Gluten Dude

Should Celiacs Drink Omission Beer?

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When I was 12, my dad took me to a NY Rangers hockey game in Madison Square Garden.

We took a bus into the city and it was a real special night.

On the way home, there was some drunk idiot on the bus and he just kept on singing the following song:

I like beer…it makes me feel mellow.

I like beer…it makes me pee yellow.

After about 15 minutes, my dad had enough of it, got in his face, and told him to keep quiet. It was one of the only times I ever saw my dad angry.

Beer sure can make you do funny things.

Which brings us to today’s query:

Should celiacs drink Omission Beer?

As I’ve stated before, I used to be a beer snob and it was a big loss when I was diagnosed with celiac disease.

The pickings were slim five years ago but lately, the gluten-free beer options have much improved.

When Omission Beer came out, I was totally stoked. I heard that it was one of the best on the market and I envisioned sitting by the pool, soaking up the sun and savoring the taste of a fine brew.

But then I heard it was made with barley and I got totally confused.

How can it be gluten-free if it’s made with barley?

Last week, Omission Beer reached out to me and asked me if I’d like a free sample. (Woo-hoo…FREE BEER!!)

Their email said that “everyone can enjoy Omission beer, regardless if they have Celiac disease or are gluten intolerant.”

Here was my response: I would love some samples as I’m a total beer snob. Here is my dilemma though. Omission is very straight up that the beer contains some gluten, but less than the 20ppm. Do other gfree beers also contain gluten but are just not open about it?

And they came back with this: You are correct that we are very transparent of our brewing process and the gluten content in the beer. We are the only U.S. beer brand making beers for the gluten intolerant using barley.

I was still confused so I did some more research.

I found the following on their website FAQ:

Is Omission beer gluten free?
Omission beer is brewed with malted barley, but we’ve developed a proprietary process to remove the gluten to ensure that gluten levels in every batch measure well below the widely accepted international gluten-free standard of 20 parts per million (ppm) for food and beverages. According to federal guidelines, we aren’t legally allowed to claim that Omission beer is gluten-free outside of Oregon because the beer is brewed with malted barley. While the FDA proposed to define the term “gluten-free,” that definition has not been formally adopted by the organization. While Omission beer does contain barley, one of the “prohibited grains” in this definition, all batches are tested by an independent lab using the R5 Competitive ELISA to ensure that gluten levels meet our standards.

God…our labeling laws just suck.

To me…gluten-free should mean gluten-free. And if it’s not gluten-free, how can it be safe for celiacs?

Is 20ppm really ok for celiacs to tolerate? I still haven’t seen a definitive study on this.

I don’t blame the good folks at Omission beer. They are being extremely open and honest about their beer. And I truly, truly appreciate that.

And there is a good chance that if I drank it, I’d be totally fine.

Well…I’d have a nice buzz, but I’d be fine celiac-wise. You know what I mean :)

But I’m not going to drink it unless somebody can prove to me otherwise that I should.

So Omission Beer in a way is being punished for being transparent.

What do you folks think? Have you tried it? If so, how did you feel. If not, would you drink it?

141 thoughts on “Should Celiacs Drink Omission Beer?”

  1. I worry that it would make me sick too. Thing is, I’ve heard of people testing even regular, gluten-full beer (like Bud Light) with at-home tests and they have come back less than 20 ppm, and I PROMISE I would get sick from drinking one. I think that the fermentation process might alter the accuracy of those testing kits. The testing Omission uses might be more sophisticated – I don’t know. But same goes with a recent article I saw about regular ol’ soy sauce being less than 20 ppm and testing fine – it’s fermented, so I think that makes a difference. Either way, I know both regular beer and soy sauce would make me sicker than a dog. (early gluten-free living mistakes can really teach some lessons!) So I’d be curious how/if someone can prove that this will be okay to drink. For now, I’m steering clear. As much as I miss “real” beer, it’s not worth it.

  2. I wouldn’t, because I know I react to that “less than 20ppm” guideline. I maintain that you have to KNOW YOURSELF better than anyone, regardless if anyone tells you it’s “safe because…..”

  3. Do you drink vodka? I have Celiac and only eat and drink things that are 100% gluten free, however, I do drink vodka. I have been told that it is so far altered it doesn’t have any gluten in it, and I have never had a problem with it. This seems like the same issue though, and now I’m wondering whether I should back off the vodka.

    • Anya – (love your name by the way. I wanted to name my ‘daughter’ that, but she turned out to be a boy!!! surprise!)

      The vodka you’re drinking is probably fine as I believe much of it is made from potatoes. At least, that’s what my bar-owning friends told me. However, I have to stay away from the flavored vodkas as there is a good chance that they have malt in them. I like to flavor the plain vodka with skittles and mix it with sprite. YUM!

      HNY!

    • My partner went out of his way one evening and went through the collections at 3 different liquor stores to find a completely grain free vodka. He found a brand that is pure potato, and it tastes pretty good in Caesars.

        • I’d like to hear what one you found too, Pixie!

          I tried Luksusowa from Poland.

          It was okay, but the one that many say is good
          is Chopin or even better, I guess is one from Austria called Monopolowa.

            • It’s the Luksusowa stuff.
              It’s not very good mixed into anything but clamato/tomato juice, it’s got a strong and interesting flavour, but it get’s the job done haha. I find when I make caesars, the potato-ey taste mixes right in and you can hardly taste the alcohol. Made for a very interesting New Years hahaha!

            • If you ever make it out to the Midwest, 45th Parallel (sold mostly in Wisconsin) is only made from corn and its the best vodka I’ve ever had. They also just released their first bourbon and whiskey and also found them to be gluten free (no added gluten in later mashes means the distillation process is pure and removes any gluten present).

              Cirac’s pretty damn good, though.

              In terms of your other question, I might try the Omission beer once. I am a mostly non-beer drinker, though, so its likely I might have one a year (I’m probably not their ideal customer LOL). It’s like any of the gf processed foods – a few in moderation ain’t bad, but I’m certainly not going to go out and drink a six pack and have some frozen gf pizza in the same night…

              I tend to drink a lot of Mike’s hard lemonade. Never had an issue with it.

    • Anya, My understanding is that the distilling process eliminates ALL gluten. So, it is safe to drink vodka or any other distilled beverage. Even whiskey. Bottoms up!

      • Kathleen, I cannot drink vodka that is derived from Barley or other wheat products. Tito’s or potato vodka, Ciroc are the only ones that are safe for me. Had 2 vodka sodas made with Belvedere and had a headache, itchy, nauseous well into the next day.

        • Kate, I’m really sorry you had a reaction. I have not had a reaction to vodka and I am really sensitive to gluten. Perhaps you have an allergic reaction. It really is awful to get “glutened” I am so sorry you had that experience.

