So, What is Gluten?

Some people cannot eat gluten for medical reasons, but many people don’t eat it because they think it will make them gain weight, some fitness instructor told them not to or because everyone is talking about it. Ten years ago no one in the food industry was talking about it. Recently, Jimmy Kimmel did a segment asking “gluten-free” people at a popular exercise spot one simple question:

What is gluten? Sadly, not one person got it right. They had no idea what gluten is or why they should or should not be eating it. The truth is, unless there is a medical reason, you shouldn’t eliminate entire food groups from your diet. By definition:

Gluten: A substance present (protein) in grains – wheat, barley, rye, spelt, triticale, some oats and several other grains. It causes illness in people with Celiac Disease and gluten allergies.
There are major problems with the gluten-free movement, including a lack of education. For those with legitimate problems that go on a gluten-free diet, how it improves their health is life changing. They share the good news with friends and family - inadvertently giving them false hope that it will make them feel better too. Going gluten-free will not help you lose weight and will not make you feel better if your body is able to digest it. It isn’t uncommon to see someone that is on a “gluten-free diet” at the bar enjoying a beer – because they have no idea what gluten is. It’s difficult to find beer is that is not direct derivative of gluten!

On the flip side, the gluten-free fad has created a stigma in the food industry. When someone with a real illness or allergy comes into a restaurant, some servers don’t take it seriously when they mention gluten-free. They think it is a fad or the person is over dramatizing their situation. This is a huge problem because it IS serious. That person could be sick for days or weeks from minimal exposure to gluten (only 20 ppm* is enough to cause illness); and, the levels of illness can vary greatly from person to person.

Servers don’t understand that picking the croutons off the top of the salad isn’t enough. They don’t understand gluten-free pasta cannot be cooked in the same pot that was just used for regular pasta. This is why education is imperative! Don’t put your establishment in a libelous situation where someone could become very ill or die because your staff doesn’t understand the seriousness of celiac disease and food allergies. If your team isn’t properly trained, you could be held legally responsible if an incident occurs.

FSTS can help! Visit us at fsts.net/allergytraining to find a course designed for you.

*20 parts per million, comparable to one drop of food coloring in a gallon of water.