False gluten claims: Moms Across America call for quality control after 15% of samples test positive

13 Aug 2024 --- Following the discovery of gluten in many “gluten-free” products, Moms Across America is calling on food manufacturers of the protein to be more responsible for quality control through consistent testing to ensure levels are below ten ppm (parts per million), as specified in certifications. The report also found most samples to be low in critical mineral content.

It tested 46 gluten-free foods, including bread, pasta, crackers, snacks, flour, dessert mixes and chips, for glyphosate/AMPA, 236 pesticides, minerals and gluten. The results are “disturbing” and affect at least 20 million people who eat gluten-free food in the US.

The organization has expressed disappointment with the mineral content of the tested foods, which had a low content.

“Most people may not understand that when we pay for food, we are not paying for the taste, mouth feel and accessibility — we are supposed to be paying for nutrition, which includes critical mineral content,” states Moms Across America.

“And yet the tasty, fast, cheap and easy to access food that we have been testing, such as school lunches and fast foods, have all shown to have very low nutrition, such as mineral content.”

Catering to gluten intolerance

In the US, 12% of men and 9% of women report eating gluten-free. Around the world, 660 million people avoid gluten. Most have gluten intolerances, but some have Celiac disease — a severe life-threatening condition — and must avoid gluten. People with Celiac have a two to four times higher chance of coronary artery disease and small bowel cancer.

Four of the 46 samples had levels above the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-allowable 20 ppm of gluten and should be legally recalled. The products include Simple Mills Brownie mix (31.7 ppm), Made Good Soft Baked Double Chocolate cookies (56.1 ppm), Trader Joe’s Almost Everything Bagels (269.8 ppm) and Simple Mills almond flour crackers (59.4 ppm).

The Gluten-Free Certification Organization states that gluten-free food should have less than ten ppm. Moms Across America has reported these violations to the FDA, and will report back on the steps that will be taken.

Three additional samples had levels of gluten above ten ppm — Jovial spaghetti (10.6 ppm), GoMacro berry granola bar (15.9 ppm) and Shar pretzels (14.3 ppm). People with Celiac should avoid these products.

Moms Across America has initiated food testing over the past 12 years to find the levels of toxins in the food supply and hold manufacturers and policymakers accountable for any shortcomings.Moms Across America has called for higher quality control or gluten-free products.  

“Moms Across America wishes to be clear that we understand the gluten food manufacturers are attempting to make foods that are healthier and safer for people with gluten intolerance and celiac disease. We are not insinuating that these manufacturers are deliberately adding agrochemicals to their products,” the organization states. 

“We believe that the gluten-free manufacturers are challenged to find clean ingredients for their products because the US government allows so many harmful agrochemicals to be used, and the farmers feel compelled to use them because they are heavily marketed to them. Their products are, however, contaminated, and the health impact on their customers is unacceptable.”

The organization asserts that consumers and food brands are impacted by the lack of accountability and regulation by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the US FDA regarding these agrochemicals in the food supply.

Not organic by default

Out of 46 samples, 44 tested positive for glyphosate, the most prevalent pesticide among the 237 tested. However, not all gluten-free products that were also organic were low in glyphosate. About 21% of the samples tested positive for glyphosate at levels higher than ten ppb (parts per billion).

Zen Honeycutt, founding executive director of Moms Across America, says: “We had hoped to find that gluten-free foods that were also organic would be free of glyphosate and pesticides. They were not. The prevalence of glyphosate and agrochemicals in our food supply, even in organic and even in foods made for people with American Disability Act recognized disability, such as Celiac disease, is disturbing for many reasons.” 

“This contamination is avoidable. As the EU has done, all our policymakers need to do is disallow the spraying of glyphosate and other agrochemicals as a drying agent on crops. The result would be that 80% of our exposure to glyphosate would be eliminated from food consumption. We urge food manufacturers to join us in calling for better regulation of the food supply.”

According to Don Huber, Purdue University Emeritus and plant pathologist, exposure to 0.1 ppb glyphosate is harmful, and 95.6% of the samples contained higher than 0.1 ppb. The highest level of glyphosate in gluten-free food tested was in Banza Chickpea pasta. The level of 2,876.41 ppb was the highest amount of food recorded in the laboratory.

Lesser Evil Popcorn and Edward and Sons Rice Crackers were the only two products without detectable levels of glyphosate, according to the report.

Celiac glyphosate correlation  

Moms Across America notes that some of its supporters reported eating gluten-free and mostly organic food for many years and continued to have gut issues, anxiety and other health issues. People with Celiac disease or gluten sensitivity are often sensitive to chemicals as well.

“We suspected that the ingredients of gluten-free food were not as clean as they could be. The ingredients of gluten-free food are often not organic,” it states.Many people with gluten intolerance are also sensitive to chemicals. 

The organization has been working for many years to ban glyphosate from being sprayed on food and animal feed crops, especially as a drying agent on grain crops. It cites the fact that studies have shown a close correlation between the rise in Celiac disease and an increase in the use of glyphosate on crops.

“Unfortunately, we have discovered that the foods people are eating to avoid gluten often have glyphosate in them — the very same chemical that likely caused their condition in the first place,” the organization states.

2,4-D was the second most prevalent pesticide. King Arthur Measure for Measure, Certified Gluten-Free Flour and Milton’s Sea Salt Crackers had the highest levels of pesticide chemicals, at 147 ppb and 75 ppb, respectively.

Many farmers are transitioning from glyphosate and are reverting back to 2,4-D use. This is the chemical found in Agent Orange that was used in the Vietnam War and was the subject of a lawsuit that awarded over 251,800 people, including veterans, over US$180 million dollars. 

Agent Orange contributed to countless more people from multiple generations having severe congenital disabilities, harm and death. Trace or quantifiable levels of 2,4-D were found in 25 (or 54%) gluten-free food samples.

The products with the highest levels of pesticide chemicals were King Arthur Measure for Measure, Certified Gluten-Free Flour and Milton’s Sea Salt Crackers at 147 ppb and 75 ppb, respectively. The highest levels of pesticide residues detected in both were from biperonyl butoxide (PBO). This is an artificial pesticide synergist. By itself, PBO is not designed to harm insects. Instead, it works with bug killers to increase their effectiveness. The EPA has classified PBO as a possible human carcinogen.

However, the Gluten-Free Certification Organization certification requires that all starting ingredients and finished products test below the applicable gluten-free threshold of the country of sale or 10 ppm, whichever is lower. This threshold was twice as strict as the WHO, Codex and the FDA.

An accredited laboratory has conducted the testing, Health Research Institute Laboratories.

By Inga de Jong