Some Compostable Dishes Contain Gluten and Can Transfer It into Food

The holidays are just around the corner, and some of us, trying to be mindful of the environment, might resort to biodegradable tableware instead of plastic. But beware: the natural ingredients used to make compostable dishware may contain allergens that could transfer into food.

After detecting gluten derived from biodegradable plates in otherwise gluten-free foods, as reported in a study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, researchers warn consumers to be cautious if they struggle with gluten-related disorders and urge manufacturers to add allergen labels to their products accordingly.

Read More: Mental Health Issues and Celiac Disease are Linked – A Gluten-Free Diet Can Help

What’s in Biodegradable Dishware?

Gluten is a protein mixture present in several grains, including wheat, rye, barley, and oats. It’s the compound that makes dough stick together and elastic, a desirable feature for the perfect loaf of bread. Due to these natural properties, gluten is also used beyond the food industry and can occur in cosmetics or as biopolymers in packaging.

The current trend of avoiding single-use plastic items has led to the repurposing of natural ingredients, such as bamboo fibers, algae, soy, and even gluten, into compostable tableware.

However, this is not good news for everyone. People suffering from gluten-related disorders — like celiac disease — are already constantly scanning food labels, hoping to avoid adverse effects from this particular allergen. With these gluten-containing dishware alternatives on the market, consumers might wonder whether they could pose a risk.

Gluten Can Transfer from Compostable Plates into Food

Despite knowing that gluten can be a component of biodegradable dishes, whether it can transfer into the food they carry has remained unclear. To answer this question, researchers from the University of Seville in Spain measured the gluten content of eight different compostable items, including dishes, cups, and straws, identifying one plate with detectable gluten.

They then measured the gluten content of various gluten-free foods after they sat on the plate for 30 minutes at room temperature. While gluten could be detected in solid foods like rice and omelets, levels remained below the regulatory thresholds set by the European Union and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, according to a press release.

Liquid foods stood out. Both milk and plant-based cream exceeded the 20 parts per million (ppm) gluten threshold, with values of 240 ppm and 2,100 ppm, respectively, highlighting the potential for gluten transfer from biodegradable tableware into food.

Labeling Allergens on Biodegradable Dishes Should Be Mandatory

These experiments point to a critical regulatory gap, with the research team calling on manufacturers to label their dishware with gluten warnings as a mandatory step. Even if certain manufacturing processes can eliminate gluten, testing final products for their potential to transfer gluten should be standard practice.

For now, researchers advise consumers to double-check the components of compostable items before purchasing them. Another possible strategy is microwaving food on questionable dishes, as heat can destroy gluten proteins, as the team mentioned in the news release.

Going forward, the team recommends testing biodegradable tableware for other common allergens, such as milk, soy, and nuts, and assessing their potential to contaminate food, helping consumers avoid potentially harmful products.

This article is not offering medical advice and should be used for informational purposes only.

Read More: For Those With Celiac Disease, You May Kiss Your Partner After They Eat Gluten

Article Sources

Our writers at Discovermagazine.com use peer-reviewed studies and high-quality sources for our articles, and our editors review for scientific accuracy and editorial standards. Review the sources used below for this article:

• This article references information from a study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry: Potential Transfer of Toxic Gluten from Biodegradable Tableware to Gluten-Free Foods: Implications for Individuals with Gluten-Related Disorders
• This article references information from FDA: 'Gluten-Free' Means What It Says