Study of the presence of gluten in cooked sausages

In numerous recommendations for nutrition of persons suffering from Celiak disease caused by permanent gluten intolerance, it is pointed out that meat products should be avoided due to potential hidden presence of gluten. So, the choice and product range is considerably limited to such consumers. The objective of our study was to acquire insight into objective presence of gluten as risk for consumers suffering from gluten intolerance, based on analytical data obtained in our own examination of frankfurter type sausages, as the most present type of fine ground cooked sausages manufactured by domestic producers. Of total 24 samples of frankfurter type sausages purchased in retail shops, and produced by 16 large meat processing companies in Serbia, three were specifically declared as gluten-free. In the study it was established that gluten content in products was below 20 mg/kg (5,50 mg/kg; 13,90 mg/kg and below 1,0 mg/kg), which is in compliance with requirements for this type of food product and confirmed their safety from the aspect of health. One of the analyzed products had declared in the list of ingredients gluten. In the analysis it was established that it contained 22400,00 mg/kg of gluten, which is in compliance with quantities usually used for technological purposes. Twenty samples analyzed had no information pertaining to gluten utilization as potential ingredient. In the analysis of these products the presence of gluten in various quantities was established (from lt 1,00 mg/kg - 44,00 mg/kg). U mnogim preporukama za ishranu obolelih od celijačne bolesti, nastale usled permanentne intolerancije na gluten, naglašava se da treba izbegavati konzumiranje proizvoda od mesa zbog mogućeg prikrivenog prisustva glutena. Samim tim, izbor i asortiman proizvoda takvim potrošačima je znatno ograničen. Cilj našeg rada je bio da se na osnovu analitičkih podataka, dobijenih ispitivanjem viršli, kao najzastupljenijih fino usitnjenih barenih kobasica domaćih proizvođača, dobije uvid u realno prisustvo glutena koji predstavlja rizik za potrošače sa intolerancijom na gluten. Od ukupno 24 uzorka viršli kupljenih u maloprodajnim objektima, a proizvedenih u 16 velikih industrijskih pogona u Srbiji, tri proizvoda su bila posebno deklarisana da ne sadrže gluten. Ispitivanjem je utvrđeno da je sadržaj glutena u njima ispod 20 mg/kg (5,50 mg/kg; 13,90 mg/kg i manje od 1,0 mg/kg), što odgovara zahtevima za takve vrste prehrambenih proizvoda i potvrđuje njihovu zdravstvenu bezbednost. Jedan proizvod je u spisku sastojaka imao deklarisan gluten. Analizom je utvrđeno da sadrži 22400,00 mg/kg glutena, što odgovara količinama koje se uobičajeno koriste, iz tehnoloških razloga. Dvadeset ispitanih uzoraka viršli nije imalo podatak o upotrebi glutena kao eventualnog sastojka. Ispitivanjem tih proizvoda utvrđeno je prisustvo glutena u različitim količinama (od lt 1,00 mg/kg - 44,00 mg/kg).