  5. Like you I do like my beer and was thrilled with the newer offerings made with barley but brewed to be gluten free. I am very sensitive to gluten along with many other carbohydrates, as many other celiacs are. However I very happily drank these more “real” beers. Since the new TTB labeling rules and the information about the validity of the testing came out I am much more hesitant to consume these beers. I did try Omission in NYC a couple of months ago but I believe we need to be much more cautious about what we allow to be considered to be gluten free. I still have a case of Daura and left the Omission with friends in NY. Rare consumption may be okay but for the regular consumer I would never suggest these items be a part of a celiacs diet.
    Glad we are in the era of looking for different options for people who have sensitivities and better testing methods to confirm the status of products.

  6. Another option along the same lines of a “Gluten Free” barley beer is Prairie Path, by Two Brothers. You can see their info about the gluten content here (less than 5 ppm): http://www.twobrosbrew.com/gluten.htm

    I have celiac disease and am very sensitive. I have to be incredibly careful about cross-contamination–recently my whole household went gluten free because of repeated accidental ingestion of gluten (going on 4 weeks now without being glutened!). I drink Prairie Path with no problems whatsoever.

    Of course everyone has varying responses, and as Kathy said, you have to know yourself, but thought I’d share.

  7. I won’t drink it for the same reasons I look for ‘certified gluten free’ products or products manufactured in a ‘dedicated gluten-free facility’
    It’s not worth it. I’ve gotten sick too many times from “gluten-free” products (our labeling standards suck!). I tried the Omission beer line at a gluten-free expo and it was alright. It’s nothing that would please a beer connoisseur such as yourself. We recently purchased a homebrewing kit and the homebrew store had over 30 gluten-free beer recipes. So, we’re going to start making our own gluten-free beer as I’m SICK of cider and don’t want to risk being sick from 20ppm. Who’s the beer snob now?! ;)

  8. Isn’t Daura made with barley as well? Are both companies using the same science? What is this science anyways?

    I’m usually very curious about beers in general because I’ve never had a gluten one… I usually take a sip then pass it to my boyfriend and go “DOES IT TASTE REAL!?!?!” usually I get a “uhhh not really..”

    So I would probably wait and research how other people who have tried Omission react to it and if I decide it doesn’t sound so bad then I will try a sip.

  9. I have Celiac’s and have tried both Omission and Prairie Path. Dude, like you I was a lover of beer. Especially craft beer. Omission made me sick, Prairie Path did not. I believe they use a similar process, so I am not sure why one was fine and the other was not. I struggle with drinking it though, because I know I am still putting something in my body I shouldn’t (the barley, not the beer).

    • Which Omission beer did you try? I tried both and they both seem ok. I do feel something when I drink them but not serious, so I can still drink three bottles with no problems but if I’m gonna continue I would drink something else. I still prefer to drink sourgum based beer.

  10. Don’t do it Dude. It’s a bad idea.

    Random movie quote:

    “Andy: You guys, she’s picking me up in a hour.
    David: Oh, drag, dude.
    Cal: She’s picking you up from here?
    Andy: Yeah.
    Cal: That’s fucked up, man.
    Andy: Why?
    Cal: Why?! Seriously! I mean, look at this place, man. You gotta see this through the eyes of a woman, you know? What is she going to think when she comes in here? “Look! He’s got a billion toys!”
    Andy: So what?
    Cal: And more video games than a teenage Asian kid.
    Andy: Okay.
    Cal: [Pointing to an action figure on a shelf] Is that the Six Million Dollar Man’s Boss?
    Andy: That’s Oscar Goldman.
    Cal: Why do you have that?
    Andy: That’s worth a lot of money. That’s much more valuable than Steve Austin.
    Cal: Well, that may be the case, but none of this shit is sexy, okay?
    Andy: I’m not trying to be sexy, man.
    Cal: [Pointing to a framed poster] I mean, seriously, Asia? You framed an Asia poster? How hard did the people at the frame store laugh when you brought this in?
    Andy: They did not laugh at me.
    David: Know why you’re gay? Because you like Asia.
    Andy: You guys, cool it with the gay! You know, she on her way here, okay?
    Cal: First, you relax, okay?
    Andy: Just stop calming me down and tell me what I should do.
    Cal: Okay, we just take everything that’s embarrassing and we move it out of here so it doesn’t look like you live in Neverland Ranch.”
    -40 Year Old Virgin

    Cheers,
    Jersey Girl

  11. I have only tried Estella Damm Daura. It’s allowed in the UK, because it’s tested to under 8ppm gluten, and the limit in Europe is 20ppm. It does not make me ill. Apparently it’s difficult to test below this level, as if you try to increase the sensitivity much further you end up detecting gluten in every food imaginable.

    If you think I’m poisoning myself and not knowing it, I am VERY sensitive to gluten – half a teaspoon of butter from the wrong tub – and no crumbs in sight – was enough to make me unwell for a week. So I think a whole bottle of beer would have made me ill if there was any gluten there.

    If you look through Coeliac UK’s facebook page you will find lots of people who can tolerate things made out of gluten-containing grains that are especially processed to be gluten free, and as many posts from those who cannot tolerate these. Codex wheat, barley malt extract, gluten-free oats. Everyone’s different, I think it depends on your sensitivity to other parts of the grain.

    So, it might be worth a go if you are missing the beer, but maybe start of with one bottle in case it doesn’t work out for you.

    • “if you try to increase the sensitivity much further you end up detecting gluten in every food imaginable.”

      That’s kinda scary…

      • Apparently they have “detected” gluten in plain, uncontaminated rice and we know we can eat this.

        I have been eating bread made with codex wheat starch for all but a short time after I was diagnosed;, my doctors are happy that my gut is healing/healed. And although I am great with gluten-free oats and Estrella Damm Daura beer, the same cannot be said for barley malt extract, so I avoid the ingredient even if the product is listed in the gluten-free directory.

        And, of course, my diet is not composed entirely of codex wheat starch. It’s 4 small (tiny) slices of bread a day, tops. Very often, I don’t have bread at all, it just depends. I eat lots of home cooked food, fresh fruit and vegetables, potatoes and rice, plain meat, eggs, cheese and fish. So I would say fairly confidently that my overall diet is well below 20ppm. The 20ppm (to be classified as gluten free) is a limit not a target!

        As I said, everyone is different, you need to listen to your own gut.

        A link to Coeliac UK’s information on to 20ppm limit is here:

        http://www.coeliac.org.uk/gluten-free-diet-lifestyle/choosing-safe-foods/is-there-a-safe-level-of-gluten

  13. If you have ever eaten products with a GF label, you are potentially eating trace amounts of gluten. Some can only test to down to levels of 5 PPM. Many companies use the 20 PPM threshold because it has been studied in clinical trials with real live celiacs (who volunteered for that–yikes!) as being “safe”.

    There is no “zero gluten” test.

