Frequently Asked Questions Find everything you need to know about coeliac disease, the gluten free diet and the work we do.

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What should I do if a product I have bought contains gluten although it is listed in the Food and Drink Guide?

Manufacturers sometimes change their ingredients without notifying us. Please contact us on 0333 332 2033 and select option 2 so that we can investigate. To be able to investigate your query we will require the following information: brand and product name, pack size, barcode number and the nature of your query e.g. may contain statement, contains wheat etc.

 

What changes has the Food Information Regulation brought for packaged foods?

The Food Information Regulation introduces a minimum print size for information written on pack which will make it easier to read labels. In terms of allergen information, the main changes are to the ingredients list and allergy box. Manufacturers must list all ingredients as they do now but must emphasise allergens (including the grains wheat, rye, barley and oats). Most manufacturers and retailers are using bold lettering. If wheat, rye or barley have been used as deliberate ingredients they must be emphasised in the ingredients list and not in an advice box. You will still see an advice box on some foods to show whether a food may contain wheat, rye, barley or oats because of contamination.

How much is the app?

The app is free as part of your Membership package.

If I’m not a Member can I still download the app?

There is nothing stopping anyone from downloading the app from the App Store or Google Play Store, however, Coeliac UK Member login details are needed to access the app.

As a previous HCP Member I used to receive a copy of the Food and Drink Guide and editions of Crossed Grain magazine, will I still get these?

Editions of Crossed Grain magazine will be sent to departments that have registered for the Resource Pack.

Following the information in your autumn edition of professional eXG, you will be aware that we have made significant changes to the 2017 Food and Drink Information services. As a Healthcare Professional working with patients with coeliac disease you too can access the online Information by becoming an individual Member or purchasing a copy of the printed edition of Food and Drink Guide by contacting our Helpline team on 0333 332 2033.

For further information please see our downloadable leaflet.

 

What information is available to increase my knowledge and skills on supporting people with coeliac disease?

Information on training opportunities and resources is available on our website. You can also join Coeliac UK as a healthcare professional member to keep up to date on the latest developments on coeliac disease.

The Food Information Regulation means allergy boxes will no longer be allowed. Why aren’t allergy boxes going to be used for allergen information anymore?

The Regulation means that allergy boxes will no longer be allowed as they are a repetition of mandatory allergy information. Because the information about allergens has to be emphasised in the ingredients list, manufacturers will not be allowed to repeat this information in an allergy box. Information on contamination risk like ‘may contain gluten’ statements will still be allowed. The reason for not allowing repetition is because this increases the chance of having to recall a product when information does not match up.

Can the word 'gluten' be emphasised in the ingredients list?

The word gluten isn’t considered to be mandatory information, it is the cereal (wheat, rye, barley, oats) that contains gluten whichmust be emphasised. Within the ingredients the word gluten can still be used, for example, wheatflour (gluten) or wheatflour (gluten) could be used, but it is the grain that must be emphasised. As it is now, the use of the word gluten is voluntary so some manufacturers will continue to do this.

Are there any incentives for pharmacists taking part in the Community pharmacy supply of gluten-free foods scheme?

Introducing a pharmacy led supply scheme allows better stock control of gluten-free foods for pharmacists as well as providing a more flexible service to improve the patient experience.

Pharmacists and GP dispensaries are paid a service charge at six monthly intervals for each patient who accesses the service. When the scheme in Northamptonshire was introduced it was run as an Enhanced Service with funding for this element of the contract coming from Primary Care Contracting budgets.