Awareness Week 2008

The Food Without Fear Campaign

The Food Without Fear campaign is not just an Awareness Week project. Raising awareness and understanding with chefs and caterers in hospitals, schools, restaurants, cafes, hotels and with airlines is an important long-term campaign aim for Coeliac UK.

We know that for people with coeliac disease, eating out on a gluten-free diet can be a miserable experience. Choice is often very limited and the risks of eating gluten knowingly as well as cross-contamination can put many off venturing out. Recent research conducted by the Health Economics Research Centre at the University of Oxford has shown 67% of people with coeliac disease are less likely to eat out and 77% are less likely to eat food provided in the workplace (unpublished data). Whilst gluten-free food is now more widely available for purchase in shops, it is still not a regular feature on many restaurant menus. We believe this has to change.

Our aim

To raise awareness and understanding of a gluten-free diet amongst chefs and caterers, healthcare professionals and hospital ward staff, parliamentarians and the general public to ensure eating out through pleasure or necessity, is freed from restrictions.

Campaign activities

There are two key campaigning activities that you can take part in during Awareness Week; the Food Without Fear Recipe competition and the Eat Out Gluten Free Challenge.  There is also a range of campaigning activity that Coeliac UK is undertaking.

To see more information on the Campaign Toolkits, please click here.