1. Accuracy of ELISA detection methods for gluten and reference materials: a realistic assessment.
- Author
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Diaz-Amigo C and Popping B
- Subjects
- Allergens chemistry, Allergens isolation & purification, Antibody Specificity, Diet, Gluten-Free, Dietary Proteins chemistry, Dietary Proteins isolation & purification, Dietary Proteins standards, Edible Grain chemistry, Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay standards, European Union, Food Inspection standards, Food Labeling legislation & jurisprudence, Food Labeling standards, Glutens chemistry, Glutens isolation & purification, Glutens standards, Humans, Legislation, Food, Limit of Detection, Peptide Fragments analysis, Peptide Fragments chemistry, Peptide Fragments isolation & purification, Peptide Fragments standards, Prolamins analysis, Prolamins isolation & purification, Reference Standards, Reproducibility of Results, Allergens analysis, Dietary Proteins analysis, Food Inspection methods, Glutens analysis
- Abstract
The determination of prolamins by ELISA and subsequent conversion of the resulting concentration to gluten content in food appears to be a comparatively simple and straightforward process with which many laboratories have years-long experience. At the end of the process, a value of gluten, expressed in mg/kg or ppm, is obtained. This value often is the basis for the decision if a product can be labeled gluten-free or not. On the basis of currently available scientific information, the accuracy of the obtained values with commonly used commercial ELISA kits has to be questioned. Although recently several multilaboratory studies have been conducted in an attempt to emphasize and ensure the accuracy of the results, data suggest that it was the precision of these assays, not the accuracy, that was confirmed because some of the underlying assumptions for calculating the gluten content lack scientific data support as well as appropriate reference materials for comparison. This paper discusses the issues of gluten determination and quantification with respect to antibody specificity, extraction procedures, reference materials, and their commutability.
- Published
- 2013
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