Common wheat (Triticum aestivum L) specific gamma (y) and omega (a) gliadins from native (unheated) and heat‐processed (pasta) samples have been purified by reverse‐phase high‐pressure liquid chromatography and used to raise polyclonal antisera in New Zealand White rabbits. The sera have been examined in both the crude and affinity‐purified (against Durum flodur gliadins) states, for reactivity and specificity against gliadins from unheated and heat‐processed common wheats. Further, the antisera have been examined for cross‐reactivity against Durum wheat (Triticum durum Desf.) and pastas and for their potential as a means of detecting the adulteration of Durum wheats and Durum wheat pasta products with common wheat species (T. aestivum). The efficacy of the antisera was evaluated using two different immunoassay formats, enzyme‐linked immunosorbant assay (ELISA) and immunoblotting.