Professor Michelle Colgrave: Understanding gluten in beer

Welcome to this special BreweryPro podcast looking at gluten in beer. Over the last 20 years we have seen a significant increase in the number of consumers who avoid gluten or identify as being intolerant to gluten, as well as growing awareness of coeliac disease. With traditionally-made beers containing gluten, this has seen a rapidly developing market for beers that appeal to those looking at a gluten reduced lifestyle. However, it’s a complex topic. Professor Michelle Colgrave is an internationally recognised researcher in the field. She leads the Food and Agricultural Proteomics teams at Edith Cowan University and CSIRO, using technology to identify key proteins that will benefit Australia’s food and agriculture industries and improve human health. This week been recognised for major breakthroughs in the analysis of gluten. The research that was awarded has led to the development of an ultralow-gluten barley, now known as Kebari, which is used in the production of gluten-free cereals, beers and food products with all the nutritional benefits of whole grains, while being safe to be enjoyed by coeliac sufferers. Importantly, she is a great communicator of her expertise, as you will hear, making the complexities of this topic approachable.