Celiac Disease Patients Can Eat Canaryseed
VANCOUVER - Jun 21/13 - SNS -- Efforts by the Canaryseed Development Commission of Saskatchewan (CDCS) to get canaryseed recognized as a food will be helped by recent research which found that glabrous canaryseed could serve as an alternative source of gluten-free cereal grain that would be ideal for people with celiac disease.
In a study published in the American Chemical Society's Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, researchers verified that glabrous, or hairless canaryseed is gluten-free. They also confirmed canaryseed has more protein than other common cereal grains and is suitable for making flour that can be used in bread, cookies, cakes and other products.
The research team included Agriculture Canada's Joyce Irene Boye, Allaoua Achouri and Nancy Raymond; Health Canada's Chantal Cleroux, Dorcas Weber, and Terence B. Koerner; Pierre Hucl of the Crop Development Centre, University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon; and Carol Ann Patterson of The Pathfinders Research and Management Limited in Saskatoon.
The abstract of their paper said, "In this study, allergenic cross-reactivities between hairless, dehulled canaryseed (Phalaris canariensis) and major allergenic proteins from gluten, soy, peanuts, tree nuts, sesame, and mustard were studied using commercial enzyme-linked immune sorbent assay (ELISA) kits specific for these target allergens.
"Mass spectrometry (MS) and immunoblotting were further used to assess for the presence of gluten-specific protein fragments. MS results revealed the likely presence of proteins homologous with rice, oat, corn, carrot, tomato, radish, beet, and chickpea. However, no presence of celiac-related gluten fragments from wheat, rye, barley, or their derivatives was found.
"Immunoblotting studies yielded negative results, further confirming the absence of gluten in the canaryseed samples tested. No cross-reactivities were detected between canaryseed and almond, hazelnut, mustard, peanut, sesame, soy, walnut, and gluten using ELISA."
Farm Management Practices Must Improve
The potential use of glabrous canaryseed in diets for celiac disease patients was discussed by Maryellen Carlson of Avena Foods at the commission's annual meeting in Saskatoon in January. She stressed that farmers need to establish on-farm protocols to reduce potential cross contamination with gluten containing grains. This notion is consistent with the efforts by farmers who have become HAACP certified. This is more common among vegetable growers than other sectors, but that is likely to change as farmers pursue more specialized uses for their crops.
Food Use Ratings Sought
Such research probably helps the case for having canaryseed recognized as a food ingredient. The Canaryseed Development Commission has submitted a dossier to Health Canada's Food Directorate asked that it be approved as a new cereal food grain for use in food products. These include: as an ingredient in breads, flours, breakfast cereals, and pastas and in baked goods such as biscuits, crackers, cookies, granola bars and baking mixes.
In a recent article in the commission's spring newsletter, Dr. Patterson said, "Health Canada conducts an internal review of the body of submitted evidence. As there is a defined regulatory approval process, it will most likely be a few months before the CDCS learns the outcome. . . .
"Next on the value-added canaryseed agenda is regulatory approval in the United States. This process is well on its way. Information from the Canadian dossier is being 'repackaged' to meet U.S. requirements. An assessment of the potential dietary exposure in the U.S. population began recently. This GRAS (generally recognized as safe) process involves an external review of all the information by three experts in cereal science and toxicology; the preparation of a consensus document indicating canaryseed is safe for human consumption; and then submission of dossier and consensus document to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for their review."
Patterson added, "From a technical perspective, the Saskatchewan Food Centre is determining how best to process canaryseed into flours, whole groats and flakes to improve stability and shelf life and for incorporation into gluten-free formulations such as breads and cookies. From the food samples tasted so far, canaryseed flours and whole groats provide much needed texture, mouth feel and taste to the these gluten-free products and, a bonus, provide an enhanced nutritional profile....more fibre, protein, minerals and vitamins than conventionally used ingredients such as tapioca and potato starches and rice flour."
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