Food & Beverages

Biography

Biography: Carmela Lamacchia

Abstract

University of Foggia has developed a new and innovative detoxification method of gluten proteins from grain of cereals (patented method PCT n. PCT/IB2013/000797) with the purpose to overcome the disadvantages of the prior methods using enzymes. The method is based on the application of microwave energy for few seconds to hydrated wheat kernels; the treatment induces modifications of endosperm components which dramatically reduce the immunogenicity of the most common epitopes involved in celiac disease, without compromising the technological properties necessary to process flour into bread and other baked goods. The benefits to be drawn from this innovative method will be numerous such as: a) the production of “gluten friendly” food for people with celiac disease, with sensory characteristics equivalent in taste and appearance to those commonly used in the Mediterranean diet; b) a reduction in the costs of products for celiac patients because of the use, during the detoxification treatment of only mains water and electromagnetic waves, for short time; c) ease of application, on an industrial scale, also to other grains, including, for example, barley to produce beer or oats for make products for breakfast; d) production of “gluten friendly” foods that determine, through their use in time and by large number of people, a reduction in the incidence of celiac disease in the population due to the reduced immunogenic effect of the detoxified products.