Kokova Magazine

The gluten-free diet is the treatment for coeliac disease and maintaining it can be a real challenge.

If you're taking on the Gluten-free Challenge and want to better understand the difficulties faced by people with the condition, then changing your lifestyle for Awareness Week will give you real insight.

Eating out, shopping for food and cooking at home needs careful thought for those on a gluten-free diet.

Here we show you everything you need to know to make sure you're living the way people with coeliac disease do.

What is gluten?

Gluten is a protein in wheat, barley and rye and is very common in a lot of processed foods. Some people are also sensitive to oats because they are often milled in places that handle gluten-containing grains and so they become contaminated.

Bread, pasta, cakes, biscuits and pizzas are all things which would usually contain gluten, but there are a number of good gluten-free products out there.

Gluten is also often used as a thickener in sauces, in sausages and an ingredient in soy sauce, ice cream and many more products. To make sure a product doesn't contain gluten, you need to read food labels.

Shopping for gluten-free food - understanding labels
Most large supermarkets have a good Free From aisle and here you can find gluten-free versions of many popular foods. These items are usually clearly marked with a label that says 'gluten-free', 'very low gluten' or 'no gluten-containing ingredients' or you may see our crossed grain symbol. If you see any of these, you know these are foods you can make a choice from.

Moving beyond the Free-From aisles

The Free From aisles in the larger supermarkets have a choice on the shelves but chances are you’ll be looking for a more varied diet than they offer. So, how do you choose suitable products from the rest of the supermarket?

The allergy advice box
Some products also have an allergy advice box on the label. This highlights if the product contains any allergens such as gluten. Its use varies so make sure you double check the ingredients list.

The ingredients list
By law, all ingredients used in food must be listed in the ingredients list. If there is no mention of any grains that contain gluten, (wheat, rye, barley or oats) then this means that it has not been used.

The 'may contain' statement
It is recommended that manufacturers use this statement if there is a risk of cross contamination with gluten in the making or packaging of the food. You may see the following statements:

• may contain traces of gluten
• made on a line handling wheat
• made in a factory also handling wheat

If you see any of these then it usually means that you cannot eat these foods when following a gluten-free diet.

Cooking gluten-free
Making a gluten-free meal can be easy if you know how. Cross contamination is the key thing to be aware of and you can counter this with some easy changes to the way you cook:

• Wipe down surfaces to make sure there is no residue
• Clean pots and pans thoroughly with soap and water
• Don’t use a wooden board to chop gluten-free bread as this has tiny pores which can collect gluten-containing bread and contaminate gluten-free bread
• Use a separate toaster or toaster bags to keep crumbs away when making toast
• Make sure knives and spoons for butters, spreads and jams are clean to stop crumbs getting in and consider having separate jars to prevent cross contamination

Eating out gluten-free
Going to restaurants and eating out whilst on a gluten-free diet can seem daunting at first.
You're putting your diet in the hands of someone else but there are a number of ways you can take control of the situation to make sure you feel comfortable that your diet is being well looked after.

• Call ahead to check if the venue caters for the gluten-free diet - talk to them about what you need and what foods you cannot eat
• When you get there, check the menu - if any of the dishes are labelled gluten-free or no gluten-containing ingredients then these are ok for you to eat but it is still worth double checking with the waiting staff to make sure they understand your needs
• Talk to the staff - explain the gluten-free diet and ask them what you can eat. Be sure to outline that gluten is found in wheat, barley and rye
• Highlight that cross contamination is an issue and that your meal must not come into contact with any food that contains gluten, like bread crumbs, flour etc.

For information about the gluten-free diet and food labelling visit www.coeliac.org.uk

For specific information on Awareness Week visit www.coeliac.org.uk/glutenfreechallenge

Call the Coeliac UK Helpline on 0845 305 2060 - our expert team of dietitians and diet and health advisers offer information and support on a range of subjects including the gluten-free diet and enquiries about foods and labelling .

More information on EU labelling laws can be found on the Food Standards Agency website www.food.gov.uk