Determinación del contenido de gliadinas en alimentos elaborados con Amaranto, quínoa y/o chía

Abstract

Amaranth, quínoa and chía are naturally gluten-free products that may be used in a celiac diet. An ELISA, using R-Biopharm RIDASCREEN gliadin, was used to determine a possible cross contamination with gliadins. Thirty seven samples of foods with these ingredients were analyzed. Nine samples had levels higher than 20 mg/Kg, the maximum gluten level established by Codex Alimentarius: three of them were cereal bars with the inscription ìsin TACCî and/or ìwithout glutenî, two were cereal bars without inscriptions about gluten content, one was a mixture of ground seeds, others were pop amaranth and quínoa crops (sold at retail) and the last was an amaranth flour which was labeled ìfor celiac patientsî. Twenty-eight remaining samples had a gluten content below 20 mg/Kg. Foods elaborated with amaranth, quínoa and/or chía are suitable for celiac patients. However, the manufacturers must apply good manufacturing practices in all the different steps in gluten-free foodstuff production and celiac patients should not buy these products when they are sold at retail, because of possible cross contamination that can occur at the stores.