    So, in essence, you are potentially consuming extremely low levels of gluten. But it does not mean it is messing with your villi.

    Dr. Alessio Fasano wrote:
    “At the University of Maryland Center for Celiac Research, we support the use of evidence-based research to
    establish a safety level for ppms of gluten.
    Limits must be established through double-blind, randomized trials
    such as the one conducted by our center in 2007.
    The three-month trial showed that a daily intake of 10 mg of
    gluten (that, translated in ppms, would be equivalent to the daily ingestion of more than a pound of gluten free
    products containing 20 ppm of gluten!)
    for three months by adults with celiac disease caused no intestinal
    damage.
    However, the threshold of 50 mg was harmful to the majority of patients.”

    (Visit http://bit.ly/qG12X3 for safe daily levels of gluten consumption.)

    Dr. Fasano wrote in defense of establishing 20 ppm as the safety threshold for celiac disease patients for FDA labeling. It still has not happened yet, but it is actually in our favor as it will set some regulatory standards for us.

    http://medschool.umaryland.edu/celiac/documents/FDA_labeling_letter.pdf

    Under 20 ppm should not cause villous or intestinal damage, but it does not mean you will feel okay eating or drinking it.

    DEDICATED facilities afford you the best options for safety.

    Beers NOT containing barley (no matter the level) are probably wiser.

    Brewing your own beer is even better (we do it for the hubs– but I have 1 every so often )

    but if I were a regular beer drinker? I’d stay away from this beer.
    IMHO

  14. There are two things that bother me. First, the studies that show that tests to detect specifically barley gluten are not accurate. This means there could be far more gluten in it than they are able to actually detect. If I could find links to those right now I would, but either someone will be along with them shortly or I’ll find them over the weekend.

    Second, we are taught immediately that no amount of gluten, no matter how small, is ever okay. Why the fuck would we intentionally eat/drink something with gluten in it, regardless of how little is in it?!?! This below 20 ppm thing drives me up a fuckin wall! It takes a lot to blow me out of all my senses this badly, but holy crap people. NONE IS EVER OKAY! NONE!

    Okay, I’m done being crazy. Seriously though, at what point do we go from we can not have any gluten, ever, under any circumstances, no matter what, period… to, maybe a little beer or a bread made from “special wheat” or something is okay sometimes? We’re begging for trouble when we do that. You’re right, we don’t have to get sick to be screwing ourselves over. Until someone can tell me with 100% accuracy and the verifiable research to back it up that there is no risk that this will be the time that I give myself cancer, or a celiac crisis, or a new AI, until I know that I won’t be breaking the camel’s back… I’ll skip the straw so to speak.

    Then again, I don’t drink any more. So take my opinion as you will, and next time you indulge, feel free to have my share.

    • Great post Adalaide…I like when you’re crazy :)

      I’m with you. I know there are many celiacs out there who want to believe that a little gluten is ok. It saddens me.

      Personally, I won’t be satisfied until they tell stop telling us that 20ppm is ok.

  15. This is probably an ignorant question, but I’m going to ask anyway.

    If something contains a”safe” amounts of gluten, but you exceed the serving size or combine different foods/drinks all containing “safe” amounts (but still traces of it), wouldn’t you ultimately be “glutening” yourself and exceeding the “safe” limits with the combination since the amounts would add up?

    I rarely eat a recommended serving size of anything (box of crackers anyone?) and can’t remember drinking only one beer. I can also see eating many different things containing “trace” amounts over the course of a meal or a day that together would add up to well over 20ppm..

    For me, I would rather what I ingest be totally gluten-free. I am a bit paranoid that any level of gluten other than 0 ppm is “safe”.

    • From what I understand, your assumption is correct. If the only food you ate all contained 20ppm gluten, you would reach the daily “safe” limit for gluten at 500g (454g = 1 pound) of food.

      On the other hand, many “de-glutened” foods should fall well below this limit (but it’s hard to demonstrate); and unless you are under the impression that a normal healthy diet consists of dry bread made from codex wheat starch, washed down with de-glutened barley beer, you’d have to be going it a bit to get to that sort of quantity anyway

      My understanding is that a normal healthy diet includes a mixture of foods, and many raw ingredients are gluten-free (fruit, vegetables, meat, fish eggs, potatoes and rice for extra energy). We only “need” the substitutes for practical reasons (e.g. no cooking facilities at work etc.) or for social reasons (everyone else is drinking this or eating that, and you want to fit in with the crowd).

      I think if you can eat foods that are naturally gluten-free, and just a few substitutes/de-glutened items as required you can probably eat more healthily (and cheaply) than if you are heavily reliant on them.

      And, regardless of what it says on the label, and regardless of official advice from doctors, researchers etc., if you feel ill after having something, don’t have it again. Even if the gluten isn’t upsetting your system, something else in there might be. And your gut is what is important to you.

  16. I was told that if I only had a few beer the gluten wouldn’t bother me. This persons friend has Celiac and does it all the time and is fine. I was floored.

    • Tell this person:

      If you have celiac and you drink gluten- filled beer on a regular basis, you’re not fine.

      You’re stupid.

      Just because you have no immediate symptoms, you still spark the autoimmune response and invite further AI diseases, illness and complications.

      What part of “the only treatment for celiac is a gluten free diet” do people not get?

      Choosing to screw around with this diagnosis is careless–but hey, we’re all grown- ups, right?

    • I hate hearing this Pixie. I’ve been told things like “my friend’s celiac must not be as bad as yours, because she cheats all the time.” Argh!!

      • I hate it when a restaurant says things like “you must be REALLY sensitive”. I’d like to counter with I bet many restaurants don’t take my illness seriously enough, and therefore, maybe I’ve had the bad luck of being blatantly glutened by someone deciding it isn’t that big of a deal. I’m not sure that any of us have had the pleasure of being fed regimented amounts of gluten that would allow us to determine our ‘sensitivity’. At this point, all I know is that some days I get sick. The reaction is delayed just enough and the symptoms are just vague enough that I can’t swear it was a specific item. I just know, that when I am less careful… the following week I have less energy and flush more and get malaise in the evenings.

  17. Miss Dee says what we all think:

    “For me, I would rather what I ingest be totally gluten-free. I am a bit paranoid that any level of gluten other than 0 ppm is “safe”.”

    Well, I agree with you 100% (except for the paranoid part) :)

    This is why the focus of our diet should be on naturally, inherently gluten free foods and less on the packaged stuff.

    Guys,
    Someone very wise said to me once:
    “the Earth is a shared facility”.

    Gluten is used in many products and food items in our world, yes.
    So?
    Do not INTENTIONALLY consume it.
    Avoid it as best you know how.

    The under 20 PPMs as being a “safe level”– is just a guideline, based on clinical studies of celiacs who have no villous atrophy
    when exposed to that amount.

    Think what you wish about that data.

