Non-hairy canary seeds suitable for coeliacs

For those with coeliac disease, eating can be a risky business. Coeliacs develop gastrointestinal and other symptoms from eating wheat, barley, rye and other grains that contain gluten-related proteins. These proteins aren’t just found in foods like bread and pasta; they can hide in seemingly innocuous foods like bottled salad dressing and pasta sauce.

Gluten-free cereal options include corn, rice, teff, quinoa, millet, buckwheat and sorghum - and now canary seeds. Looking to expand dietary options for coeliacs, Joyce Irene Boye and colleagues developed a new variety of canary seeds, which have been bred specifically for human consumption.

Canary seed produced for caged birds is covered in tiny hairs that render the seed inedible for humans. However, the research team has described a new variety of ‘hairless’ - or glabrous - canary seed, which is suitable for humans.

The researchers have verified that the seed is gluten free and ideal for people with coeliac disease. Boye also noted that canary seeds contain more protein than other common cereals, are rich in other nutrients and are suitable for making flour that can be used in bread, cookies, cakes and other products.

The research was published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.