Nutrients
Shared Fryers May Not Always Be as Risky for Gluten Cross-Contact in Celiac Disease as Dietary Guidance Suggests
By Vanessa M. Weisbrod, Meghan N. McKeon, Marisa Gallant Stahl and 12 others.
Abstract
Background
Shared fryers are commonly perceived as a high-risk source of gluten cross-contact for individuals with celiac disease (CeD), leading to widespread avoidance of foods such as French fries and tortilla chips. However, limited real-world data exist evaluating gluten concentrations in foods prepared in shared fryers under routine food service conditions. Because long-term health outcomes in celiac disease depend on minimizing cumulative dietary gluten exposure and intestinal injury is dose-dependent, characterizing gluten contamination from common dining practices has important implications for nutritional management and disease counseling.
Objective
The aim of this study was to quantify gluten concentrations in naturally gluten-free (GF) foods prepared in shared fryers across U.S. food service establishments and to evaluate how fryer management practices, restaurant type, and geographic distribution influence gluten content.