    Paranoia serves no purpose except to make us all nut jobs. :)

    • Great…. Earth is a shared facility.

      You KNOW I come here right?

      I am the single most paranoid person I know. I am already so far beyond nut job that I’m not sure what I am any more. Seriously. I am scared, like borderline panic attacks scared, of toddlers. I’m such a freak. But I’m a fun freak.

    • I was just wondering – Isn’t the main study that determined the “20ppm” the Fassano study which only evaluate 39 people, one of which developed symptoms on the 10 mg dose and dropped out? Are there others? If not, while it is an appropriate start, I don’t feel comfortable that it could be guaranteed to capture a true safe threshold.

  18. There’s a chart floating around somewhere on the internet that shows the results of gluten tests for beers. Corona and a couple of other “regular” beers came in at 5 ppm or less. On that basis, and on the basis of other celiacs who said they’d tried it with no ill effects, I tried Corona…it didn’t give me my regular gluten reaction, but I felt really weird in different ways for about three days. Scientific chart or no, I’m never going to try a “regular” beer again, even if other folks say it’s okay for me.

    Daura, however, was fine for me, but it’s not sold in my state so I don’t really drink it. I’ve seen Omission in my liquor store but I hesitate every time for the reasons everyone’s talked about here. It’s just not worth the risk.

    I’ve seen some studies that show that the gluten test is easily fouled up…better to eat natural foods (fresh fruits, veggies, etc.) and things produced in a dedicated gf facility…

    • “better to eat natural foods (fresh fruits, veggies, etc.) and things produced in a dedicated gf facility”

      [nodding my head]

  19. As I understand it, mass spectrometry is the most accurate test for gluten in beer. Ask them to send their beer to Michelle Cograve for testing. The article below explains:

    Barley-based low-gluten beer had ‘substantial’ hordein protein levels, study
    1 commentBy Ben Bouckley , 03-Jan-2012

    Related tags: coeliac disease, gluten-free beer

    Related topics: Formulation, Ingredients and additives

    RELATED NEWS:
    Major European brewer awaits result of ‘tasty’ low alcohol beer research
    CODEX-sanctioned gluten testing method may ‘underestimate’ values in hydrolysed foods such as beer, researcher claims
    FDA issues draft guidance on gluten-free beer labeling
    Australian scientists say they have conducted tests revealing that two commercially available barley-based low gluten beers had substantial levels of one or more hordein proteins (a gluten source).
    Coeliac disease (CD) – suffered by around one per cent of populations worldwide – is exacerbated by the intake of prolamins present in wheat, rye, barley, and (for some people) oats, and the only treatment for CD is a life-long, gluten-free diet.

    Moreover, up to 50 per cent of adults remain undiagnosed, or do not display overt symptoms, according to Catassi et al. (1994) and Fowell et al (2006).

    The disease causes damage to the small intestinal villi, reducing nutrient absorption and impacting health; clinical symptoms of CD include fatigue, diarrhea, weight loss, anemia and neurological disorders, while research suggests it can heighten cancer risk.

    Cograve et al. used mass spectrometric assay (an analytical technique) to characterise hordeins (toxic peptides) originating from hordeum vulgare or the cereal barley, used to produce malt for brewing.

    These were present in (1) purified hordein preparations (2) wort (the liquid extracted from the mashing process during beer production) and (3) beer itself – where the current study included tests on 60 commercially available beers.

    “There has been some speculation about the presence of and/or amount of gluten present in beers,” the scientists wrote.

    They added that a recent report examining gluten level in commercial beers found that the gluten content of 50 per cent of beers tested contained less than Codex Alimentarius Standard levels (to be labelled ‘gluten free’) of 20 ppm (mg/kg) gluten.

    But in this study, the scientists found that all barley-based beers contained hordein, and that for beers 57 and 59 (which they did not name) classified as low gluten (<10 ppm), the relative hordein content was not dissimilar to the average hordein content "across the range of beers tested".

    Meanwhile, a number of beers tested, despite lacking a defined gluten status, showed lower than average gluten content.

    Secondly, Cograve et al. claimed to have developed a "robust and sensitive quantification methodology for the measurement o hordein (gluten) in beer".

    In conclusion, no hordeins were detected in gluten-free beers analysed, but discussing the significance of their results, the scientists wrote:

    "Significantly, both barley-based low-gluten beers tested, in which the hordein concentration is reduced by proprietary processing steps during brewing (to reduce the concentration in the final beer product) had substantial levels of one or more hordein proteins".

    Title: 'What is in a beer? Proteomic characterisation and relative quantification of hordein (gluten) in beer.'

    Authors: M.L Cograve, H.goswami, C.A Howitt, G.J Tanner

    Source: Journal of Proteome Research, 2011. dx.doi.org/10.1021/pr2008434

    Copyright – Unless otherwise stated all contents of this web site are © 2012 – William Reed Business Media SAS – All Rights Reserved – Full details for the use of materials on this site can be found in the Terms & Conditions

  20. Had I seen this question a week ago I would have said “NO, don’t drink it!” ;)
    However, now I’ve had an opportunity to try a similar drink with no ill effects… My daughter left some Jack Daniel’s Lynchburg Lemonade at the house and while talking to her about it I decided to look into the gluten content of Mike’s hard lemonade and this one. (She says JD is better than Mike’s and I’ve been so jealous about the unavailability of these things for celiacs. lol) Mike’s was reported to be gf. I couldn’t see how since it is made with barley malt. They went into detail about their filtration process, etc, removing the gluten. So I checked Lynchburg and saw similar info and reports that it tests at less than 5 ppm, but that the test can’t measure less than that, so no ‘proof’ that it is 0 ppm. I react very quickly to gluten, especially barley malt, so I decided to try it out as I had no place to go for the next few days if I had a reaction. I had absolutely NO reaction. Nothing. I was shocked bc I truly expected at least something slight. So I say, it’s ‘to each his own’ when judging these brews. Am I going to drink one every day? No. Probably not even once a week, but it’s nice to know if I am in a bar with no other gf options besides expensive mixed drinks, I can go with one of these and feel relatively safe that it won’t cause a problem.
    Here are a couple of links for more info…
    http://thesavvyceliac.com/2011/04/29/what-mikes-hard-lemonade-is-gluten-free/
    http://www.gfoverflow.com/product.php?id=005147 (click ‘show’ next to Jack Daniel’s gluten policy)

  21. Thanks for posing this question about Omission beer, Gluten Dude. The conversation here is really great. We’ve heard this question (and several variations of this question) since we launched Omission beer in March of last year. Omission beer is brewed with malted barley and specially crafted to remove gluten. As with many new and innovative products and processes, there’s some skepticism about our brewing program and Omission beer among the gluten free community, but our goal is to provide consumers with as much information as possible to help each individual make the decision that is right for them.

