Activists have warned that some brands of brownies and cookies sold in US supermarkets could pose a safety risk to millions of Americans with a common digestive condition.
An analysis of 46 popular gluten-free items found that three popular treats contained levels of gluten that were unsafe for people with celiac disease – an autoimmune condition in which the body reacts to proteins.
The team behind the study, from the campaign group Moms of America, have now filed an emergency warning with the FDA about their findings.
The products were also tested for pesticides that have been linked to cancer, with results showing that 95 percent contained levels of chemicals that scientists consider unsafe.
The chart above shows the three products that tests found contained more gluten than is allowed by the FDA for gluten-free foods
The three products with unsafe levels of gluten were Simple Mills Brownie Mix, Made Good Soft Baked Double Cookies and Simple Mills Almond Flour Crackers.
All are sold at grocery stores across the country, including Target, Walmart and Whole Foods.
The organization is now calling for the offending products to be recalled.
About 2 million Americans, mostly women, suffer from celiac disease — where gluten causes severe damage to the intestines.
Sufferers experience an extreme immune response after eating the protein, causing a variety of symptoms, including nutrient deficiencies, chronic diarrhea, nausea and agonizing pain.
Many also experience extreme weight loss and, in severe cases, may need to undergo surgery to repair colon damage.
A woman pictured shopping for gluten-free products (stock image)
The main treatment for the condition is a strict gluten-free diet.
According to the FDA, it is safe for those with celiac disease to eat a microscopic amount of the protein, which is why many gluten-free products contain small amounts.
However, a gluten-free product must contain less than 20 parts per million (ppm) of gluten. This equates to 20 milligrams (mg) per kilogram, or approximately 1.7 mg per cookie.
The Gluten-Free Certification Organization (GFCO) has a lower and stricter threshold of 10 ppm – or the equivalent of just 0.8 mg per cookie.
The investigation also found three other products that exceeded the GFCO limit: Jovial spaghetti, GoMacro berry granola bar and Shar pretzels.
The products were also tested for 237 pesticides, finding 44 of 46 — or 95 percent — contained glyphosate.
This is the chemical used in Round-Up, with studies previously linking it to neurological problems and developmental delays.
There are also suggestions that exposure to the chemical increases the risk of certain types of cancer, including blood cancer, although the Environmental Protection Agency currently says there is no evidence that the chemical causes the condition.
The testing showed that 21 percent of the products had a higher level of glyphosate than the maximum allowed level in the EU of 10 parts per billion.
Group director Zen Honeycutt said: “We had hoped to find that gluten-free foods that were also organic would be free of glyphosate and pesticides. They weren’t.
“The spread of glyphosate and agrochemicals into our food supply… is troubling for many reasons. [But] this contamination is avoidable.’
The study comes amid an increase in the number of people who say they suffer from a gluten sensitivity, or the body’s negative reaction to eating gluten – causing stomach pain, bloating and constipation.
About 18 million Americans now say they are sensitive to gluten, causing an increase in purchases of gluten-free foods.
But the jury is out on gluten sensitivity, as several studies showed that those who said they had the condition did not react to gluten when it was disguised in food.
Celiac disease is usually diagnosed through blood tests for antibodies that fight gluten, but there are no reliable tests for gluten sensitivity.
Instead, it may be a diagnosis of last resort—when other conditions are ruled out—or through the gluten-free diet.
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