Gluten: General Aspects and International Regulations for Products for Celiac People

Gluten is a complex protein that represents around 80% of the total proteins of most cereals from the Triticeae family, which include wheat, barley, and rye. It is formed by a mixture of prolamins and glutelins. In wheat, these proteins, in association with lipids, are responsible for the rheological characteristics of dough, providing viscosity, elasticity, and strength to it. However, some peptides from gluten are considered toxic for celiac sufferers. This chapter presents the general aspects of gluten, such as the most common fractions, and the toxicity factors of cereal proteins.