Pasta, bread, cereals and a plethora of different foods including staple foods and confections are made utilizing wheat gluten; something which many people have intolerance to in the form of celiac disease.
Celiac disease is a condition in which the eating of gluten, predominantly wheat gluten, triggers an immune response in the body in which inflammation and damage are caused to the small intestine. This disease is not only limited to wheat gluten, however.
“Once a patient is diagnosed with celiac disease, the only treatment option is following a strict gluten-free diet for life. But no matter how careful a celiac is at avoiding gluten, accidental exposure is inevitable and surprisingly common. In a recent study, the majority of celiac participants reported at least one occasion where they accidently ingested wheat gluten in the preceding month alone.
That could change, however, with the ongoing development of a GMO wheat engineered to express specialized enzymes. This new wheat could one day help celiac patients return to a gluten-rich diet without fear of symptoms or long-term health repercussions.” (GLP Article June 25, 2019 – Kirsten Hovet)
In an article written by Kristen Hovet, and published by the Genetic Literacy Project on June 25, 2019, the advent of a GMO wheat variety addressing celiac disease is discussed at length.
The new GMO variety of wheat utilizes genetic technology that would allow the digestion of wheat gluten and the production of enzymes within the small intestine to allow the proper digestion of wheat gluten, preventing the symptoms associated with celiac disease and allowing wheat to be placed back on the table.
The predominant concern, though, is the acceptance of this new GMO wheat by a general public which has been cautioned against GMO products.