    As far as we know, Omission beer is the only food or beverage company to publish all gluten test results for every batch — and make those test results available and searchable for consumers. See all test results at: http://www.omissiontests.com. We test every batch at the brewery and an independent lab to ensure that every batch meets the Codex gluten free standards of 20ppm or less. To date, gluten levels in every batch that we’ve brewed have been undetectable using the R5 Competitive ELISA at a threshold of 10ppm. In other words, every batch of Omission has measured at levels less than 10ppm, the lowest level detectable by the best test available. This far exceeds the gluten free standards that have been adopted by many countries internationally.

    Further, our CEO, Terry Michaelson, and our brewmaster’s wife are both longtime celiacs. Omission beer would not exist today if it weren’t for our team’s personal mission to make more great tasting beer options available to those who need them. One of our main objectives in launching Omission beer was to brew a great tasting craft beer that they could enjoy — a beer brewed with traditional beer ingredients that would allow them to partake in the craft beer experience they enjoyed before being diagnosed. In the process, we’ve managed to brew a couple awesome beers that many others — both within and outside of the gluten free community — really enjoy.

    Brady Walen
    Omission Beer

    • GD,

      Long time reader. First time poster. (Thank you for all you do).

      I have been waiting for a post on this for a long time. A handful of months ago, a friend clued me in to Omission beer. It sounded great. I investigated further (as I always do when I hear about something new, exciting, and otherwise verboten). I, too, used to be a beer snob pre-diagnosis.

      After some furious googling, I found their website. I read about the rigorous testing procedures, about the proprietary process to eliminate all but trace amounts of gluten, about the founder of the company who has celiac’s, et al. It all sounded really good, and it all looked pretty safe.

      My local Dari-Mart (corner store, Eugene OR) happened to carry it, no less. What luck! Beer I could drink! I bought a 6 pack and brought it home right away.

      I looked up my batch online, as promised, and it came in at 5ppm. I was put at ease, and cracked open the bottle. It was a pretty tasty, too. Granted, I’m not certain I remember what good beer tastes like, but it definitely seemed passable. I was absolutely elated at the prospect that I could finally be normal again, that I could casually have a beer with my friends at home or out and about. That there was one less thing that didn’t have to make me different from everyone else, and something that I didn’t have to be on guard about. I had just the one, and savored every last drop- both for the taste, and for the wider implications that this could have on my life moving forward.

      The next morning, BAM. Very sick. Typical glutening symptoms, and for weeks.

      I’m not saying this is how everyone would react. And I’m not saying that Brady and the other makers of Omission are intentionally misleading consumers. But I am saying that I bought into the story, into the idea of Omission beer, into the narrative that it was actually safe for me to drink, and that it was possible to remove all of the gluten from a beer made with barley. For this, I paid a steep price, physically and mentally. I felt betrayed.

      So, GD, drink it if you want. Maybe you’ll get lucky. But I wouldn’t And frankly, it seems really unfair to call this a gluten free beer, for all of the same reasons all of the other ‘not-so-gluten-free’ products upset everyone (for the toll on our health, and for the toll on our psyche in our search for safe products).

    • Thanks so much for the response Brady. I was not aware that your CEO had celiac disease. I would think that would even be more of a driver to make it 100% gluten-free.

      As you can tell by the comments on this blog post, it’s a real mixed back of responses. Many have gotten sick.

      It’s a shame. You seem like real good, honest people who are trying to make the best beer possible. I just wish you could find a way to make if completely gluten-free.

      There will always be a large majority of celiacs that simply won’t risk it.

  22. Hi GD,
    Maybe you should do a risk assessment before deciding whether to try the beer? It’s fairly easy, just think of all the bad things that could go wrong, and then score how likely it is to happen (1=unlikely; 5=certain). Then you score each bad thing for negative impact (1=minor inconvenience; 5=disaster). Anything that scores 0 on either scale isn’t any risk. Anything that scores 5 on either scale means don’t touch it.
    I don’t know enough about the beer to do my own risk assessment (and I haven’t seen it this side of the pond, so it’s not really relevant). If everything scores low risk and low impact, it’s probably worth trying. If anything is high risk or high impact, it’s probably better left alone. And somewhere in the middle – well, that depends on your risk appetite! (it seems IrishHeart has a very low risk appetite where gluten is concerned, others seem a bit more adventurous)
    So, what could go wrong?
    You don’t like the beer so you’ve wasted your money.
    You do like the beer and drink too much, so you take on far more gluten in one go than any coeliac can stand.
    Something else in the beer doesn’t like you.
    You like the beer but it’s very expensive and you go bankrupt (ok, that one’s a bit far fetched).
    There’s some problem with the gluten testing (But at least they are testing using the correct test – so the reduces the likelihood of there being something wrong here).
    Any other bad things you can think of.

    • I have a “low risk appetite” ? Gee, that’s an interesting take on what I have ever said. But if it means I am skeptical of anything obviously containing gluten being safe for me–then I’ll take that designation!. :)

      There are a few contributors to this site who say they are so paranoid they never eat out or go anywhere. :(
      Now, that’s “a low risk appetite” to me.
      I take several “risks” often enough.
      I dine out and
      I let friends cook for me.(they try hard to get it right and often succeed) We’ve had a few glitches, (and now, I assist with dinner prep when I got to their homes because they prefer that and I am happy to do it)…… but, hey, what’s a few weeks of increased burning nerve and joint pain, hair loss, etc?

      Your reasoning is based on the “low levels of gluten are okay because they tested it ” approach. And I have also posted the research that supports that too –and the majority of celiacs do not have problems with those < 10 ppm levels.

      Yet, I have met many celiacs (like me) who react very strongly to low levels of gluten and all the assurances in the world that anything tests "at a low level "will not help them when they are stuck in the bathroom for a week or miss days of work because they are fatigued or cannot rally….

      and, frankly, some of us are not young and resilient either. Some of us were DXed after too much damage was done and we suffer major complications and other autoimmune diseases.

      We simply cannot afford to take as many risks.

      • IrishHeart,

        I agree with your sentiments entirely. Risk appetite isn’t my own phrase, by the way – it’s a phrase I learned on a course. Some people will nearly always take risks, others almost never will, and this is part of our personality. And different personalities make the world more interesting.

        It’s a question of finding the balance for yourself between risk and reward. You have decided for yourself that the risks of letting someone else cook for you is outweighed by the reward of having a social life. Again, I tend to agree. And judging by the number of people who have commented on this thread that although they are fine with some de-glutened products, this particular one doesn’t suit them, I might have a low-risk appetite myself in this case.

        It’s part of my job, and part of my nature, to try and analyse situations, and enable people to make decisions based on some sort of rational argument. Although with CD, gut feeling also comes into the equation (pun intended!).

        The question originally asked was – should coeliacs drink this beer? I don’t know, I don’t have enough information to advise on it. So my best suggestion was that anyone considering doing so should find out as much as possible and work out the pros and cons for themselves. If we are old enough to drink alcohol, we are old enough to take responsibility for the consequences of our own decisions.

