Original Article written By ROXANA HEGEMAN, The Associated Press
Source: Seattle Times.com
Original Article written By ROXANA HEGEMAN, The Associated Press
WICHITA, Kan. — Kansas farmers are paying for genetic research to figure out exactly why some people struggle to digest wheat.
The hard science is aimed at developing new varieties of wheat at a time when the gluten-free industry is worth nearly a billion dollars a year in the United States alone.
The Kansas Wheat Commission is spending $200,000 for the first two years of the project, which is meant to identify everything in wheat’s DNA sequences that can trigger a reaction in people suffering from celiac disease, an autoimmune disorder in which eating even tiny amounts of gluten can damage the small intestine.
The only known treatment for celiac disease is a gluten-free diet free of any foods that contain wheat, rye or barley.
“If you know you are producing a crop that is not tolerated well by people, then it’s the right thing to do,” said Chris Miller, senior director of research for Engrain, a Kansas company that makes products to enhance the nutrition and appearance of products made by the milling and cereal industry. Read More HERE.
