ImmunoSafe-CeD - Comprehensive analytical methods for partially hydrolyzed gluten to assess product safety for celiac disease patients
Food intolerances are increasing worldwide and can be associated with a severe reduction in quality of life. As part of the joint program initiative "JPI Healthy Diet for Healthy Life", the BMBF is funding research projects that, together with international partners, are investigating the positive and negative influence of the composition and processing of food on the occurrence of food intolerances.
A common disease caused by food intolerance is coeliac disease. This is an inflammatory disease of the small intestine caused by the ingestion of gluten from wheat, barley and rye and can only be treated by a strict, lifelong gluten-free diet. Gluten-free products must not exceed a legal limit of 20 mg gluten per kg. The tests currently used to determine the gluten content in products do not detect all the components of partially hydrolyzed gluten that cause coeliac disease and therefore probably do not adequately reflect the immunogenicity of gluten for people with coeliac disease.
The aim of the joint project is to determine the celiac activity of intact and partially hydrolyzed gluten from wheat, rye and barley and to develop improved, comprehensive functional and analytical tests to better ensure food safety for people with celiac disease.
The research project thus directly addresses the needs of people with coeliac disease, as the results can help to ensure that products labeled as gluten-free are safe and suitable for inclusion in a gluten-free diet with a high degree of reliability.