        By the way, Happy New Year to you, and all readers of this very interesting site.

        X

        • I believe that risk taking is better for people who

          feel invincible
          thrill seek
          having nothing left to lose

          or who weigh the pros and cons (or costs and rewards) and do it anyway, while acknowledging they could very well have these actions bite them on the arse. :)
          .

          (that last one is me at this stage of my life)

          But, when I was young, I did all kinds of “risky— i.e.stupid–
          things” like hitch rides, wearing nothing but a halter top and shorts.
          Jump onto a moving train.
          Have a false ID that got me into bars at 2 AM….

          I could go on, but my Mum knows this is me “talking all over that internet” as she calls it …. and I am not risking having that woman mad at me. :)

          Cheers! and Happy New Year to you as well!!!

    • The FDA did a health hazard assessment for gluten exposure to celiacs.

      “In sum, these findings indicate that a less than 1 ppm level of gluten in foods is the level of exposure for individuals with CD on a GFD that protects the most sensitive individuals with CD and thus, also protects the most number of individuals with CD from experiencing any detrimental health effects from extended to long-term exposure to gluten.”

      http://www.fda.gov/downloads/Food/ScienceResearch/ResearchAreas/RiskAssessmentSafetyAssessment/UCM264152.pdf

  23. i like the risk appetite terminology.

    if you decide to take the risk, i’d cautiously encourage you to try two brothers prairie path before omission. it tests lower than the omission for ppm, and it tastes GOOD. tastes like real beer. not just any beer–tastes like a bona fide, delicious microbrew.

    because i have prairie path when i need it, i don’t think i’ll ever try omission–not worth the risk for me, even if it would give me another option and a bit more variety. it was a deliberate choice for me to try one gluten-free-but-made-with-barley beer, and i had to do it on a certain day of the week, to make sure i wouldn’t miss work if i got glutened. it worked out fine, but it might not with another brew.

  24. G Dude
    We had a thought.
    As you know, the hubs is a major beer snob like you :)

    (and he has brewed beer for 35 years)

    He is going to taste this beer and ale will report to you on the TASTE. (our discussion got his curiosity up)

    I don’t know…maybe that will affect people’s decisions? I mean if it tastes like the best damn beer you ever had, it may make it a “pro-or-neg risk” factor.

    Clarifying for all: He is not a suitable barometer for “effects of gluten” even though he is voluntarily GF with me, so this is purely a taste test.

    I’ll get back to you.

    • He reports (and I am just typing what he says and I am sure it will make sense to you as I was not a real beer drinker except for Guinness when I am in Ireland )

      It’s got hops flavor when you first put it in your mouth,
      not thin; medium,
      not much after taste,
      reminiscent of a Carlsberg or a Sam Adams Boston Lager

      I still think like a teacher, so I said “give it a grade”
      He gives it a B+/A- for this style of beer.

      ****But he is not a celiac. I want everyone to understand this– because if he were, I wouldn’t let him have it. :)

      • oh, man I meant to use past tense……when I WAS in Ireland…sigh…I’ll never have Guinness again..;(

        .thank the heavens there’s still booze. :)

        • Random story input:

          I went on a trip to Ireland with a bunch of friends a few years ago and we did the Guinness brewery tour, which to me was pretty scary! :-P

          That night I had a dream that I was drinking a Guinness and it tasted like root beer!

          My jealous brain filled in the gaps as I slept. Pretty silly.

          I did get to enjoy a lot of Bulmers/Magners while I was there so that was a plus :-)

        • He said he would happily send some except he’s out.
          I’m sorry, Dude. :(

          He is not brewing any right now as we’re getting set to travel south soon.
          In the Summer, he’ll be back at it.

          Hey, what about buying a brew kit yourself ?
          It’s not that hard, really!!.

              • IrishHeart, if he finds a recipe that works well, please let me know!

                DH is a beer brewer (and wine maker as well) and really wants to make me a nice GF brew – even got spare equipment that’s never been used for grains to make sure I don’t get glutenated from it. But our local beer supply store is not exactly a fountain of knowledge about brewing GF beer – and if we got a recipe we could use, they said they would happily obtain the grains and supplies we would need for it.

                • Honestly,
                  he was self critical of the batch (others thought it tasted pretty good!–it was my cousin’s “recipe” and she loved it)

                  But recall I said he is a “beer snob”? :)

                  so, when he does the “oh yeah, baby, this is it” thing –I’m going to post it everywhere!!!!!

                • Connie, Since he is a brewer, your hub will know what all this means.
                  it just looks like code to me LOL

                  and yes, hubs replaced all the copper tubing etc. before brewing.

                  2X 3.3 lb containers of BriesSweet Gluten Free Syrup White Sorghum Syrup 45DE

                  Pkg. of Nottingham dry Ale Yeast. Labeled as gluten free.

                  1 oz. each of Williamette 4.8% and Cascade hops 6.4%

                  5.5 gallons of water

                  Mix syrup and water together, boil for 30 minutes
                  Add Williamette hops
                  boil for 45 minutes more
                  and add 2/3 of cascade hops.
                  Boil for 5 more minutes.
                  Stop boiling and cool mixture…
                  Hydrate yeast in a pint of boiled cooled water and when wort is cool pitch the yeast.

                  Transfer to carboy with air lock and begin fermentation.
                  Initial SpGr=1.044
                  Final SpGr at bottling= 1.006

                  He drank it after 6 weeks.

                  He was only mildly impressed. Nice hops, but thin body (which of course is to be expected as a pleasing (thick) body comes from malted barley)

                  My cousin, on the other hand, liked it….

                  To each his own?:)

      • …..Guinness…. The only beer that ever stole my heart. I still sigh a little sigh for it every time I walk past it in the store. I did enjoy a lot of the Sam Adams seasonal beers back in the day too. Of course, this was back in PA where you can actually buy good beer. My personal policy was to never drink anything the color of piss, because it probably tasted like piss. If I ever took up drinking again, I would still apply that policy to gluten free beer.

        • I could never get into the stout beer as much as I tried. But people sure did have a passion for Guinness in my bartending days.

  25. I came to this post because I wanted to know if others also had a problem drinking Ommission beer. I tested it, and it gave me problems. So I went back to Asahi which causes me zero problems. I also have no problems with vodka, so thank you for your post! Now I know that very small amounts of gluten cause me trouble!!!

      • It’s a rice beer, and I’ve been told it’s gluten free and doesn’t even realizie it. I drank a whole six pack one night just to be sure (Hell, if I was going down from it, might as well make it worth it, right?) And felt fine the next day and so on. However, with Omission, I came here because I wondered if anyone else had noticed that it seems to have gluten (from my few experiences).
        One thought… I’ve been GF for the last four months and viva la difference! However, now if I accidently have gluten (restaurant french fries, for example) I know it within about 30 minutes!!!
        I took a shot on Asahi, (rice beer) and am considering trying Sapporro too! I’ll have to do more research about that one, though.

