Barley starch and allergy risk in cereal-allergic people
What it found
There is not enough evidence to say whether barley starch could trigger allergic reactions in people allergic to cereals.
For people with coeliac disease who are not allergic to cereals, foods made from barley starch are unlikely to cause a reaction if gluten stays below 20 mg/kg.
What they found
Animal and lab studies
Lab tests inconclusive
The IgE-binding lab tests done by the company were considered inconclusive by the authors.
Other findings
Protein and gluten levels
In most batches of barley starch, total protein was between 0.35 and 1.27 grams per kilogram. Residual gluten was generally below the limit of detection, from less than 4 to less than 10 milligrams per kilogram.
Allergenic proteins in starch
Five barley allergens were each below the limit of detection of 1 milligram per kilogram. Only one protein, B3-hordein, was found in two batches, at 1 and 7 milligrams per kilogram.
Protein intake above wheat threshold
In all intake scenarios, the calculated total protein from barley starch was above the lowest dose of wheat protein known to trigger reactions in allergic adults (10 mg) and children (2 mg).
Coeliac disease and gluten limit
For people with coeliac disease who are not allergic to cereals, foods made from barley starch are unlikely to cause a reaction if gluten stays below 20 milligrams per kilogram.
What the authors conclude
“The data available are insufficient to conclude on the likelihood of adverse allergic reactions in cereal-allergic individuals upon consumption of barley starch under the conditions of use proposed by the applicant.”
Also in their conclusions
- They conclude that the data available are insufficient to conclude on the likelihood of adverse allergic reactions in cereal-allergic individuals upon consumption of barley starch under the conditions of use proposed by the applicant.
- They advise that for individuals with coeliac disease who are not allergic to cereals, consumption of foods made from barley starch is unlikely to cause an adverse reaction, provided that the value of gluten for 'gluten-free' foods (20 mg/kg) is not exceeded.
How it was done
Barley is a cereal that can trigger coeliac disease and allergy, so the safety of barley starch and foods made from it needed checking.
The authors looked at the company's data on how barley starch is made, its protein and gluten levels, and lab tests on IgE binding. They also reviewed a food challenge study in cereal-allergic people using barley starch syrup, and calculated how much barley starch people might eat.
What it can’t tell you
- The paper cannot show whether barley starch would cause allergic reactions in people allergic to cereals, because the data were insufficient.
- The lab tests and protein calculations cannot predict what happens in a real person eating barley starch.
The paper
- Title
- Scientific Opinion related to a notification from Lyckeby Starch AB on barley starch to be used in the manufacturing of several foods as ingredient, of the food additive modified starch and of glucose syrups pursuant to Article 21(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 - for permanent exemption from labelling
- Type
- Scientific opinion of the European Food Safety Authority
- Evidence
- Animals and lab studies
- Summarised from
- Full text
- Licence
- CC BY-ND. Words in quotation marks are the authors’; the rest is our summary.
- Cite
- EFSA Panel on Nutrition, Novel Foods and Food Allergens (NDA), Turck D, Castenmiller J, et al (2020). Scientific Opinion related to a notification from Lyckeby Starch AB on barley starch to be used in the manufacturing of several foods as ingredient, of the food additive modified starch and of glucose syrups pursuant to Article 21(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 - for permanent exemption from labelling. EFSA journal. European Food Safety Authority. doi:10.2903/j.efsa.2020.6118Free full textPubMed 37649494DOI
Summary written 26 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error