The "healthier", "Gluten-free" products may not actually be gluten free or healthier for you

Gluten is a protein that is found in wheat, barley, rye, and various other food products. Many suffer from celiac disease, an autoimmune disease, in which if they consume gluten they will have an inflammatory reaction in their digestive tract. And so a gluten-free diet is essential. Many will purchase products from the grocery store that are labeled “gluten-free,” in hopes these products contain no gluten.However, a recurring issue with food labels claiming to be “gluten-free” is that some are showing positive for gluten when tested in the lab. 

Currently there is no Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulation on products in order for them to be labeled “gluten-free.” 

There only exists a recommendation. It is up to the companies to produce products that are gluten free to have quality assurance and make sure the products are gluten free. Many do follow the recommendation, but the problem is many companies do not have protocols in place that would prevent cross contamination of the different products that they might produce that may contain gluten. Products then, that are label gluten free or are not suppose to contain gluten end up with a significant amount of gluten that can cause an inflammatory response from people who are sensitive to gluten or have celiac disease.  So currently the FDA is working on regulation to regulate that market, in order to prevent companies from labeling their products “gluten-free” if they are not in fact gluten free.

Many people are purchasing “gluten-free” products believing they are healthier.

In addition, there has been some misconceptions about gluten-free diets and their benefits for the rest of the population who don’t have celiac disease. To many they believe it is healthier.  But the truth is, gluten-free isn’t actually healthier. In fact, Peter Green, MD, director of the Celiac Disease Center at Columbia University says, “unless people are very careful, a gluten-free diet can lack vitamins, minerals, and fiber." However, companies are banking on these misconceptions and are labeling their products gluten-free to draw in consumers. They are spending money on promoting the products as more healthy and spending huge amounts money on advertisements. It is hard to not go down an aisle without seeing a product labeled in big letters “gluten-free,” as many grocery stores are stocking their shelves with these “gluten-free” products.

Questions for Expert:

-With these products that are labeled “gluten-free” by the companies and testing positive for gluten, are these companies acting ethically when it comes to a person’s health?

- What are the potential harms for a person who is gluten sensitive to mislabeling?

- What are future regulation do you see the FDA imposing on these products in order for them to be labeled “gluten-free?” 

Summary of the importance of this topic on AudioBoo 

listen to ‘Gluten-Free Products’ on Audioboo