AUSTRALIA – ELISA Systems, a world leader in the development of allergen test kits, is setting itself apart from competitors in the market with its new Generation 3 Gluten test kit, ESGLT3-48 capable of detecting deamidated gluten, a capability not yet found in other testing kits.

As the prevalence of celiac disease rises, so does the significance of enhanced gluten detection in ELISA test kits.

People with the chronic immunological and digestive ailment must avoid gluten because there is presently no treatment for it.

Food producers are increasingly joining the gluten-free market to address this need. 

“Coeliac disease affects many people and there is no cure, so we aim to protect the consumer and have a kit that can detect gluten in as many forms as possible,” said Karrin Ryan, Quality Manager, and Scientist, ELISA Systems.

The Generation 3 Gluten kit from ELISA Systems has the extra advantage of being able to identify deamidated gluten in addition to the three native grains of wheat, barley, and rye. 

“When there’s combined heat and acid in the production process it can cause deamidated gluten. Deamidated gluten may also be added as a functional ingredient as it is more water-soluble, thus enabling it to be used as an emulsifier in a wide range of products,” Karrin said.

Before now, these residues tended to go completely unnoticed or underappreciated, which could lead to potentially major problems, especially given their toxicity to those with coeliac disease. 

“Other test kits on the market are unable to effectively detect these residues. We wanted to make sure we developed a kit that could because these residues are still toxic to coeliac sufferers,” said Karrin.

Using a muesli bar as an example, the new test kit can be used at any stage of the manufacturing process. This means the test kit user can perform testing as they require, reports Food & Beverage Industry news.

“Manufacturers can test all the raw ingredients that go into that muesli bar. They can also use swabs to test the equipment being used in production, and they can test their final product as well. Testing can be done at any stage of the process,” said Karrin.

For manufacturers in the industry, gluten contamination prevention is crucial. Improved testing to prevent recalls is beneficial for both the company and the consumer because the impact of product recalls on the food and beverage industry is a constant concern.

“A large percentage of product recalls are due to food allergens that aren’t declared. It is really important that manufacturers are testing their products and making sure they’re safe because it will cost companies if they have to recall products, both directly and due to brand damage,” said Karrin.

The Generation 3 Gluten kit from ELISA Systems has the extra advantage of being able to identify deamidated gluten in addition to the three native grains of wheat, barley, and rye.

According to her, the Generation 3 Gluten test kit has been designed with ease of use in mind as opposed to other methods that use longer extraction procedures with solutions containing hazardous compounds which are unpopular with customers.

“Our new test kit has a short assay time and it’s a simple, shorter extraction procedure as well. Whether testing in-house or using a third-party laboratory, a faster turnaround time is created by having a one-step extraction procedure that can be performed safely without a fume cabinet,” she stated.

Karrin said continually improving test kits was critical with the growing number of manufacturers entering the sector who produce both gluten and non-gluten products.

“Our team focuses on research, and we constantly make sure we are keeping up to date with new products and monitoring industry trends. We work hard to have the right antibodies and extraction procedures for the best detection to meet customer requirements and produce high-quality, easy-to-use kits,” she said.

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