<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>>

So. The responses to my inquiry about the chemistry of gluten, and its
response to high cooking temperatures (e.g. hot oil, grill), included
numerous requests for a summary (evidently lots of us have similar
questions out here).

In answer to the one (and only) obnoxious, highly judgmental,
holier-than-thou respondent who assumed knowledge of my mind and
motivation, many of us with this condition are interested in gaining
knowledge about the disease process, not just making a life's work of
being celiac. But I digress...

I am including a smattering of responses, each representative of the
others I received. Thank-you for your thoughtful information.

1) From Susan in MA:

I am not a chemist (a biologist) but have worked in Protein Chemistry
for a number of years.  Different peptides and proteins have different
thermal stability - meaning their structure can remain intact after
exposure to heat over time. I would be concerned that the gliadin
peptide could be thermally stabile and not denatured at high heat for
short times. So basically the body could react to it the same way as
"unheated" gluten. I do not know the thermal stability so I cannot say
for sure but I wouldn't risk it!


2) From Elizabeth Margareta Griffith:

I'm not a chemist but - gluten is not dangerous because it is alive.  It
isn't alive, so you can't kill it.  Heat, cold, none of this helps.  You
need to just avoid it in the first place.  But fried foods in fresh oil,
provided you personally don't have a 'side issue' with the particular
oil, should be fine.


3) From Vance: ...The gluten is still intact, unless perhaps it's left
in the fire till it's ashes...

The grill is not so bad if they wipe it off before they cook your stuff.
Actually, I've never had any problems with the grill, but I have had
with deep fryers...

Actually, Lydia, it's not the gluten. It's the gliadin in the gluten,
and it only does damage once it hits the villi in the small intestine.

4) From Bev in Milwaukee:

Technically, reducing proteins to carbon (burn them black) should take
care of the gluten.  A frying tempt of 375 degrees does not do this well
& leaves a bunch of golden crumbs at the bottom on the fryer. If the
crumbs get too dark, it will affect taste as well, so the oil is changed
before that time.  In the action of frying, these crumbs can get stuck
on your g.f. food.  Cooking food on grills is the same problem...
While some are more sensitive that others, it's a risk I weigh very
carefully.