Unmasking Hidden Gluten: Evaluating the Compliance of Gluten-Free Products and Consumer Exposure in Lebanon
Background: Global demand for gluten-free foods has surged as diagnoses of celiac disease and other gluten-related disorders rise, leading retailers to offer an increasingly wide range of “gluten-free” products. Although international standards cap gluten at ≤ 20 ppm, surveys in Europe, North Americ...
محفوظ في:
| المؤلف الرئيسي: | |
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| التنسيق: | masterThesis |
| منشور في: |
2025
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| الوصول للمادة أونلاين: | http://hdl.handle.net/10725/17281 https://doi.org/10.26756/th.2023.837 http://libraries.lau.edu.lb/research/laur/terms-of-use/thesis.php |
| الوسوم: |
إضافة وسم
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| الملخص: | Background: Global demand for gluten-free foods has surged as diagnoses of celiac disease and other gluten-related disorders rise, leading retailers to offer an increasingly wide range of “gluten-free” products. Although international standards cap gluten at ≤ 20 ppm, surveys in Europe, North America, and the Middle East continue to detect label violations, pointing to cross-contact and inconsistent manufacturing controls. Lebanon’s only prior market study dates to 2014, leaving a decade-long data gap on product integrity and the actual exposure faced by Lebanese consumers who depend on accurate gluten-free labelling for their health. Methods: Following a thorough market screening, a cross-sectional analysis was conducted on 115 stock-keeping units (SKUs) , including 54 local and 61 imported products. Gluten was quantified with the RIDASCREEN® R5 ELISA; with levels > 20 ppm were deemed non-compliant. A qualitative food-frequency questionnaire (FFQ) was administered to 66 self-selected gluten-free shoppers to assess intake frequency of each non-compliant SKU. Results: 11 SKUs (9.6%) exceeded 20 ppm, while another 15 (13%) fell between the 1 ppm quantification limit of the kit and 20 ppm. Non-compliance was markedly higher in Lebanese products (18.5%) than in imports (1.6%). 40% of contaminated local SKUs and the sole contaminated import bore an FSMS logo, signaling implementation gaps. Bread (6/43) and snack/bars (4/30) accounted for most infractions; a single oat-based “other grain” also tested positive. Although 87% of products were analytically compliant, the FFQ revealed 8 daily and 11 weekly consumption events involving contaminated SKUs. Notably, 65% of respondents were celiac, and 27% purchased for celiac relatives, increasing clinical risk. Conclusion: Lebanon’s retail gluten-free sector is largely compliant, yet a substantial risk persists in domestically produced breads and snack items. Strengthened regulatory surveillance, dedicated production lines for high-risk categories, and targeted consumer education must be enforced to safeguard medically vulnerable populations and uphold ethical standards. |
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