According to a study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, Canary seeds were found to be a safe option for the gluten intolerant community, and may be considered for use in gluten-free cereals and flours. The Canadian food scientists determined the seeds do not contain the harmful gluten proteins found in wheat, barley and rye via ELISA (enzyme-linked immune sorbent assay) test kits and other testing methods. The results did pick up a few other proteins found in rice, oat, corn, carrot, tomato, radish, beet, and chickpea due to cross-contamination, however no proteins from wheat, rye or barley or any of their derivatives were found.
In a recent press release from ACS (American Chemistry Association), it was noted the new variety of canary seeds are bred specifically for human consumption.
“Joyce Irene Boye and colleagues point out that at least 3 million people in the United States alone have CD. They develop gastrointestinal and other symptoms from eating wheat, barley, rye and other grains that contain gluten-related proteins. Boye’s team sought to expand dietary options for CD — which now include non-gluten-containing cereals like corn, rice, teff, quinoa, millet, buckwheat and sorghum.
They describe research on a new variety of “hairless,” or glabrous, canary seed, which lacks the tiny hairs of the seed traditionally produced as food for caged birds. Those hairs made canary seed inedible for humans. It verified that canary seed is gluten-free. Boye also noted that canary seeds have more protein than other common cereals, are rich in other nutrients and are suitable for making flour that can be used in bread, cookies, cakes and other products.”
So be on the lookout for protein-packed Canary seed cereals and flours coming to a supermarket near you!
[FYI, according to www.agriculture.gov.sk.ca, Canada is the largest producer and exporter of canary seeds in the world]
