Gluten Freedom Week, MAY 25-31

Toronto’s GlutenFreedom Week is a week-long event that will take place at Toronto’s finest dining establishments from May 25-31, 2014. The participating restaurants will offer patrons a delicious selection of 3-course gluten-free fare for a fixed price.

This event will capitalize on the increased demand for gluten-free alternatives within the hospitality industry, as well as the popularity of many trendy foodie events around the city that currently lack safe, yet exciting gluten-free alternatives. The goal is to enable those living gluten-free to dine out safely and confidently in the city’s ‘hot spots,’ while learning about the wide range of Toronto restaurants that can adhere to the specific diet.

Gluten (from Latin gluten, “glue”) is a protein composite found in foods processed from wheat and related grain species, including barley, rye, and spelt. Gluten gives elasticity to dough, helping it rise and keep its shape and often gives the final product a chewy texture. Gluten is used in cosmetics, hair products, and other dermatological preparations.

Gluten is the composite of a gliadin and a glutenin, which is conjoined with starch in the endosperm of various grass-related grains. The prolamin and glutelin from wheat (gliadin, which is alcohol-soluble, and glutenin, which is only soluble in dilute acids or alkalis) constitute about 80% of the protein contained in wheat fruit. Being insoluble in water, they can be purified by washing away the associated starch. Worldwide, gluten is a source of protein, both in foods prepared directly from sources containing it, and as an additive to foods otherwise low in protein.

The fruit of most flowering plants have endosperms with stored protein to nourish embryonic plants during germination. True gluten, with gliadin and glutenin, is limited to certain members of the grass family. The stored proteins of maize and rice are sometimes called glutens, but their proteins differ from true gluten.

About 1 in 133 people in developed nations have intolerance to gluten. Gluten sensitivity is classified as intolerance, not an allergy.

Gluten is extracted from flour by kneading the flour, agglomerating the gluten into an elastic network, a dough, and then washing out the starch. Starch granules disperse in cold/low temperature water, and the dispersed starch will be sedimented and dried. If a saline solution is used instead of water, a purer protein is obtained, with certain harmless impurities going into the solution with the starch. Where starch is the prime product, cold water is the favored solvent because the impurities stay with the gluten.

Gluten sensitivity (also gluten intolerance) is a spectrum of disorders including celiac disease in which gluten has an adverse effect on the body. Symptoms include bloating, abdominal discomfort or pain, diarrhea, constipation, muscular disturbances, headaches, migraines, severe acne, fatigue, and bone or joint pain. Wheat allergy and gluten sensitivity are not the same conditions.

However, self-reported Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity (NCGS) may not be a discrete entity or part of this spectrum disorder bringing its role in functional bowel disorders like irritable bowel syndrome into question.

Gluten, named from the Latin gluten meaning glue, is a substance that gives elasticity to dough helping it to rise and to keep its shape. It is found in many staple foods in the Western diet. It occurs in wheat and other grains, including barley and rye, and in foods or drinks derived from them, but not in corn, rice, or oats. Gluten is a protein composite consisting of a gliadin fraction (alcohol soluble) and a glutenin fraction (only soluble in dilute acids or alkali).

In home or restaurant cooking, a ball of wheat flour dough is kneaded under water until the starch disperses out. In industrial production, a slurry of wheat flour is kneaded vigorously by machinery until the gluten agglomerates into a mass. This mass is collected by centrifugation, then transported through several stages integrated in a continuous process. Approximately 65% of the water in the wet gluten is removed by means of a screw press; the remainder is sprayed through an atomizer nozzle into a drying chamber, where it remains at an elevated temperature a short time to evaporate the water without denaturing the gluten. The process yields a flour-like powder with a 7% moisture content, which is air cooled and pneumatically transported to a receiving vessel. In the final step, the collected gluten is sifted and milled to produce a uniform product.

DISCLAIMER– GlutenFreedom Toronto and participating restaurants cannot guarantee that every meal is free from cross contamination of gluten, and as such we recommend that you use caution and due diligence before consumption for your health and safety. Each participating restaurant is fully aware of the risk of cross-contamination, and as such are taking extra precaution to avoid/eliminate this during GlutenFreedom Week and beyond. We highly recommend that each guest ask the appropriate questions when making reservations and within each establishment at participating restaurants to ensure they are confident prior to their dining experience. Please dine out with care and confidence!