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From:
Dawn Dutton <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Dawn Dutton <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Tue, 24 Aug 2004 21:08:32 -0400
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<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>>

I don't think I'll be using the home gluten test for restaurant meals (or
anything else for that matter).  Although it sounds like the test is useful
for some folks, in some circumstances -- I don't think it is for me.  Thank
you to everyone who responded - I got some very useful info as well as a
couple of chuckles.  :)

MY ORIGINAL QUESTION:
In a recent summary from Adam Schroeder, a home test kit for gluten in food
was included.  Below is the description and web address provided.  Has
anyone seen research on this?  Used it?  Know what kinds of foods can/can't
be tested?  Know how much it costs or where you get it?    I assume this
test is expensive, but I might be interested in using it for restaurant
meals.  I'll summarize.

From Adam Schroeder:  I also received information about a test to measure
food for gluten levels.
Information can be found here
http://www.elisa-tek.com/gluten_in_your_food.htm.
I do not know the cost of the item, and since the test are disposable strips
I
don't know how feasible (or expensive) this would be to use on a frequent
basis.
Again if this was a reusable item (with a faster response time) It would be
awesome... simply have your Gluten Tester taste the food before you do.   :)


TWO REPRESENTATIVE RESPONSES I RECIEVED:
I have tried the Elisa-Tek home test kit for gluten. It costs $80 for 5
tests, so at $16 per test, it is rather pricey. I use it to test the staple
ingredients that I purchase often - flours, etc. - so I can be sure there is
not gluten in something I am eating on a regular basis. It is a good test,
but has limitations. Acidic foods can throw it off and give a false
positive, so it is not good for testing mustard, vinegar, etc. It works best
with simple foods.

It would not be practical for using in a restaurant because of 1) the cost,
2) if the dish were complex or had an acidic sauce it would mess up the
test, and 3) you would have to test each portion of your meal - the salad
dressing, the entree, the veggies, the dessert - separately. That would add
up to one expensive restaurant meal.

******************

I know little about the tests but everybody I've heard who's used them has
found them too expensive and impractical. I think they are somewhere between
$80 and $100 for five tests and they are not reusable. They take about 10
minutes and require dissolving food in water, so many things won't work. And
I'm sure not going to sit in a restaurant dissolving stuff and then waiting
10 minutes while my food gets cold. Plus, you'd have to test each food item
separately, adding $60 to $100 to the cost of tour meal.

As a final problem, if you read the web page you'll see that the kit doesn't
test below 100-200 ppm. If you're real sensitive it takes a lot less than
that to make you sick.

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*Please provide references to back up claims of a product being GF or not GF*

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