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 common digestive condition.
An analysis of 46 popular gluten-free items found that three popular treats contained levels of gluten that were unsafe for people with celiac disease, an autoimmune condition in which the body overreacts to the protein.
The team behind the study, from campaign group Moms of America, has submitted an urgent warning to the FDA over its findings.
The products were also tested for pesticides that have been linked to cancer, and results showed that 95 percent contained levels of the chemical that scientists consider unsafe.
Testing of the above products by campaign group Moms of America revealed that both contained more gluten than the maximum limit set by the FDA for gluten-free products.
The three products with dangerous levels of gluten were Simple Mills Brownie Mix, Made Good Soft Baked Double Chocolate Cookies and Simple Mills Almond Flour Cookies.
All are sold in grocery stores nationwide, including Target, Walmart and Whole Foods.
The organization is now calling for the recall of the offending products.
About 2 million Americans suffer from celiac disease, in which gluten causes serious damage to the intestine.
Sufferers of the disease experience an extreme immune reaction after ingesting the protein, causing a host of symptoms including nutrient deficiencies, chronic diarrhea, nausea, and agonizing pain.
Many also experience extreme weight loss and, in severe cases, may need to undergo operations to repair damage to the colon.
A woman photographed buying gluten-free products (file 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 ingest a microscopic amount of protein, which is why many gluten-free products contain trace amounts.
However, a gluten-free product must contain less than 20 parts per million (ppm) of gluten. This is equivalent to 20 milligrams (mg) per kilo, or approximately 1.7 mg per cookie.
The Gluten Free Certification Organization (GFCO) has a lower, 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.
The products were also tested for 237 pesticides, revealing that 44 of 46 (or 95 percent) contained glyphosate.
This is the chemical used in Round-Up, and previous studies linked it to neurological problems and developmental delays.
There are also suggestions that exposure to the chemical increases the risk of some cancers, including blood cancer, although the Environmental Protection Agency currently says there is no evidence that the chemical causes this condition.
Tests showed that 21 percent of the products had a level of glyphosate higher than the maximum allowed level in the EU of 10 parts per billion.
The group’s director, Zen Honeycutt, said: “We expected to find that gluten-free foods that were also organic would be free of glyphosate and pesticides. They were not.
‘The prevalence of glyphosate and agrochemicals in our food supply… is concerning for many reasons. (But) this contamination is avoidable.”