1. Introduction to
Gluten Free Watchdog
www.glutenfreewatchdog.org
2. Why GFW Was Started
Gluten Free Watchdog, LLC (GFW)
was founded by Tricia Thompson, MS, RD, to
make state-of-the-art gluten-free food testing
data available directly to you, the consumer
It is our hope that independently testing labeled
gluten-free products and making results publicly
available will allow you to feel more confident in
the products you buy
GFW tests foods that are labeled gluten-free
All test results are posted, regardless of findings
3. The GFW Testing Protocol
Food products are purchased from store shelves
& through mail-order
For each specific product tested three samples
(eg, 3 packages of noodles, 3 boxes of cereals,
3 bags of chips) are purchased
Samples are sent unopened to Bia Diagnostics,
an independent food testing laboratory
Samples are tested in duplicate using the
standard sandwich R5 ELISA (R7001
Ridascreen Gliadin) and extracted with the
cocktail solution (Art. No. R7006, official R5-
Mendez method)
4. Why Use the R5 ELISA?
Presently, the R5 ELISA (R7001 Ridascreen
Gliadin) is widely regarded as the best available
validated ELISA for assessing final food product
for gluten
The R5 ELISA is one of only two commercially
available ELISAs validated at the levels used for
regulatory purposes and official governmental
methods (the other is the Morinaga Wheat
Protein ELISA)
The R5 ELISA is included in the FDA’s proposed
gluten-free labeling rule as a possible method for
rule enforcement
5. Why Test 3 Samples?
Ideally every package, box, or bag of product
would be tested before hitting the grocery
shelves; however, that’s simply not practical
Testing three samples represents a practical
compromise that gives us a better "picture" of
the gluten content of a product than just one
sample
Regardless, this is a snapshot of the gluten
content of a particular product at one point in
time and may not be representative of all
samples
6. Why Test in Duplicate?
Testing each sample in duplicate does two
things: it helps guard against laboratory error
and it helps ensure that the sample tested is
homogenized
Homogenization means that any contaminant (in
this case gluten) is well distributed within the
sample
If the results of the two extractions are fairly
similar a reasonable amount of confidence can
be placed in the results
7. Summary Test Results
As of February 15, 2012 Gluten Free Watchdog
has tested 150 packages of labeled gluten-free
food (representing 50 different products)
Each sample was tested in duplicate for a total
of 300 extractions
Of the 300 extractions, 268 (89%) tested < 5
ppm gluten
15 extractions (5%) tested between 5 and < 20
ppm gluten (range 6 to 18 ppm)
17 extractions (6%) tested > 20 ppm gluten
(range 26 to well over 100 ppm gluten)
8. Foods Testing > 20 ppm
Under the FDA’s proposed rule, food labeled gluten-free
must contain less than 20 ppm gluten
Four foods labeled gluten-free & tested by GFW tested
>20 ppm gluten, including foods in the following
categories
– Tortillas
– Cookies
– Hot cereals
– Breads
One food containing >20 ppm carried the Certified
Gluten-Free mark on product packaging
*Specific test results, including brands, are available to subscribers of GFW only
9. Lessons Learned
Vast majority of food has tested < 20 ppm gluten
When foods labeled gluten-free either test high for gluten
or contain gluten ingredients, manufacturers are
contacted by GFW
Small but significant number of manufacturers who label
food gluten-free
– Are unaware that malt ingredients are NOT allowed in food
labeled gluten-free under the proposed FDA rule; and/or
– Continue to test for gluten using the omega-gliadin (Skerritt)
ELISA which does not detect barley; and/or
– Are unaware that naturally gluten-free grains, such as millet can
be contaminated with gluten; and/or
– Use oat ingredients that are not certified gluten-free
10. GFW Needs Your Support!
Food testing is an expensive proposition
If the service provided by Gluten Free
Watchdog is important to you, please
consider subscribing or sponsoring the
site
Visit www.glutenfreewatchdog.org for
more information
