Abstract
Background
Gluten-free foods often contain food additives to improve palatability, but the long-term effects on the human gastrointestinal tract are not well known.
Aims
This study aimed to quantify frequency of food additive exposure in children with and without celiac disease (CD).
Methods
Children with and without CD were enrolled and demographic data and three-day diet records were obtained. Foods were classified as gluten-free products (GFP) and “processed food”, and were evaluated for presence of select food additives: polysorbate 80, carboxymethylcellulose, xanthan gum, guar gum, soy lecithin, titanium dioxide, carrageenan, maltodextrin, and aluminosilicates. The frequency of exposure was described.
Results
Twenty-eight participants were included in final analysis. Children with CD had a higher number of daily exposures to xanthan gum (5.3 ± 3.1 vs 2.3 ± 2.4; p = 0.009), but similar exposures to the other additives. GFP contributed 29% of total calories in the GF diet. Both groups had similar intake of processed foods. Comparing GFP and gluten-containing processed foods, 68% vs. 25% contained at least one food additive of interest (p < 0.0001); in the celiac group, those with higher consumption of GFP tended to have a higher frequency of exposure to food additives (p = 0.09).
Conclusion
A gluten-free diet and consumption of GFP may contribute to differences in food additive intake; quantifying food additive exposures and their effect on humans requires further study.
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Data availability
The data that support the findings of this study are not publicly available due to the small sample which could compromise the privacy of research participants, but are available from the corresponding author [EM] upon reasonable request.
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EM: Conceptualization, methodology, investigation, data curation, project administration, writing—original draft preparation. JWL: Conceptualization, writing—review and editing, supervision. MN: Conceptualization, investigation, resources, data curation, project administration, writing—review. DL: Conceptualization, methodology, resources, formal analysis, writing—review & editing, supervision. Non-author contributors: MA: Served on the Thesis Committee, offered guidance related to conceptualization, methodology and project administration, and reviewed manuscript. All authors have given approval of the version submitted for publication and will provide final approval of the version to be published. All authors agree to be accountable for all aspects of the work and will ensure that any questions related to accuracy or integrity are appropriately investigated and resolved.
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The study protocol was approved by the Institutional Review Board at Seattle Children’s Hospital. Informed consent was obtained from study participants who were 18 years of age and assent and informed consent were obtained from the parents or guardians of those less than 18 years.
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McDonnell, E., Lampe, J.W., Nuding, M. et al. Children With Celiac Disease Consume Specific Food Additives More Frequently Compared to Children Without Celiac Disease. Dig Dis Sci 68, 1944–1949 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10620-022-07792-2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10620-022-07792-2