Campaigners have warned that some brands of brownies and cookies sold in US supermarkets could pose a safety risk to millions of Americans with a general digestive condition.
An analysis of 46 popular gluten-free products found that three popular treats contain gluten that is unsafe for people with celiac disease – an autoimmune disease where the body overreacts to the protein.
The team behind the study, from campaign group Moms of America, have now filed an urgent warning with the FDA about their findings.
Products were also tested for pesticides that have been linked to cancer, with results showing that 95 percent contained levels of the chemical that scientists consider unsafe.
Tests on the above products by campaign group Moms of America found that both contained more gluten than the maximum limit set by the FDA for gluten-free products
The three products with unsafe gluten levels were Simple Mills Brownie Mix, Made Good Soft Baked Double Chocolate cookies and Simple Mills almond flour crackers.
They are all sold in grocery stores across the country, including Target, Walmart and Whole Foods.
The organization is now calling for a recall of the affected products.
About 2 million Americans suffer from celiac disease, in which gluten causes serious damage to the intestines.
Patients suffering from the disease experience an extreme immune response after eating the protein, causing a host of symptoms including nutrient deficiencies, chronic diarrhea, nausea and aching pain.
Many also experience extreme weight loss and in severe cases may need surgery to repair damage to the colon.
A woman is pictured shopping for gluten-free products (image)
The main treatment for the condition is a strict gluten-free diet.
According to the FDA, it is safe for people with celiac disease to eat a microscopic amount of the protein. Therefore, many gluten-free products contain trace amounts.
However, a gluten-free product must contain less than 20 parts per million (ppm) of gluten. This corresponds to 20 milligrams (mg) per kilo, or approximately 1.7 mg per cookie.
The Gluten Free Certification Organization (GFCO) has a lower and stricter threshold of 10 ppm – or the equivalent of just 0.8 mg per cookie.
The investigation found three more products that exceeded the GFCO limit: Jovial spaghetti, GoMacro berry granola bar and Shar pretzels.
Products were also tested for 237 pesticides, which found that 44 out of 46 – or 95 percent – contained glyphosate.
This is the chemical used in Round-Up, which previous research has shown is linked to neurological problems and developmental delays.
There are also suggestions that exposure to the chemical increases the risk of certain cancers, including those of the blood, although the Environmental Protection Agency currently says there is no evidence that the chemical causes this condition.
Tests showed that 21 percent of products contained glyphosate levels higher than the maximum permitted level in the EU of 10 parts per billion.
Group managing director Zen Honeycutt said: ‘We had hoped that gluten-free foods that were also organic would be free of glyphosate and pesticides. There were not.
“The prevalence of glyphosate and agricultural chemicals in our food supply… is troubling for many reasons. [But] this contamination is avoidable.’