        • I’m assuming you have celiac Nick and if so, it seems you’re playing russian roulette a bit. I’d just be very wary of trying different things unless you know for certain they are gluten free. Just remember, no pain does not necessarily mean no damage.

          Loved your comment about the six pack. Better to go down swinging :)

    • Asahi is made from barley. It also contains rice, but barley is still the main ingredient. I have Celiac and it does not cause much gut inflammation, but I also get “brain fog,” and it does cause that bad. I’d say it is doing more damage than you think, even if the symptoms are not as acute. Omission is in my fridge now and I can have three and go to work the next day @ 5:30 a.m. feeling no hangover whatsoever.

      This is from the Asahi website:

      “The malted barley we use for SUPER DRY is selected strictly in compliance with more than a hundred criteria…”

      http://www.asahibeer.com/brands/beer/superdry/secrets/

  26. I don’t see why anyone would bother with an ‘iffy’ beer when there’s Green’s!!!! It’s SO TASTY. Seriously, try that beer. The Dubbel Dark is a little sweet but very good.

    (Yes, I realize I’m not actually contributing to the Omission discussion, I just like Green’s beer. :)

  27. I haven’t seen anyone mention this. But this is the ATF( now called the TTB?) ruling on this. It seems to say that they don’t think there is a reliable test for barley gluten and these should not be marketed as gf. However, from what I have seen in liquor stores, they aren’t enforcing the law.

    http://www.ttb.gov/rulings/2012-2.pdf Check page 3

  28. I contacted Asahi and their response is this:

    Thank you very much for your inquiry.

    Our products are wheat free, but do have a little bit amount of
    gluten.

    The main ingredients are water, barley, yeast, hop, and few
    amount of corn, rice, and starch are also used.

    I sincerely hope that I have answered your question.

    Best regard,

    Kozo Kimura
    Asahi Beer U.S.A.,Inc
    kozo.kimura@asahibeerusa.com

  29. I’ve been googling (doesn’t hurt, honest) and I’ve noticed what I think is a fundamental difference between Daura and Omission.

    Daura have tested for gluten; they claim to have tested to an accuracy of 3ppm, and have NOT found gluten.

    Omission have tested for gluten and HAVE detected it at a level of 5-6ppm.

    So if I “need” a real beer, I think I’ll stick to the Daura. And otherwise, I’ll stick to the champagne (lol).

    PS Green’s isn’t bad, my favourite is the bitter-style.

  30. I often hear people say “I only eat and drink things that are 100% gluten free”. How do they know? Do they test everything they eat.

    The 20 parts per million figure is the 2007 FDA proposed regulation for all products with Gluten Free labeling. So if the label Gluten free is on a package it usually doesn’t indicate the product is free of gluten. There are lots of opportunities for gluten contamination to occur in non-gluten gains from the seeds, planting, adjacent fields, harvesting and processing.
    So if someone thinks that just because a label indicates Gluten Free they may be surprised that what they are consuming has more gluten than something like Omission. Kudos to Omission for publishing the results of their testing. To be fair all companies selling products labeled with Gluten Free should provide published test results

  31. I was just wondering…. It seems that no one here has commented on Red Bridge Beer by Anheuiser Busch. I enjoy this brew as a gluten free beer substitute. It is the ONLY gluten free brew that is sold here in North New Jersey where I live. Is Red Bridge safe for Celiac patients??? I an worried after reading some of these comments now. By the way, my medical doctor, my gastroenterologist who diagnosed me, told me that ALL DISTILLED LIQUORS ARE SAFE FOR CELIACS!!! He was talking about straight, up, distilled liquors, not flavored ones. He said as long as it is distilled and fermented, and not brewed like beer or malt flavored beverages, then it is safe for Celiac consumption in its straight form. Just watch what you mix or flavor it with. I haven’t asked him if Red Bridge was OK or not though. It is a brew and is not distilled and fermented. It says Gluten-Free Sorghum and Rice Beer on the label, but I am still worried. Any Feedback???

  33. very cool!!

    (and to think, I just use my eyes to read labels–man, I am such a dinosaur. :) )

    Just make sure it is up-to-date. Some companies change ingredients from time to time.

  35. I had omission beer for the first time tonight. I dont have celiac disease, but I am gluten intolerant. usually when i drink regular beer i get bad cramps for a fews hours. I had omission tonight and i was pleasantly surprised that i did not have ANY reactions to it. And on another note, omission is not only the BEST gluten free beer ive had, but truly one of the better beers i’ve ever had. 10/10 for Omission beer…it was excellent!

    • Glad you enjoyed it Neil. Just something to remember…no symptoms doesn’t necessarily correlate with no damage. Not saying it does damage you, but they don’t necessarily go hand in hand.

      I’ve heard the beer is amazing. I just won’t risk it.

  36. I drank an Omission Lager the other day at a restaurant (it was described as beng “gluten-free” on the menu). I won’t lie. It tasted amazing. The first “real” beer I’ve had in 10 years. That said, I did have some tummy trouble afterwards. I attributed it to my food, but once I got home and researched the beer, I realized that it was probably the cause.

    So yeah, it tasted great, but it wasn’t worth the risk. I’ll stick to New Grist, New Planet, and Redbridge. They’re close enough for me. Oh, and if you’re lucky enough to have access to Dogfish Brewery’s seasonal Tweasonale, it’s wonderful. Gluten-free, with a hint of strawberries. YUM. Whole Foods has it.

  37. good call on deciding to pass on the beer. unfortunately, i gave some to a friend with celiac, and the gluten made her really sick. it’sa clever process/marketing for a beer perhaps for people with mild gluten intolerance, but I’d stay far away from it if you have Celiac.

  38. First real beer I’ve had in 3 years! I didn’t seem to have any bad reactions (mine are more delayed and neurological), but I have had stomach issues with Red Bridge and the Two Brothers’ Prairie Path. Grateful I live in a large gluten free market so I can pick some up on my way home! mmm

  39. Does anyone know if Omission contains corn syrup like the redbridge? I know there are some gluten free beers out there like Bards and New Grist that don’t use corn syrup but 1 bottle in my area is almost 4$.

  40. I am a celiac with an M.D., and I can’t speak to Omission, but I do feel safe drinking Prairie Path, which is certified <5 ppm gluten, even though it starts with gluten-containing ingredients.

    The problem with gluten for those with celiac is that the human body doesn't cleave the gluten protein effectively, and people have an immune response to the partially-cleaved gluten proteins. This has been well studied.

    If you add a fungal or bacterial protease to the beer, it cleaves the gluten efficiently, and the molecules you are left with are smaller and don't bind with the structures in our immune system in the same manner and don't elicit an immune response. Therefore, safe to drink.

