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

Hello Everyone:
        Last May I made a posting on canola oil asking about it' s gf
status on this list. My husband and I have written the following article that
addresses some of the questions I had posed and talks about the
problems associated with determining gf status of foods in general. We
look forward to your input on this and what your thoughts are on how to
address the recommendations/conclusions and/or whether they appear to
be 'do-ables' and what other options exist.
        PLEASE do not read only one or a few parts of this E-mail to decide
whether canola oil is, or is _not_, gluten free. We ask that you either
read the whole article or none of it at all! :-)
        This E-mail discusses the gluten free status of canola oil and then
looks at the problematic issues to determine gluten free status of any
processed foods. We present: facts which we have obtained from a variety
of sources (manufacturers, processors, and our backgrounds as
agrologists), general sources of where you can double check the 'facts'
(brackets), and what each fact _may_ point to regarding the gluten
free status of canola oil {in curved brackets}.
         There is a conclusion at the end of this article and we make
recommendations for further studies that celiac associations/
individuals may want to examine.
FACTS
1. - there is a differential in the seed size between that of canola
and that of wheat, in the order of magnitudes, therefore wheat cannot
be 'confused' by separating equipment for canola despite the fact that
wheat volunteers can be found in canola fields (call a commercial
agricultural seed supplier) [points to no contamination of the final
product: canola oil]
2. - part of the post-harvesting/pre-processing process involves the use
filters that remove the larger and smaller particles from those of
canola (call a grain crushing plant) [points to no contamination of
the final product: canola oil]
3. - canola can be transported, stored and/or processed in containers
previously used for other grains (ie. wheat) which could result in
contamination IF the containers are not adequately cleaned between grains (call
a grain processing plant) [points to possible contamination of the final
product: canola oil]
4. - given  #3 despite the seed size differential there may be kernels of wheat
and other grains which could end up being processed with the canola as
it goes through the crushing plant (call a grain processing plant)
[points to possible contamination of the final product: canola oil]
5. - the processing of canola oil involves numerous filtering steps
and treatment with an adsorbent bleaching earth, all of which are
designed to remove trace amounts of contaminants from the oil (call a
oil processing plant)[points to no contamination of the final
product: canola oil]
6. -As long as fact #5, the removal of contaminants, is of high
standards canola oil _should be_ gluten free. The question of the
gluten free status of canola oil then comes down to a point of the
refining standards of each oil manufacturer, what analytical measures
are meaningful to measure gluten (and/or it's peptide sequences)
content, and what contaminants are looked for in the finished product.

         Call a canola oil manufacturer and ask for the gluten free status of
their product and you will find out that they may reply in the manner of the
following (this is a response we got fom one major manufacturer):
>In response to your question whether our Canola Oil is gluten free, we can
>say that while wheat and wheat products (when used as an ingredient)
>would be listed on the label, we cannot guarantee that trace amounts
>are not present in the oil prior to refining.
>Hope this answers your question.
        Translated, we believe the above says they do not add wheat as an
ingredient, however it may be present in the crushed product, and
(most pertinent) no mention is made if they know if gluten and/or it's
peptide sequences are, or are not, present in the final product.

RECOMMENDATIONS
        1. Recognize that contamination of any ingredient added
to a final product _may_ occur at processing levels prior to the final food
processor.
        2. Beyond #1, celiac groups may want to request that the FDA (USA),
Agriculture Canada (Canada) and similar organizations in various
countries look into the gluten content of various products. Canola oil
is as good a product to start with as any as it is ubiquitous in the
food processing industry and in retail food outlets; further, it is a
crop of major monetary significance and the (removal of) doubt as to
it's safety to a subset of the population would be [we would hope] of
interest to these legislative groups as well as producing and
manufacturing groups.
        3. Point #2 should go hand in hand with the current thrust in medical
research (ie. looking at the question of the safety of oats  and other
grains re gluten  content and how much presents a risk) to further
quantify the amounts of gluten and it's associated peptides that may
present physical risk to persons with celiac and related diseases. A
firmer indication from the medical community of what constitutes
significant amounts of gluten (significant meant in terms of amounts
that result in deleterious effects to a statistically relevant percent
of the celiac population) needs to be obtained before any food
manufactures of products whose ingredients MAY have come into contact
with gluten containing items during processing will be willing to give
people with celiac disease a firm confirmation of the gluten (free)
status of any products.

CONCLUSION
        The uncertainty as to what constitutes deleterious amounts of gluten
(in terms of analytical values) may be one reason why more and more
manufacturers are loathe to state their product(s) is/are gluten free.
Another reason is, not uncertainty as to what they add to their
product but rather, an inability to state as to the quality assurance
of the original manufacturers regarding ingredient purity. Further, as
consumers get more and more litigious and desirous of definitive
answers, and as analytical tests get more and more sensitive to minute
quantities of chemicals (although it is debatable as to the
significance of the presence of nano and/ or micro moles/l of a compound
and the reliability of standards of measure in these analytical tests),
offering a flat out statement of gluten free status may put
companies into a state of liability they do not wish to participate
in.
        The celiac groups, the medical research community and the agri-food
industry need to work in concert to determine what presents as
significant levels of gluten in food products (and develop uniform
quantitative tests and standards to determine these levels).
        Until standards are found the question of food purity (in regards to
gluten free status of all ingredients and the final processed food,
not only canola oil) will remain uncertain. Further, given the
population numbers of persons who have celiac disease, the probability
of the majority of food manufacturers undertaking these quality
assurance tests (which will add to the final cost structure of
products) seems unlikely without either a large and concerted effort
on the part of celiac groups to lobby effectively OR determining that
continued consumption of high levels of gluten presents as a health risk
to the general population.

Sincerely from
Karen Moerman B.Sc. (Agr), AIT and
Dennis Moerman B.Sc, P.Ag.
NS, Canada