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

 << here is a summary of responses to the question wheter or not oat ist
Gluten Free. I got a lot of answers, which I tried to summarize
hereunder.  I would like to thank everybody!>>

Basically cross-contamination is the major issue and cannot be excluded
should it be

- in the fields (oats being used in rotation with wheat and barley, same
for soja?!?)

- in the grain handling systems (oats and wheat are close to the same size)

- in the processing ( oat flours is more likely to be contaminated with
wheat and barley then are oat flakes, which still have a trace of wheat
and barley presence as well) therefore it is not recommended, expecially
in case of sever CD, requiring a zero-level of gluten


A lot of people mentioned they consumed regularly oat (usually in small
amounts) without any problems, but I receive three inputs precising that
oat would not be GF: "Oats contain the same toxic (to celiacs) peptide
sequences contained in whear, barley and rye, and have been clinically
demonstrated to caus damage to celiacs. But the toxicity level is lower,
and some *short-term* tests have shown no intestinal damage to *some*
celicas eating *small* amounts of oats over a period of time. Thest ests
have also shown defninte damage using larger amounts of oats. To me,
that is playing with fire, like eating a low level of a known poison in
the hopes it will not eventually kill you. The UK Coeliac Society allows
50g or less per day to adults only, every other celica society in the
English-speaking wordl says oats are forbidden".

"Tests have been done in UK and they say that oats does not damage the
villi. However they do not state anything about wheter it sill causes
the lymphocytes to create an autoimmune reaction, even against other
organs. I cannot tolerate oats. When I eat it, it take longer to cause a
reaction, but it is the BUILD-UP of eating it continually that causes
the symptomes".

I don't know, if the people saying to not react on oats were using oats
in small quantities, may be not regularly so not having a direct
reaction or are not sensitive to low amounts of gluten.

"The grain scientists tell us that even though oat proteins are
different, they do have similar amino acid sequences to the toxic
gliadin sequences. Similarly, in vitro ("test tube") studies do show
that oat proteins trigger the immune response of cells taken from celiac
patients. The team empasized, however, that the long-term effects of oat
cereal added to a gluten-free diet in children with celiac disease still
need to be determined. Gluten content of several substances: Irish
Oatmeal 0.006%; Quaker oatmeal 0.006%; Safeway oatmeal 0.005%; Jane Lee
oatmeal 0.026%; Soy flour 0.001%, Brown rice flour, Pancake mix,
Cornmeal and Rice floor 0.000%."

But also one input mentioning that oat could be GF: "At the 2000
International Symposium on Celiac Disease, several studies demonstrated
that ingesting (pure) oats did not damage the intestinal tract. A grain
expert, Don Kasarda, spoke and said that the oat protein was more
closely related to corn that to wheat, and that oats lacked the part of
the protein that appeared to cause the harm that wheat, barley and rye
do".

From the same source: "The term gluten in celiac disease is not used in
a proper sense (in that sense it is present only in wheat), but rather
as a shorthand term for peptides derived from prolamins (proteins) that
include the harmful amino acid sequences found in wheat. These peptides
set off (in an unknown way) a series of reactions that ultimately may
lead to flattening of the mucosa, malabsorption, and possibly other
effects as well. Wheat, rye, and barley have prolamins that contain the
toxic sequence(s). The finding that oats is (are?) not toxic indicates
that the key sequences are NOT found in the avenins, the prolamins of
oats. Comparison of the amino acid sequences of avenins and gliadins
yields clues to possibly important differences and I am pursuing the
significance of these differences. "

Let's see how further clinical studies will confirm these first inputs.

A good summary of scientific litterature on that matter is to be found
under: http://www.celiac.com/oats.html

and especially a very controversery article (no inclusion of severe
cases of CD or 'complicated' coeliacs and only adults; oats used were
coming from controlled production without any risk of
cross-contamination):

October 19, 1995 -- Volume 333, Number 16, "A Comparison of Diets with
and without Oats in Adults with Celiac Disease,"
http://www.nejm.org/content/1995/0333/0016/1033.asp.

Again thanks a lot to everybody

E. Gabsa, Basel (Switzerland)


Following brands were suggested as being 100% sure
- USA: Oat Matzah for Panover (grown in a filed dedicated to oats, which
     are inspected ...)
- Sweden, Finland, Norway: 100% pure oats from Semper
- Irland (+ rest of Europe): Oats from a company called Peter Kolln,
     Postfach 609, D-25306 Elmshorn, Germany (tested and safe)