This is a topic that is near and dear to our heart, so let?s discuss gluten-removed beers. These beers, like Omission Ale and Prairie Path, are made from gluten containing grains (primarily barley). The amount of gluten in these beers is recued by a proprietary method using enzymes to remove the gluten. If you need some background on this issue, please see our Gluten-Free Beer? Blog.
To make matters more confusing, the CSA (Celiac Sprue Association) recently announced that Omission was RISK-FREE for those with celiac disease and earned their seal of recognition. Read more about this here: http://glutendude.com/alcohol/is-omission-beer-really-risk-free-for-celiacs/
What?s crazy is that a little known study the Office of Food Safety for the Center of Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, a division of the FDA reported that ?Less than 1 ppm level of gluten in foods is the level of exposure for individuals with CD on a GFD that protects the most sensitive individuals with CD and thus, also protects the most number of individuals with CD from experiencing any detrimental health effects from extended to long-term exposure to gluten.? Click here to see that study.
Why is it not surprising then, that there are reports of people having adverse reactions to?gluten-removed products? The internet is fraught with people sharing their negative experiences with gluten-removed products. However, many customers do not have a voice or platform as large as the beer companies or bloggers. Please read the Comment or Response Sections of these blogs to get a better idea of what the customers actually have to say: Celiac.com, GlutenDude.com Article 1 and Article 2, About.com, and CeliacAndTheBeast.com.
In order to honor the customers who need this product, we should be discussing the opportunity of using gluten-free grains to make naturally produced products. This exactly the goal Grouse is here to help accomplish!
This will be part one of a series of posts about gluten-free versus gluten removed beer. What has been your experience with gluten removed beer? Would you like to learn more?
Zum Wohl!