Purity Test Results: Double Protein Oats
***THIS PAGE IS UNDER RECONSTRUCTION***
We are redesigning our purity verification program in March 2024, including the website and mobile pages, to make the information easier for you to access and assess. Unfortunately when we reorganized our files internally, we inadvertently broke all our lab test links on our existing Purity Test pages.
If you would like to access our test results before we launch our new pages, please reach out to us at customerservice@zegofoods.com, and we’ll be happy to send them to you. Include your product name and “Best By” date printed on the back of the package. We appreciate your understanding.
Gluten
Valid For All Batches with Best Buy Dates Through 2025:
No measurable amount (sensitivity <5PPM).
Our five most recent gluten tests were run in February 2023. You can access the results here.
Access our two October 2022 tests here.
The LOD is the limit of detection, which is defined as the lowest level that can be tested. The LOQ is a derivation of the LOD. It factors in other factors of reliability that may compromise the validity of the LOD level. The “Value” is the result for this particular product tested. Each of the 5 tests we ran in February 2023 had no measurable gluten ( <LOD).
Please contact customerservice@zegofoods.com if you have questions.
Why do we test for gluten and not other allergens?
ZEGO’s bagged products are made in a facility that does not allow any of the top 14 allergens in its facility, and we are careful to source our ingredients from trusted suppliers that do not have allergens in their facility.
With these conditions, it’s highly unlikely allergen cross-contact would happen. For gluten, however, sometimes cross-contact happens in the field. That is why we do extra gluten testing. Every lot is tested twice before we use it, first at the processing facility where the oats are cleaned and rolled, and again at the factory where they are bagged.
How does ZEGO decide what to test for?
Our oats are processed and packaged in a top 14 allergy-free and gluten-free facility. Because the cost of testing adds up and eventually gets captured in the price to the consumer, we do a risk analysis for allergens, gluten, and heavy metals. If there have been historical problems with contamination for the ingredients we are using, we test. For example, we test our oats for gluten but not for allergens. We test for heavy metals in our oats and protein but not our fruit bars because they are made in the U.S. (arsenic and lead contamination in fruit juice are more likely to be a problem in fruit processed and/or grown in China). We test for glyphosate with all our products because it is widely used but we only test for paraquat on our oats as it is less likely to be used on crops like orchard fruit.
Explanation of Allergen Test Results
The lowest measurable amount for allergens is 2.5PPM, for gluten 5PPM. Amounts lower than those levels cannot be detected. All tests have a 95% confidence level and are performed by the Food Allergy Research and Resource Project (FARRP), based at the University of Nebraska. The U.S. FDA does not have definitions or threshold values for “allergy-free” or for labeling requirements of cross-contact.
What are the lowest levels of PPM that are known to cause a reaction?
It varies depending on the allergen and on the person. The FDA has determined the lowest level at which a reaction has been seen in clinical trials to be the following.
- Tree nuts: between 0.02-7.5 mg protein.
- Dairy: between 0.36-3.6 mg protein.
- Sesame: between 0.25-10 mg protein.
Glyphosate
Summary of Test Results for Double Protein Oats with Best By Dates Through 2025.
No glyphosate found in product (sensitivity <10PPB which is .001PPM).
Click here to view the most recent lab tests for our Double Protein Oats.
Why does ZEGO test for glyphosate?
We believe our customers have a right to know what is in their food, even if we are not required to list it on the label, and even if the chemical has not been proven to cause health problems yet. Though we cannot test for every chemical used in agriculture, glyphosate is the most common herbicide and testing for it can serve as a proxy for ensuring the ingredients we purchase truly are organic and/or non-GMO. We believe all companies should be testing periodically for glyphosate and try to minimize it in their products.
The lowest measurable amount for glyphosate is 0.001PPM. Amounts lower than that level cannot be detected. All tests are performed by AGQ Labs & Technological Services.
What are the lowest levels of PPM that could result in negative health consequences?
Glyphosate is different from allergen testing. Whereas a person with an extreme tree nut allergy could react to .02mg of protein, glyphosate exposure is not known to cause reactions with individual exposure of small amounts. The concern most often cited is with prolonged exposure to larger amounts.
Chemicals
Summary of 500 Pesticide & Herbicide Test Results for Double Protein Oats.
No measurable amounts detected (sensitivity .01PPM)
To view the entire lab report for the panel of over 500 chemicals we tested for products with best by dates through 2025, click here. The most recent Paraquat test can be seen here.
Why does ZEGO test for 400+ Chemicals?
We believe our customers have a right to know what is in their food, even if we are not required to list it on the label, and even if the chemical has not been proven to cause health problems yet. Though we cannot test for every chemical used in agriculture, we are currently testing for the 500 most common chemicals, pesticides, and herbicides. Testing for these chemicals can serve as a proxy for ensuring the ingredients we purchase truly are organic and/or non-GMO. We believe all companies should be testing periodically for chemicals and try to minimize them in their products.
Even though our Double Protein Oats are organic, contamination can occur despite the farm’s best efforts to keep their crops clean, which is why we are testing for the 500 most common chemicals used or found in agriculture.
We will be conducting this test once per harvest and will update this page each time a new test is performed. We want you to have the power in deciding what foods to feed your family, which is why we are publishing the results.
Heavy Metals
Lead – no measurable amount (sensitivity .01PPM)
Cadmium – 0.045PPM
Arsenic – 0.017PPM
Here are the results from our most recent heavy metal tests for Double Protein Oats.
Why does ZEGO test for heavy metals in oats?
Though we buy our oats from U.S. farms that are far from mining or industrial activity, there are several reasons to check heavy metal levels in oats. First, oats are sometimes grown on farms that have roads and interstates going through them. The leaded gasoline that was used for decades resulted in the lead being deposited on the soil through the car exhaust.
Second, some plants are more likely to pull in certain nutrients and metals than others. And oats and other grains historically have had elevated cadmium levels. It’s not just grains that are of concern, but vegetables, nuts, starchy roots/potatoes, seed oils, and meat. In fact, vegetarians are exposed to more cadmium than meat-eaters.
Ochratoxin & Alfatoxins
We test periodically for these toxins and our products have never had any of them detected. Here is our most recent test.
Test Result Summary: None detected.
Why does ZEGO test for Ochratoxin?
Ochratoxin is a mycotoxin (like Alfatoxins) created by the fungus Aspergillus and a common problem in oats and other grains. Mycotoxins at high levels are a significant cause of variety of cancers worldwide and acute ochratoxin poisoning can cause liver failure and death.
The hulls on our raw oats are very loose, and they naturally fall off during harvest. As a result, our oat grains have less chance of dangerous fungal growth due to moisture trapped between the grain and hull.
Lab & Test Information
The lowest measurable amount we can test for is 0.01PPM. Amounts lower than that level cannot be detected. All tests are performed by AGQ Labs & Technological Services.
Questions?
Still, have questions? Please feel free to email us at info@zegosnacks.com with any questions you have.
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