Amazingly, German researchers from the Johann Heinrich von Thunen Institute in Braunschweig, have shown that high CO2 levels in the atmosphere lead to wheat crops with less gluten.
This is because CO2 disrupts nitrogen uptake by the plants, and this in turn causes the protein deficiency. See the New Scientist blog for more.
As the New Scientist points out, this rise in CO2 is also a contributing factor in the global rice shortages, so it isn’t good news for coeliacs. (Or for anyone …)
Plus, of course, the fact that there is less gluten doesn’t mean that there is no gluten present – so the future wheat crops won’t be any safer for coeliacs to eat.
The New Scientist suggests that farmers could opt to grow genetically modified wheat varieties capable of producing higher than normal gluten yields. We all know how unpopular that will be round here …
Of course, some people have suggested that we could have genetically modified wheat that contains no gluten. I can’t really see that going down well either, whether with the anti-gm movement, or with those people who are both wheat and gluten intolerant.
So there isn’t good news here – but it is alarming, isn’t it, how widespread the impact of climate change will be?
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8 Comments
Hi,
If they do produce GF wheat, etc, the end product of such flour would be no better than the existing alternatives as it’s the gluten that makes bread nice and spongy and holds pastry together….
The only hope is for GF oats – as I really do miss real porridge oats in the winter.
Regards,
Andrew.
Hi Andrew – there is something special about porridge, isn’t there? Have you tried any gluten free oats? We made flapjacks with some, with no apparent ill-effects.
Hi Lucy,
Yes. Flap-jack and podrridge – delicious…. I have have tried various gluten-free “porridge” flakes that always lacked the chewy texture and flavour of whole organic rolled oats. If I could only find real oats that I could be reasonably sure were not contaminated with wheat or barley protein, I would certainly give it a go, as I’m not sure that I am sensitive to the protein found in oats (although that might be wishful thinking).
Hi Andrew, are you in the UK? Have you tried the Tilquhillie oats? I’ve bought them from Gluten Free Foods Direct before …
Hi Lucy,
Yes I live in the UK – near Buckingham. Postage is quite high (£6.50 for a £3.00 order), so once I have put a larger order together I’ll give the oats a go and let you know how I get on…
Thanks
Andrew.
Ouch! That is high!
Further to the comments re GF oats, I have just discovered Tilquhillie pure, (cross grain symbol) oats. I have also bought Almond tilly-jacks which are delicious and consist of oats, almonds etc. The down side is that as I am on a diet I am wary of the fat and sugar and Tilquhillie do not publish any nutritional data.
Joy
Hi Joy
Almond tilly-jacks sound fab! Though, as you say, probably quite high in fat and sugar. Where did you find them?