count of gluten- only one component of a complex food product. Beers that use traditional gluten-containing grains are often treated with enzymes that aim to degrade or remove gluten, or are processed via filtration or similar techniques. The beer manufacturers then test these with the only available technology, which is an antibody-based technique. Unfortunately, the current tests are not able to detect all forms of gluten, especially when it has been hydrolyzed (cut up) as occurs naturally during brewing and further results from the use of these enzymes. The gluten proteins may also be modified during brewing or by treatment. As such these gluten fragments become invisible to the test, but not to the body. Some people might tolerate these, but others will not and is trouble. This is about peoples’ health and brewers should appreciate that lives that are at stake when making gluten-free beer. I know that a lot of people, including some brewers, still laugh at the “gluten-free segment,” and even the diagnosis, but the fact of the matter is that it is a disease and people do get very sick. Thanks for letting me write about this important issue. I hope more and more people become aware of just how important this is to many people. -------- Thanks Christina for your article. You have brought an important health concern to the attention of our many readers. I'm glad we could publish your article. I'd like to invite everyone to send me their own columns about anything related to beer in any way just as Christina did. I select the best and publish them here. So join in and get writing! Cheers! Bob |
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