Sorting Out Gluten Intolerance
NIR spectroscopy and machine vision team up for rapid grains inspection
sponsored by Ocean Optics
Gluten is a protein composite found in wheat, rye and barley that gives dough its elastic and chewy texture. For people with severe gluten intolerance or celiac disease, even small amounts of gluten can cause debilitating bloating, abdominal pain and bowel dysfunction as well as fatigue and many adverse non-abdominal symptoms. Maintaining a gluten-free diet is challenging, as wheat derivatives are present in many processed foods like soy sauce and luncheon meats. With gluten-free products more widely available, the need for cost-effective and accurate validation of the grains used to make them has grown.