The Truth About Gluten

By Erica Logsdon, RDH, BSDH, Bethany Komasinski, RDH, EFDA, Megan Elizabeth Wess, RDH, EFDA, BS, Emily R. Holt, RDH, MHA, CDA, EFDA

Today, grocery store shelves are full of gluten-free products—from bagels to frozen pizza. Even the Girl Scouts organization has joined the gluten-free movement with the introduction of the gluten-free cookie Toffee-Tastic in 2015. Gluten-free products are also big business—in 2014 annual sales reached $8.8 billion.¹ So what is behind this gluten-free frenzy? Before this question can be answered, defining gluten and understanding what constitutes a gluten allergy is important. Gluten is a protein found in wheat, barley, rye, brewer’s yeast, and malt. It is the “glue” that holds breads, baked goods, and pastas together and provides the chewy texture associated with these foods.² Wheat is often found in breads, baked goods, soups, pasta, cereals, sauces, salad dressings, and roux, while barley is contained in malt, food coloring, soups, malt vinegar, and beer.

* References can be found in the original article via the link below.
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