According to Coeliac UK, for example, a very small number of people with celiac disease are still susceptible to gluten-free oats, which can be contaminated if produced in the same place as wheat, barley and rye. Therefore, food brands can easily and falsely claim to be allergy-free if they use gluten-free oats. Visit the Coeliac UK website for more information on buying gluten-free foods and tips on a gluten-free lifestyle. According to allergen labelling laws, cereals containing gluten (wheat, rye, barley, oats) are one of 14 allergens that must be clearly declared and highlighted in ingredient lists on prepackaged food and PPDS labels. If you have celiac disease, do not eat the following foods unless they are labeled as gluten-free versions: Before using such terms, manufacturers should assess the risk that the product may be contaminated with gluten. This allows the consumer to make an informed individual risk assessment and decide whether or not to include the product in their diet. The Food Standards Agency`s best practice guidelines do not recommend the use of a «may contain» claim on products labelled gluten-free. You can read the FSA guidelines here. An estimated 3 million people in the United States have celiac disease. In people with celiac disease, foods containing gluten trigger the production of antibodies that attack and damage the lining of the small intestine. Such damage limits the ability of people with celiac disease to absorb nutrients and exposes them to other very serious health problems, including nutritional deficiencies, osteoporosis, slow growth, infertility, miscarriages, and colon cancer. The European Commission, in cooperation with the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), has developed a list of ingredients that do not need to be labelled as containing gluten.

Pizza Express (UK) has its gluten-free menu available on its website. They have gluten-free accreditation from Coeliac UK. The same goes for wheat starch, which can also be gluten-free (and suitable for celiacs), but not allergy-free (i.e. not suitable for people with wheat allergies). Only foods containing 20 parts per million (ppm) or less can be labeled «gluten-free.» Due to stricter labelling requirements for allergens and gluten sources, all intentionally added gluten sources, even in small amounts (e.g., wheat flour in a seasoning mixture that makes up a small portion of the final product), must be declared either in the list(s) or ingredients or in a «contains» statement. If a grain containing gluten is used as an intentional ingredient, it must be listed as an ingredient, regardless of the amount used. When labeling food, you should name the specific grain that was used, such as wheat, rye, barley, oats, spelt, khorasan wheat (known commercially as kamut®), triticale or their hybrid strains. If you suffer from celiac disease, Coeliac UK recommends gradually introducing gluten-containing foods when a child is 6 months old. This should be monitored carefully.

The first legislation surrounding the use of the term gluten-free was introduced in January 2012. The Codex Alimentarius standard for gluten-free foods indicates the gluten content tolerated by people with celiac disease. The European Commission based the Gluten-Free Food Act on the revised Codex standard published in 2008. Gluten-free wheat starch is a specially produced wheat starch that is washed to a Codex gluten content (20 ppm or less). The ingredient was first introduced as a base for products such as flour and bread to improve the quality and texture of the products. It should always appear in a list of ingredients if it has been used. It states: «Since `gluten-containing cereals` are listed as regulated allergens in Annex II of the FIC Regulation (not `gluten` itself); It is not permitted to declare and highlight only «gluten» for allergen labelling. Therefore, a prominent reference to the specific cereal in the list of ingredients is necessary.

This is also the case when gluten is used as a stand-alone ingredient (for example, «wheat gluten»). By law, foods labeled as gluten-free cannot contain more than 20 parts per million (ppm) of gluten. Cross-contamination can occur when gluten-free and gluten-containing foods are prepared together or served with the same utensils. The UK follows European Union directives on gluten-free labelling. The European Commission introduced labelling standards in January 2012 that set gluten levels for foods that claim to be «gluten-free» or «very low in gluten». There are two important pieces of legislation that caterers need to be aware of: the Allergen Labelling Act and the Gluten-Free Act. In the UK, the Food Standards Agency (FSA) requires food manufacturers to identify allergens by «being so clearly on the label and listing them in the ingredients». In addition, the UK identifies 14 major allergens, one notch above the eight in the US (in bold in the list for comparison purposes). These include celery, cereals containing gluten (wheat, rye, barley and oats), crustaceans, eggs, fish, lupine (a type of legume), milk, molluscs (octopus, mussels, cockles, whelks and snails), mustard, tree nuts, peanuts, sesame seeds, soybeans and sulphur dioxide or sulphites in amounts greater than 10 mg per kilogram or litre.

While I don`t think it`s necessary, it`s common to identify allergens in bold in the ingredient list. I find this practice really useful, even though I`m so used to reading every ingredient I still make! This law means you can be sure that any product labeled as «gluten-free» contains 20 parts per million or less of gluten, which is a safe level for everyone on a gluten-free diet. Oats do not contain gluten, but many people with celiac disease avoid eating them because they can be contaminated with other gluten-containing grains. To use the term «gluten-free» on the label, a food must meet all the requirements of the definition, including the fact that it must contain less than 20 parts per million of gluten. The rule also requires that foods labelled «gluten-free», «gluten-free» and «gluten-free» meet the definition of «gluten-free». Source: U.S. Food and Drug Administration press release, August 2, 2013 You may need to take medications for up to 2 years to control dermatitis herpetiformis. After this period, you should have followed a gluten-free diet long enough for the rash to be controlled without medication.

In addition to eliminating gluten-containing foods from your diet, there are other treatments for celiac disease. If you have celiac disease, you need to stop eating all sources of gluten for life. Your symptoms will return when you eat gluten-containing foods and cause long-term damage to your health. A useful information leaflet can be found on the Food Standards Agency website: Allergy: What to Consider When Labeling Food. Technical advice is also available on the Food Standards Agency website. There are also helpful tips from the Food and Drink Federation on labeling gluten-free products made with our tips. The European Union has adopted universal laws on the labelling of gluten-free foods. If the food contains less than 100 mg/kg, it can be labeled as «very low in gluten», while at less than 20 mg/kg, it can be labeled as «gluten-free».

The guidelines also explicitly state that the claim «gluten-free» is not permitted. `The regulated claim `gluten-free` refers to a quantitative limit (20 mg/kg (ppm)) and not to the absolute absence of gluten. This limit was set based on scientific evidence to ensure that the foods in question can be safely consumed by the vast majority of people with celiac disease or gluten sensitivity,» he said. 2. In August 2013, the FDA issued a final rule defining «gluten-free» for food labeling that helps consumers, especially people with celiac disease, ensure that items labeled as «gluten-free» meet a defined standard for gluten content.