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Should you Worry About Gluten in Ground Spices and Dried Herbs?
Safe Exposure Threshold for Individuals with Coeliac Disease
The term “threshold” refers to the amount of gluten (mg) that an individual with coeliac disease can safely be exposed to before it will have a negative impact on their health. It is to be noted that sensitivity isn’t evaluated in terms symptoms appearing, because a reaction can be triggered without manifesting itself.
According to Health Canada, only a limited number of studies evaluate this threshold, and these include few participants (procedures are more rigorous when participants are involved). According to these studies, several variations are observed. Regarding its position on gluten-free labels, Health Canada states that according to these studies, the majority of individuals with coeliac disease are not put at risk by gluten consumption of less than 10mg per day. Considering estimates that take into account the quantity of foods usually consumed, it has also been proven that most people with coeliac disease are protected if the foods they eat contain less than 20 ppm of gluten, which would result in an exposure threshold of less than 10 mg of gluten per day.
How to Calculate the Content (ppm) and Quantity (mg) of Gluten in Foods
In Canada, the “labelling, packaging, advertising or sale of a food in a manner likely to create an impression that it is a gluten-free food if the food contains any gluten protein or modified gluten protein, including any gluten protein fraction, from wheat, oats, barley, rye, triticale or their hybridized strains” is prohibited. Health Canada states “levels not exceeding 20 ppm of gluten do not usually pose a health risk to individuals with coeliac disease.”
To understand, let’s try to understand what 1 ppm is exactly. One (1) ppm is equivalent to a gluten content of 1 mg for an amount of 1 kg (1000 g) of product. In other words, 1 ppm = 1 mg gluten per 1000 g of product. There are several types of gluten dosage tests depending on the type of product to be analysed; a result can be distorted if the test used is not suitable for the food.
Gluten in milligrams (mg) is used to indicate the amount of gluten in food, according to the gluten content (ppm) in the food and the quantity of food consumed (grams or kilograms). It is possible to estimate the quantity of gluten (mg) based on the gluten content (ppm gluten) food. Here’s how to calculate the estimated amount of gluten in a sample of ground mace contaminated with 20,000 ppm:
- Content (in ppm of gluten) in the diet: 20 000 so 20 000 mg gluten per 1000 g of product
- Estimated quantity of mace: 0.5 g (about ¼ tsp of the spice.)
- Calculation: (0.5 X 20 000) / 1000 = 10 mg
If you consume ¼ tsp of ground mace containing 20,000 ppm, you would consume the equivalent of no less than 10mg of gluten in one sitting!
It is currently impossible to always know the content (in ppm) or the precise quantity (in mg) contained in the foods we buy or eat. None the less, we generally consume fewer spices than cereal products in our day to day. The quantity of gluten to which an individual with coeliac disease is exposed to is therefore very different, as shown in the following comparison table.
Now compare the amount of gluten (mg) contained in a slice of bread and a portion of ¼ c. of ground coriander, considering that these two foods contain 20 ppm of gluten:
| Food | Serving in grams (g) | Content (in ppm of gluten) in food | Calculations | Estimated amount of gluten (mg of gluten) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sliced bread | 30 | 20 | (30 X 20)/1000 | 0,6 |
| Coriander, ground | 0,5 | 20 | (0,5 X 20)/1000 | 0,01 |
But what if you consume several ground spices and herbs? The following table estimates the quantity of gluten in a recipe for butter chicken with a spiced yogurt marinade*. It is possible to compare exposure to gluten with a content of less than 20ppmand a fictitious gluten content in contaminated ground spices and herbs (the highest content observed in the CFIA’s 2011 report).
| Ground spice and quantity specified in the recipe | Conversion to grams (g) 6 | Estimation of the amount of gluten (mg), for a content of 19 ppm | Gluten content (ppm) (using highest contamination reported) | Estimation of the amount of gluten(mg) (using highest contamination reported) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paprika, 2 tsp | 4.2 | 0.08 | — | 0.08 |
| Fenugreek, 1 ½ tsp | 5.7 | 0.11 | 39 | 0.22 |
| Cury powder (mixed spices), 1 ½ tsp | 3 | 0.06 | 460 | 1.38 |
| Nutmeg, ½ tsp | 1.1 | 0.02 | — | 0.02 |
| Clove, ¼ tsp | 0.5 | 0.01 | 590 | 0.30 |
| Cardamom, ¼ tsp | 0.4 | 0.01 | — | 0.01 |
| Chili powder (mixed spices), ¼ tsp | 0.5 | 0.01 | 460 | 0.23 |
| Turmeric, ¼ tsp | 0.4 | 0.01 | — | 0.01 |
| Cumin,½ tsp | 1 | 0.02 | 49 | 0.05 |
| TOTAL (FOR 6 PORTIONS) | 0.33 | — | 2.30 | |
| TOTAL (FOR 1 PORTION) | 0.06 | — | 0.38 |
By dividing the recipe by 6, you obtain an exposure threshold of 0.06mg of gluten for the spices containing 19ppm and 0.38mg of gluten for contaminated spices.
*Adapted from a ricardo.com recipe, used because it uses a lot of different ground spices.
Author
Coeliaque Quebec is dedicated to the advancement of knowledge in regard to diseases induced by gluten. Its mission is to ensure that a gluten-free life is simpler and safer. Marie-Eve Deschênes, RD, has been a dietitian at Coeliaque Quebec since 2008 and member of the College of Dieticians of Quebec.
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