Author - Tricia Thompson

Yeast extract confusion redux

In 2019, we wrote about a consumer complaint we received for a labeled gluten-free soup. The product includes the ingredient “flavors (including yeast extract).” Long story short, the consumer who contacted us was told by customer service representatives that brewer’s yeast is the source of the yeast extract. However, she did not receive a definitive answer regarding whether the brewer’s yeast is spent brewer’s yeast. Fast forward to 2024. Gluten Free Watchdog received a consumer inquiry about the autolyzed yeast extract...

Recall notices for undeclared wheat: Why is celiac disease not mentioned in company announcements?

Celiac disease is serious. It would be helpful if manufacturers and the FDA acknowledged this in recall notices for undeclared wheat. This is particularly important when a product is labeled gluten-free or makes a “made with no gluten-containing ingredients”* claim on product packaging. Two recent recalls for undeclared wheat state in the company announcement that, “People who have an allergy or severe sensitivity to wheat run the risk of serious or life-threatening allergic reaction if they consume this product.” BUT...

Gluten Testing of Food Containing Barley Amylase: Poster Presented at AOMSC 2023

To download the poster presented at the Asia-Oceania Mass Spectrometry Conference, please see: https://www.glutenfreewatchdog.org/news/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/PosterAOMSC20230703_AO-MSC_MN_Poster.pdf AOMSC 2023 Poster Abstract Investigation of foods containing beta-amylase for gluten content Mitchell G. Nye-Wood (a), Tricia Thompson (b), Margaret Clegg (b), Michelle L. Colgrave (*a) School of Science, and Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, Edith Cowan University, Perth, WA, Australia (a) Gluten Free Watchdog, LLC, Manchester, MA (b) Gluten proteins are unique food allergens that are a common dietary component for many...

Gluten-free oats remain complicated as 2023 comes to a close: New article from Gluten Free Watchdog

Our article, Gluten cross contact in oats: Retrospective database analysis 2011 to 2023 was recently published in Frontiers Nutrition in the special research topic, Recent Breakthrough in Gluten Contamination, Volume II. Are you interested in a brief overview? Abstract It is long-established that oats are at substantial risk for cross contact with gluten containing grain. Specially processed gluten-free oats, whether purity protocol or mechanically/optically sorted, made it possible for this grain to be included in a gluten-free diet in the U.S. Gluten Free Watchdog...

FDA Action Alert: Add your voice to help FDA modernize recalls

On October 18, 2023 Gluten Free Watchdog submitted comments to the public docket No. FDA-2023-N- 2393 (Modernizing the Recall Process) expanding upon our September 29, 2023 presentation Improving FDA Recalls: A Texas Case Study given at the public meeting held by FDA. Our comments can be viewed at https://www.glutenfreewatchdog.org/news/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/FDACommentreRecallsGFWDfinal.pdf. Please consider submitting a comment to the docket in support of comments submitted by Gluten Free Watchdog. Comments are due soon--October 27th. To submit, please go to https://www.regulations.gov/document/FDA-2023-N-2393-0001 and...

Let’s get gluten declared on medication labels: Contact your representative today and urge them to support the ADINA Act

This bill would require medication labels to identify ingredients in drugs that are derived directly or indirectly from major food allergens or gluten-containing grains. Has your representative cosponsored this bill (H.R.4263)? Original Cosponsors: Rep. Lawler, Michael [R-NY-1] Rep. Sherrill, Mikie [D-NJ-11] Rep. Gallagher, Mike [R-WI-8] Additional Cosponsors as of September 22, 2023: Rep. Lofgren, Zoe [D-CA-18]   Rep. Fitzpatrick, Brian K. [R-PA-1]       Rep. Vargas, Juan [D-CA-52]   Rep. Allred, Colin Z. [D-TX-32] Rep. Bacon, Don [R-NE-2]       Rep. Grothman, Glenn [R-WI-6]         Rep. Matsui, Doris O. [D-CA-7]           Rep. Goldman, Daniel S. [D-NY-10]    Rep. Mullin, Kevin [D-CA-15]  Rep. Kuster, Ann M....

Public FDA meeting on recalls: Register to attend virtually

The Food and Drug Administration is holding a public meeting, Modernizing Recalls of FDA-Regulated Commodities on September 29, 2023 09:00 AM Eastern Time (US and Canada). You can register to attend the listening session virtually at https://www.fda.gov/food/cfsan-constituent-updates/fda-announces-public-meeting-modernize-recalls-fda-regulated-commodities Adam Rapp, pro-bono counsel to Gluten Free Watchdog will be presenting on our experiences. We have been advised that our presentation has been slotted between 11 am and noon (eastern time). Hope to "see" you there!

When the NIMA Partners gluten sensor result appears at odds with the visual reading of the LFD test strip

September 6, 2023 In the experimental work undertaken for our study, Consumer-Led Investigation into Potential Issues That Arise When Testing Dairy Matrixes for Gluten with the NIMA Sensor* we observed a possible disconnect between the result reported by the NIMA sensor and an interpretation of the LFD strip result when assessed by eye (e.g., regardless of sensor reading--smile, gluten found, no test result--the three LFD test strips in the photo look very similar). For more information, please see the study link...

Cargill recall of soy flour products: Additional information received from Gluten Free Watchdog FDA FOIA request

August 31, 2023 Brief background: On March 30, 2023, Cargill issued a voluntary recall for soy flour and textured soy flour products manufactured between October 5, 2022, and March 29, 2023, after receiving test results with levels of gluten between 20 ppm and 50 ppm. The source of gluten is believed to be from agricultural co-mingling with rye that was planted as a cover crop. The soy flour is not sold directly to consumers. What we learned from the FOIA materials: Cargill learned of the...

Testing dairy foods for gluten using a Nima sensor? Familiarize yourself with the potential issues

For immediate release August 25, 2023: Consumer-Led Investigation into Potential Issues That Arise When Testing Dairy Matrixes for Gluten with the NIMA Sensor published in the Journal of AOAC International by Tricia Thompson, Adrian Rogers, and Johnna Perry. To read the abstract and for a link to the full free text of this article (click on the pdf icon) please see https://academic.oup.com/jaoac/advance-article/doi/10.1093/jaoacint/qsad092/7238205?login=false. Highlights Slight variations in weight and volume of test materials can result in false positive results when testing dairy matrixes (such...