If you or someone you love has been recently diagnosed with coeliac disease, you could be eligible to receive gluten free foods on prescription. Simply select your country of residence, and, if you live in England, fill in your postcode to check if your area is prescribing.
Your country is prescribing gluten free foods*. Request your Glutafin Taster Box by clicking the button below to sign up.
* Please note: local policies are constantly updated, and issuing a prescription is at the discretion of your GP.
If you have been diagnosed with coeliac disease, then the only treatment currently available is to follow a strict gluten free diet. Even the smallest amount of gluten can cause a flare up of your symptoms, and repeated exposure can cause long-term health problems, so it’s important to remain vigilant.
When it comes to shopping, you need to make sure that everything you buy is gluten free. However, that doesn’t mean that you have to stick to the limited selection in the specialist ‘free from’ aisle. By learning to read the labels on food packaging, you can soon learn how to shop safely throughout the supermarket, and fill your trolley with great tasting, gluten free products.
Certain foods may need to be checked to ensure that they are free of gluten, particularly some processed and packaged foods, including:
Soups, sauces, soy sauce, salad dressings, mayonnaise, deli meats, processed cheese, ready meals, fizzy drinks, chips, sausages, baked beans, ice cream, frozen burgers, sweets and chocolates.
The main reason for coeliacs to avoid oats and oat-containing products is that oats are commonly contaminated with wheat/ rye/barley during production and processing. It is believed that the majority of coeliacs are able to tolerate uncontaminated gluten-free oats.
Uncontaminated oats are available in supermarkets but ensure they are marked as ‘gluten free’ and have therefore been tested to ensure they contain less than 20 ppm of gluten before consuming. This is not the same as a label marked ‘100% oats’ or ‘pure oats’.
Gluten-free oats can be included in a gluten-free diet at any stage, however, if you experience ongoing symptoms or have any concerns you should consult a healthcare professional for specific advice. A small number of people with coeliac disease may still react to uncontaminated (gluten free) oats.
By law, the term ‘gluten free’ may only be used on food products that contain 20 parts per million of gluten, or less. This is considered to be a safe level for people with coeliac disease.
You may find this term on specialist substitute gluten free foods, e.g. flour mixes, breads and pasta. You could also see it used on uncontaminated oat products and processed foods that contain naturally gluten free ingredients, such as sauces and ready meals.
The Coeliac UK Food and Drink Guide and mobile phone app provide a comprehensive list of gluten free products. It’s worth having easy access to one or both of these resources in case you are unsure if a food is safe to consume.
All foods sold in the UK are covered by EU allergen labelling law. This law states that any allergen contained within a food (however small the amount) should be clearly labelled in bold, highlighted or italic font within the ingredients list for that product.
If a product is not labelled ‘gluten free’ or does not carry the crossed grain symbol, then you need to look at the ingredients list carefully. Here in the UK, it is a legal requirement for food labels to provide details if they include allergens such as gluten in their ingredients. As all gluten containing cereals are known allergens you can expect these to be clearly labelled if they are present. You will find this information listed in two ways:
This law applies to all food including pre-packed, unpacked and food sold in restaurants, cafes and delis.
You will find the same labelling laws apply to all EU countries. Beyond Europe, you need to be extra careful in reading the ingredient lists, as gluten containing ingredients may not be highlighted in the same way. Make sure you are aware of all of the ingredients that you need to avoid. This includes (but is not limited to):
If you have any doubt about the safety of a food or drink product when travelling overseas, it’s always best to err on the side of caution and choose something else instead.
It’s worth remembering that there are lots of foods that are naturally gluten free, such as potato, pulses and rice, fresh fruit, vegetables and meat. There are also lots of grains that you can still enjoy in gluten free products, such as corn, buckwheat, maize, gram flour and flax.
You don’t need to be concerned about the labels on these foods if you buy them on their own. However, it’s still worth checking if they have been processed in any way, as the processing may involve gluten containing ingredients.
If you or someone you love has been recently diagnosed with coeliac disease, you could be eligible to receive gluten free foods on prescription. Simply select your country of residence, and, if you live in England, fill in your postcode to check if your area is prescribing.
Your country is prescribing gluten free foods*. Request your Glutafin Taster Box by clicking the button below to sign up.
* Please note: local policies are constantly updated, and issuing a prescription is at the discretion of your GP.