October 2014 – Low Gluten in Beer

Today I want to inform you about my experiences with the gluten test kits I use to test the level of gluten in beer.

According to my doctor the toughest for men with Celiac Disease is the avoidance of normal beer as beer naturally is brewed with barley and so they believe they cannot consume it anymore. When I was diagnosed with CD I had the same reaction. I don’t like strong alcohol or wine but I really enjoyed a beer with friends. In our culture beer is a popular drink when socialising. It’s not about getting drunk but moderate consumption of beer in good company gives you a good feeling.

I gave up wheat containing pasta, pizza and bred – not so difficult for pizza but I really loved pasta and the numerous wonderful German bread types. So I said OK I gave up good food already but is it true that I cannot drink normal beer anymore and have to drink this horrible tasting and expensive gf beers brewed with artificial ingredients, glucose syrup and whatever? And now after more than one year testing beer on its gluten content I am convinced that a lot of normal beers are suitable for a lot of Celiacs. Not for all – there are people who react on the tiniest amount of gluten. But I believe the majority can drink a lot of the normal beers available without getting reactions or intestinal damage. But it definitely makes sense to test your favourite beer on the gluten level. There are a number of test kit manufacturers and here is what I experienced:

Gluten-in-Food

Manufacturer: Imutest
Costs: GBP 52.50 for a 5 test kit
Antibodies used: Skerritt
Method: Lateral Flow Through
My experience: Sensitive test kit with very low detection limit (1-2 ppm). Works with test spot intensity to determine level of gluten.
Hints and tips:
-according to Imutest the extraction step can be skipped for beer as gluten in beer is already solubilized
-if you use the pipette to measure the sample let the beer settle in a glass for 30 minutes or so to avoid a bubbling effect when you fill the pipette
Here are some more information and pictures.

GlutenTox Home

Manufacturer: Biomedal
Costs: USD 70 for a 5 test kit (International), EUR 42 for a 5 test kit (Benelux)
Antibodies used: G12
Method: Lateral Flow Through
My experience: Reliable test kit. Works with thresholds (5, 10, 20, 40 ppm) depending on the number of drops taken from the sample.
Hints and tips:
-the extraction must not be skipped according to Biomedal however when I tested the same sample with and without extraction the result was the same
-to measure the sample use the enclosed spoon
Here are some more information and pictures.

EZ Gluten
Manufacturer: ELISA Tech.
Costs: USD 60 for a 5 test kit
Antibodies used: Skerritt
Method: Lateral Flow Through
My experience: -none, not tested yet-
Hints and tips: –

AgraStrip Gluten
Manufacturer: Römer Labs
Costs: price available upon request
Antibodies used: G12
Method: Sandwich Lateral Flow Through
My experience: -none, not tested yet-
Hints and tips: -not suitable for testing beer according to the manufacturer

During my recent trip to Spain I had the chance to test a famous gluten free labelled beer. As I always take a test kit with me when I go abroad I supposed to test the draught beer they sold in my hotel but then I saw Estrella Daura Damm in a supermarket and couldn’t resist. The price is rather high, almost as double as the regular Estrella Damm beer but I really wanted to enjoy an officially labelled gluten free beer. Well, not everywhere – in some countries (like in the US) Damm is not allowed to label it gluten free – I guess because it contains barley. Their marketing experts instead use the fantastic wording ‘crafted to remove gluten’ in the US – well done you marketing pals. Anyway, the European version clearly says “below 3 ppm” on the bottle which moreover is confirmed by the Spanish National Research Council so this all implicitly says it is safe for Celiacs and people with GS. And this beer really tastes like beer, actually no difference to the “normal” Estrella Damm, refreshing and crisp.

A gluten free labelled beer, below 3 ppm, researched and confirmed by a Spanish public institution and it even tastes like a real beer – everything seems to be perfect. And then happens this:

Beer: Estrella Damm Daura
Producer: S.A. Damm
Originating country: Spain
Brewing location: Spain
Bottle size: 330 ml = approx. 12 Oz.
Alcohol by volume: 5.4%
Ingredients: water, barley malt, rice, hops
Miscellaneous: officially labelled gf beer

Test Kit: Imutest Gluten-in-Food Kit

Test result: There is a clearly visible pink test spot on the left of the test area ( T ) which indicates the presence of gluten. According to the instructions a “very low gluten” level of 20 to 100 ppm should give a test spot which is weaker or similar in intensity to that of the control spot ( C ). Please find some more information here. The test spot appears almost identical to the control spot.

On a scale from 1 to 20 I would rate the test spot intensity 5 or 6 so in this test the level is above 20 ppm. Even though this test is positive please note it is not a medical advice – see my facts page.

test the gluten content of your beer

Month: October 2014

Some information about gluten test kits

Estrella Daura Damm Gluten Test