    I also drink Woodford Reserve and Macallan 12, because although these are made with gluten-containing ingredients, the triple distillation process captures the alcohol, not the gluten, and likewise they are negative (<5-10 ppm) on my ELISA tests.

    Also, I wanted to comment on someone's mention above that naturally fermented soy sauce is <20 ppm gluten. I've tested the most common brand of naturally fermented soy sauce using ELISA and it lit up like a Christmas tree. The reason I tested it is because I ate it (after reading such bogus advice), and had a big gluten reaction to it. Unless you have tested it yourself or seen certified test results, avoid soy sauce made with wheat. The soy sauce made entirely from soy is safe.

    • Hi Chris. Thanks for your input. Labeling it “safe to drink” I think is a stretch. It’s not gluten free beer. It’s low gluten beer. For many celiacs, that make a huge difference. With other sorghum based beers on the market, I just don’t see the point in taking the risk.

    • Chris – Since we are throwing credentials around, I have a Ph.D. in chemical biology and studied how altered protein sequences can impact binding affinity. The problem I see is that research has shown the minimal stimulatory sequence is 10 amino acid residues long. We don’t have data showing what extent the protease breaks down the protein to and what the sequence of the resulting protein fragments are. The recent mass spec papers out of Australia show that there are residual structures and we need to get more information to make sure that these aren’t harmful sequences. I got sick on one Estrella Damm Daura.

      • Sarah,

        The more I think about this (*my thoughts may be biased by the symptoms of a typical gluten reaction I am having presently), the more I think you are actually 100% right. I retract my earlier remark. It’s really impossible to know from the data the producer of this beer has given us (which is none, other than the residual intact gluten is less than 5 ppm) whether the gluten is cleaved in way that makes it harmless or whether it cleaves it in a way similar to the human stomach, in which case it would still be every bit as bad for a person with celiac to consume. This beer could be full of immunogenic peptide chains.

        - not a chemical biologist (though I did once take a grad level class on immune recognition, which was largely about the interaction of the MHC binding bucket with peptides, and I also once stayed at a Holiday Inn :-)

        Gluten Dude,

        In the scenario Sarah raises, this beer would be every bit as bad as any on the market. I am sticking with New Grist and Redbridge going forward.

        • Chris,

          I am glad that we can continue to exchange ideas about this – That is how scientific understanding goes forward. I’m here to make sure we are all protected, as you are.

          • In case you haven’t seen this review article, Oral Enzyme Therapy for Celiac Sprue, you may really enjoy it.

            http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3382113/

            I only got diagnosed 3-4 months ago and I keep learning new things every week. Thanks for making me realize the gluten/gliadin ELISA is essentially completely useless for predicting the health effects of products that started out containing gluten and subsequently had it enzymatically degraded.

            • I have seen that study, Chris and it’s very interesting, but we’re a long way off from using enzymes in lieu of a GF diet.

              Enzymes that may be taken if gluten is ingested inadvertently are
              a promising concept, however.

              When a leading celiac researcher tells me “these will stop the inflammation from gluten–it’s proven in study after study!!”

              –then maybe I will believe it.

              For now, you couldn’t get me to ingest gluten ever again— even if they perfect an “antidote”.

              Welcome to the celiac family :)

              • Also, it would be great if they could be used to protect us from cross-contamination. I miss the social side of food…. The side where I don’t have to be the person asking a bazillion questions of my waiter.

                • completely agree, Sarah. the cross-contamination of food is nearly ubiquitous these days. something that would give some protection against low-doses of gluten would be very welcome.

                  hopefully someone can take a very hardy bacterium that can live in the stomach and engineer it to make a couple useful endoproteases that render gluten harmless. then maybe we can just drink a spoonful of bacteria once a month or so and not have to worry about being accidentally glutened!

    • A follow-up on Prairie Path…

      the QA guy for the company was extremely helpful. The enzyme they use in their beer is the one featured in this article:

      http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16690904

      As studied in the article (under similar pH conditions to brewing beer), the enzyme cleaved gluten in many sites pretty completely, and generated virtually no T-cell proliferation in the models used.

      So there’s no evidence that this beer is harmful.

      On the other hand, your T-cells and mine might react slightly differently than a standardized T-cell line, so unfortunately it’s hard to prove completely that it’s safe for celiac disease patients to drink.

      If there were no such thing as Redbridge or New Grist, I would give this beer a second chance. But since I don’t have to risk it, I won’t.

      FWIW, I do feel very good about the company that makes Prairie Path. Seems like they are very honest and responsive and not trying to misrepresent their product in any way. If I was just “gluten intolerant,” I would drink the beer without hesitation.

      • Chris,

        I hope you see that this is mainly synthetically created peptides, so the most relevant is the last experiment where they tested whole gluten – which was from wheat not barley. Looking at the western picture I can tell you that the only thing that shows for certain is a 90-mer peptide (~10 kDa) is no longer there. All of the 1 kDa proteins that they are looking for would run into the dye front so it wouldn’t say much. Also, a lot of those techniques have detection limitations – Coomassie is not one of the most sensitive stains. I would need to see some more data before I trusted my health to this.

        Have you seen this article?: http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0056456

        The issues of hydrolysis and glycosylation preventing the ELISA detection could also apply to the proteolysis.

  41. I had two Omission beers two nights ago and didn’t notice any ill effects (ok, there were a few slight issues, but I didn’t connect it to being glutened at the time). Last night I had another two and there is now no question that I’ve been glutened and Omission is not safe for me :-( . Too bad, because I liked it so much better than any of the gluten free beers I’ve tried so far. Guess its back to Bard’s (and T’weasonale now that it’s almost summer) for me.

  42. I was thrilled to see this listed as “Gluten Free” at Bev Mo so I bought a 6 pack. One of my symptoms of Celiac is inflammation in my chest. The frist time it happened, I honestly thought I was having a heart attack. After my first Omission Beer, I felt the pain in my chest. It feels like my ribs are slowly but surely being pulled apart from my breast plate. I googled Omission Beer and found your article, where they explain that they consider themselves gluten free. And just like they claim they GF (I have the symptoms to prove it otherwise) I could claim that I am the Queen of England, but neither are true.

    Thank you for researching it and contacting the company to get more information, but I don’t think it is safe for people who have symptoms and aren’t used to gluten in their system. Although it tastes great, I don’t think it is safe.

  44. Oh so here’s an update. I bought the omission beer & had w my GFpizza & felt fine last nite. However my stomach was bloated but not hurting. This morning still bloated not hurting but no appetite, I only ate an apple today. I ALWAYS eat breakfast So ya I would say definitely avoid it unless you know you’re ok cheating once in awhile I’m really careful so I probably didn’t feel sick since I rarely eat any gluten. So try greens it’s passable
    Debbie

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