Are Pizza and Pasta Really Gluten Free? Researchers Question Claims

Photo by Taylor Kiser on Unsplash

The Gluten-Free revolution has spread across the United States. And those people who have difficulty digesting gluten are benefiting greatly from the trend. Before the increase in gluten-free options in dishes, a patient who has celiac disease would experience anxiety in choosing a restaurant which could meet their needs. Some might have been skeptical of the patient’s fears and possibly frustrated at other times. Recent research has backed up those who have difficulty with gluten.

According to a recent research paper, a study was conducted across the United States which involved a total of 5,624 tests performed by 804 users. The results show that gluten was detected in 32% of Gluten-Free labeled food, which tends to back up patients’ anxieties about eating out to for a meal.

The experiment required crowdsourcing — the use of many different people across the United States to participate in the research by gathering data for the researchers. The testing equipment is a small analyzer called NIMA shown below:

Photo: Amazon

The data came from all across the United States to be collected and analyzed by the researchers conducting the study. Data showed that gluten was detected in higher concentrations in both pizza and pasta dishes compared to other dishes. From a geographical standpoint, gluten was detected in more significant number in recipes in the North East of the United States compared to the West. There has yet to be a follow-up study on the reason for those findings.


Although, in the paper, researchers offer up possible reasons for pizza and pasta dishes containing greater concentrations compared to other dishes. One reason is that flour is aerated and can become airborne and cross-contaminate with GF flour. This possible explanation is not entirely irrational given that in a separate research study published last year, spore and pathogens could become airborne during rainstorms. A well-ventilated kitchen is often supplied with a sizeable circulating air supply to keep the kitchen fresh and to replenish air every few minutes. The environment could easily cross contaminate flours along with tight workspaces.

Researchers found that the incidences of detecting gluten also increased throughout the day. The least amount of frequencies occurred in the morning time, with the highest rates of detection in the dinner time. Again, no explanation or study has been proposed or offered as to the reason the data shows these trends.

The study shows that the previously held fears (and anxieties) about Gluten-Free labeled food in restaurants is not only reliable but measurable at a significant percentage. As the researchers point out in the study, the West had the lowest occurrence of detection — which might be due to the increased awareness of new diets along with changing eating trends. Regardless, the results of the research show that the United States as a whole has a long way to go (in educating and practicing) toward achieving the right Gluten-Free dishes in restaurants. Hopefully, the paper raises awareness of needed changes to accommodate indeed customers who choose Gluten-Free dishes along with those who have no choice otherwise.



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