Buzz
For those with celiac disease, gluten can trigger an immune response that damages the intestines. Thus, it's crucial to avoid it—but a recent study indicates that the 'gluten-free' claims at many restaurants may not always be accurate.
The study couldn't determine how reliable these labels are, so dining out remains a risky experience—something anyone with celiac disease is all too familiar with.
The data was gathered by Nima, a company that markets a gluten detector. The starter kit costs $289, and each test capsule is $6. When paired with a phone, users can opt to share their test results with the company, who then used this information to analyze what people were finding in their food.
The findings: a significant portion of the tested foods came back with gluten, about a third on average, including half of the pizza and pasta samples. Positive results were more common during dinner compared to other meals. Does this mean you should skip restaurant pasta? Perhaps.
However, this study has notable limitations.
To clarify, these are foods that individuals with portable gluten sensors deemed questionable enough to test. (Even a highly accurate test can yield many false positives when used frequently on gluten-free foods, so that’s something to keep in mind.) The study authors also point out that people might have been more inclined to share positive results. Sharing requires answering questions about the food, which even the most dedicated users probably don’t do at every meal.
There’s one more consideration. The Nida device is extremely sensitive—possibly *too* sensitive. Packaged foods are labeled 'gluten-free' if they contain less than 20 ppm of gluten, but Nida doesn’t specify how much gluten was detected. It simply gives a yes-or-no result, often flagging foods with 5 or 10 ppm of gluten. Does this make it highly effective or almost ineffective? It’s tough to determine.
