Gluten-free flour from breadfruit

What is it about?

Breadfruit is a staple food from Pacific Island and a source of gluten-free flour with high-quality protein for food security and novel food products. Widespread distribution of breadfruit trees has expanded in the last decade but adoption of the crop is limited by the lack of basic scientific knowledge about the health impacts. Our study provided insights into the potential allergens, digestibility and health of human intestinal cells and mice to a breadfruit diet. We found that human intestinal cells and animal models exhibited no adverse effects from breadfruit. Breadfruit protein was easier to digest than wheat. The overall immunological and health assessment indicated that breadfruit is safe and healthy for human consumption.

Featured Image

Photo by Patrick Fore on Unsplash

Photo by Patrick Fore on Unsplash

Why is it important?

Breadfruit as a sustainable and nutritious staple for the world. Breadfruit flour was approved as a GRAS ingredient for inclusion in foods in the USA in 2015. This study was the first complete and fully designed diet study of breadfruit. The outcome confirmed its safety for human consumption and provided fundamental health impact knowledge of the food. Further development of breadfruit-based diets will create healthy foods for the future.