Fight Brews Over Gluten-free Beer Standards

Parts per Million. So one Omission gives you, say, 10ppm. What does three beers then give you? 30 parts, diluted in three volumes of beer. Parts is parts. Enough parts, and we have celiac distress.

Yes, but a stomach can only hold so much - the point of the 20ppm standard is that at this level, you couldn't realistically get enough gluten in your system at one time to cause any kind of reaction. In the case of this beer, you'd probably die from alcohol poisoning before you'd get a significant amount of gluten in your system.

I drink both their Pale Ale and Lager and have had no reaction; usually I'm very sensitive to gluten contamination. I've had a reaction to Dura, the Spanish pilsner, I was disappointed cause it tasted great.

I believe everyone has different levels of sensitivity, i.e. some can go 40ppm and others less than 2ppm, so it's really a crap shoot. I found New Planet's Pale Ale to be the best tasting gluten-free beer currently available; most celiacs should be able to drink this worry free.

I have never had a gluten reaction to drinking Omission beer, nor has a friend who is also gluten intolerant (and has more obvious symptoms) when he has inadvertently ingested gluten. Call it gluten removed so as not to confuse the concerned, but we are convinced this beer is not a problem for the gluten intolerant.

I agree it is all in an individual's tolerance as to what is "good" or "bad." I have to say I was specifically told by a sales rep in a non-major alcohol store that Omission was gluten-free. So I would have to agree with others, the deception does not fall on the company making the item, but on the company SELLING the item. I have tried just about any "gluten-free" advertised beer, and there is one Omission I have physical reactions to and then the other I do not...

I like Omission, drink it on a regular basis, and have never had a reaction to it. Since I believe in truth in labeling, however, calling it "Gluten Removed" makes sense to me. Let the consumer decide.

I tried Omission Pale Ale- it was delicious. I had 2 bottles, But I paid for it later on. I will not drink this beer any more. At least with Red Bridge I know I am safe!

What about other "gluten free" beers like Red Bridge?

To me it's a no-brainer. As a nurse, I strongly believe in informed consent. Some may be able to drink it while others cannot. I am a very sensitive celiac so i will not be chancing it, but i appreciate having the information to make the decision. I can't conceive why anyone would insist on gluten free labeling as opposed to gluten removed.

"Gluten removed," anything else would be irresponsible. While it is a delicious alternative to the mostly unpalatable sorghum based beers, I am an extremely sensitive diagnosed celiac and had a relatively fierce reaction to it. I did not know that Omission was a gluten removed beer when my husband purchased it as it was marketed to him as a gluten-free beer, but the reaction the next day helped to clear up that misconception. Life's about choices. Label it gluten removed and let folks make the informed choice.

Tony -

The issue is that the enzyme process breaks down the gluten into pieces. The ELISA test will only detect whole gluten proteins and not protein fragments.

 

So while Omission may beat the test, there are still fragments of the gluten protein floating around in the beer. Some people may still react to these fragments, or they may not... no science has been done yet. The only way to know for sure would be to do biopsies on patients who have only had the beer without any other sources of gluten.

 

Remember, many Celiacs can be reacting and damaging their intestines without obvious symptoms. I have known I had celiac for 20+ years and in my late teens/twenties it would take a serious gluten poisoning for me to experience noticeable symptoms. Now that I am in my 30's I am much more sensitive.

Not true - the competitive R5 ELISA is specifically designed to detect singular epitopes (gluten fragments). You're referring to limitations of the sandwich R5 ELISA, which is not what Omission uses for batch testing.

A celiac's acute reaction to gluten varies widely. Moreover, the acute reactions, if any, are a matter of temporary discomfort (sometimes severe). Many of those with celiac disease have minor or no acute symptoms. Apparently, even many of those with celiac writing above are unaware of that fact. (I've become more sensitive, but not horribly so. My kids have little to no acute reaction.)

As the article indicates, the only proof would be studies performing blood tests to detect auto-antibodies and biopsies to detect small intestine inflammation. It's an autoimmune disease and the long-term consequences are severe even if acute symptoms are negligible. I learned that the hard way before being diagnosed.

So I err on the side of caution.

Informative article. I don't necessarily agree with the terms "gluten removed" because it has not been removed; it's been changed. I think they should use a term such as "gluten modified" or "contains modified gluten" instead. I believe that is more accurate for the consumer.