Handling major hypersensitivity reactions (e.g. celiac disease) triggered by proteins of wheat and other cereals is a challenging task for healthcare systems, legislative forces and the related fields of food analysis as well. In spite of the fact that there are available official threshold levels for labelling the absence of gluten, which is considered to be the toxic protein fraction of wheat, barley and rye, validation of the analytical methodology supporting regulatory requirements is currently problematic. The main limiting factors of method validation are the lack of reference methods and reference materials. The objective of this study was to provide a solution to this problem. An incurred reference material in a model food matrix was developed and studied by commercially available ELISA test kits as a part of the activity of the Food Allergen Working Group within the FP6 funded EU project MoniQA. After successful completion of the reference material development process, the incurred material was used as a basis of a comparative study examining the performance and applicability of seven commercially available ELISA kits designed for quantification of gluten/gliadin. In certain cases the obtained data showed discrepancies from the expected gliadin content that may carry both a food safety and an economic relevance. The evaluation of the effects of heat treatment on the analytical results is also presented, highlighting the fact that the food processing steps may have a considerable impact on the analytical data, thus should be carefully handled during method development and validation.
Monotony in a gluten-free (GF) diet can be a challenge because of a limited choice of acceptable cereal sources. This study investigates the potential of five types of differently coloured lentils in the development of GF cookies using rice flour as a reference. Raw materials (lentil flours) and cookies were characterised in terms of physicochemical parameters (e.g., crude protein content, total phenolics and flavonoids, antioxidant properties, colour, pH); additionally, geometry, baking loss and texture profile were determined for the cookies. A sensory acceptance test was also conducted to find out consumer preferences regarding rice versus different lentil cookies. Results showed that lentil cookies were superior to rice control in terms of higher crude protein (12.1–14.8 vs. 3.8 g/100 g), phenolic (136.5–342.3 vs. 61.5 mg gallic acid equivalents/100 g) and flavonoid (23.8–75.9 vs. 13.1 mg catechin equivalents/100 g) content and antioxidant capacity (0.60–1.81 vs. 0.35 mmol trolox equivalents/100 g), as well as lower hydroxymethyl-furfural content (<1 vs. 26.2 mg/kg). Consumers preferred lentil cookies to rice ones (overall liking: 6.1–7.0 vs. 5.6, significant differences for red and brown lentils), liking especially their taste (6.3–7.0 vs. 5.5). Depending on the target parameter, whether physicochemical or sensory, these lentil flours can be promising raw materials for GF bakery products.
Celiac disease and wheat allergy are the most common adverse reactions triggered by cereal proteins, mainly gluten, which is one of the 14 allergenic food ingredients that must be labeled on food products in the European Union (EU). To meet the requirements of this regulation, reliable analytical methodology for proper quantification of gluten is necessary. However, validation of presently used methods (ELISA and lateral flow device) is limited partly due to the lack of reference methods and incurred reference materials. To solve this problem, the goal of our work was to develop an incurred reference material for the quantification of gluten under the auspices of EU-FP6 funded Network of Excellence MoniQA. During this work, we produced a processed model product (cookie) containing gliadin (major allergenic fraction of gluten) in a defined amount. This paper addresses the development process of this material together with the associated problems (insufficient homogeneity and low recovery) and their solutions. As a result, an incurred food matrix was produced on a laboratory-scale with a potential use as a reference material. The model product was tested by an ELISA method followed by a comparative study of commercially available ELISA kits to investigate the applicability of the product. Preliminary results of this study are also presented.
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