Outlets pass gluten tests

Gluten-free food was tested from eight outlets. Photo / Thinkstock

Kiwi companies have got top marks in a test to find out if gluten-free products deliver what they promise.

The Herald on Sunday commissioned the research after people with coeliac disease, a condition characterised by gluten intolerance, complained many eateries and shops sell items contaminated with the protein.

Gluten is found in wheat, rye, oats, flour, barley, malt vinegar, spelt, soy sauce, preservatives, sauces, colourings and thickeners.

Coeliac New Zealand president Gill Keuskamp said most outlets ensured obvious items, like pasta or pizza bases, were gluten-free but ignored "hidden gluten" in sauce and other ingredients.

"I've heard of waiters bringing out a big bowl of gluten-free soup with croutons piled on top of it," she said.

About one in 100 people have coeliac disease. If they consume gluten they can suffer swift and severe effects, such as vomiting and diarrhoea.

Experts believe regular consumption can cause long-term complications, including bowel cancer.

To prevent cross-contamination, gluten-free food must be prepared separately from regular food. Even putting gluten-free bread into a regular toaster can cause problems.

But judging from our investigation, many outlets are following the rules.

The Herald on Sunday tested products from eight companies - Columbus Cafe, Domino's Pizza, Esquires Coffee House, Foodtown, Hell Pizza, Muffin Break, Pandoro Panetteria and Rob's Patisserie in Ponsonby.

The test, which can detect as few as three parts of gluten per million, revealed none had gluten contamination.

Brenda Crozier, who has coeliac disease, gave a cautious welcome to the results, but said she still wouldn't risk eating gluten-free products while out.

"[A reaction] can be triggered by even tiny amounts. A crumb gets into your gut and it can wipe you out.

"The antibodies attack the lining of your intestines. You can be written off for three to five days."

Hannah Thompson, who manages Auckland's Gluten Free Grocer and is gluten-intolerant, said there was a widespread misunderstanding in the hospitality industry about the condition.

She blamed glamorous celebrities such as Victoria Beckham and Jennifer Aniston for popularising the gluten-free diet.

Eateries and shops were scrambling to meet demand but a gluten-free diet has no health or weight-loss benefits for people who do not suffer from intolerance.

"We're not just fussy. For some people it's very hard eating out and making sure you're not going to get sick," said Thompson.

"Awareness of the market of gluten-free eating has increased in the last five years, but without awareness increasing around what gluten-free food is about. They are offering the products but they aren't being careful enough."

Brenda Crozier's husband Trevor has created an online course to teach hospitality staff about specialty dietary needs such as gluten intolerance.

It will launch later this year.

He was inspired to develop a formal qualification because his wife and daughter both have coeliac disease.

"With even a little bit of gluten they get really sick and there are long-term effects as well. But there's an attitude among some people in the hospitality industry that it's the customers' responsibility to know what they can and can't eat" he said.

HIDDEN DANGERS

Eating out is a minefield for Ruby Watson, a 26-year-old with gluten-intolerance.

"I'll go out and have a 'gluten-free' pizza and then feel like rubbish. Within 10 minutes I'm thinking 'oh dear'," she says.

Even experienced chefs and waiting staff can be problematic. "I'll chat to the chef and make double sure they know exactly what I can't have, then a mussel platter will come out with a chunk of white bread sitting on top and I'll wonder if they listened to a single word I said."

Mother-of-two Teresa Urquhart, 33, says she would rather go hungry than eat gluten accidentally.

"There's too much worry of cross-contamination. It can cause a lot of pain and discomfort if I eat something that's wrong."

If she could eat normally for a day, Urquhart would gobble down a tomato sandwich, doughnuts, meat pies and a sausage roll.