A research done by Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research has found that one in 40 foods sold as “gluten-free” actually contained gluten.
The study tested 256 of Australia’s most commonly bought gluten-free foods, suggesting that almost 3 per cent failed to meet the national food standard.
The study found a gluten-free pasta contained more than three milligrams of gluten in a standard single serve.
A Melbourne University survey revealed that in more than 60 per cent of cases where consumers suffered an allergic reaction to packaged food, the suspected allergen was not listed in the ingredients.
Lead author Dr Giovanni Zurzolo said the results of the Walter and Eliza Hall study were “unsurprising” and demonstrated the food industry was failing to control for contamination.
The study is published in the Medical Journal of Australia.
