Questions related to: Which foods are listed in Section 2?

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I'm confused by the 'very low gluten' label. Can I eat foods labelled with this?

This covers foods containing between 21 and 100ppm gluten.

Specialist substitute products (such as breads and flour mixes) that contain a gluten reduced ingredient (gluten free wheat starch) with a gluten level above 21 and up to 100 ppm may be labelled as ‘very low gluten’. There aren’t any foods currently labelled ‘very low gluten’ in the UK.

The first law around the use of the term gluten free was published in January 2009 and introduced in January 2012. This law is based on the revised international Codex Alimentarius standard for gluten free, published in 2008.

What is gluten free wheat starch?

Gluten free wheat starch is a specially produced ingredient where the gluten has been removed to a trace level. It is used by some manufacturers to improve the quality and texture of gluten free products. It must always appear in the ingredients list if it has been used. 

Foods containing wheat starch that are labelled gluten free are suitable for all people with coeliac disease. In the past, the Codex standard for labelling for gluten free foods was 200 parts per million, a level that people with coeliac disease could not always tolerate. The law on gluten free must contain no more than 20 ppm. This means that gluten free foods that contain wheat starch should no longer cause a problem for people with coeliac disease. 

Foods that contain wheat starch are highlighted with a blue triangle in the Food and Drink Guide.

If you should have any concern about including products with wheat starch in your diet please speak with your health professional. 

 

Can I drink beer?

Beer, lagers, stouts and ales contain varying amounts of gluten and are not suitable if you have coeliac disease. Specially manufactured gluten free beers are available, and you can find a list of gluten free beers, lagers and ales in the Drinks section of your Food and Drink Guide, or if you are a Member, on our online Food and Drink Information and our Live Well Gluten Free app.

Find out more about how gluten free beer and how it's made by clicking here.

Please remember that alcohol can have side effects whether or not you have coeliac disease. Check out Drink Aware for more information.

This advice has been discussed and continues to be approved by Coeliac UK’s Food Standards Committee, April 2020. 

Where are fast foods listed now?

We no longer list fast food restaurants in the Food and Drink Guide. We have a separate resource, the Venue Guide, which lists restaurants that are able to cater for people with coeliac disease. Visit www.coeliac.org.uk/venueguide

Allergen information for McDonalds and Burger King can be found on their websites.

Are there still two different product sections within the printed format?

Yes there is. There are Two Sections because of legislation which came into effect in January 2012. Read more about the law here.

Section 1 lists food that comply with this legislation and Section 2 lists foods that are made without gluten containing ingridients. We have included more information on what's included in each section within the introductory pages of the Food and Drink Guide on pages 4, 12 and 89. 

We have also improved index so you know straight away what section the product you are searching for is listed in. Section 1 products are identified with black page numbers and section 2 products are in orange.

Can I eat foods in both sections?

Yes, both sections lists products that are suitable for gluten free diet. Whilst the products listed in Section 2 are not labelled gluten free, the products in Section 2 are made without gluten containing ingredients and the manufacturers have made a risk assessment on cross contamination and have steps to control this. You can view the ingredients list and labelling information for these products on our Live Well Gluten Free app and on our website to help you choose suitable products for your diet. 

Can I still have Bisto Best products?

Whilst most Bisto Best products are not made with gluten containing ingredients, you will notice that the manufacturer, Premier Foods, has included a ‘May Contain’ statement on the packaging. This is in line with best practice guidance for including gluten contamination advice on labels.

Bisto Best is made on equipment which is also used for products containing wheat flour. Although there are controls in place to reduce the risk of cross contamination, Premier Foods cannot remove the risk of gluten contamination completely.

Previously, we have listed Bisto Best products that were not made with gluten containing ingredients as the product when prepared for consumption, would be suitable for a gluten free diet. Under our new policy, we are asking food manufacturers who include a ‘May Contain’ to consider the threshold for gluten free (< 20 ppm gluten) and if they have determined their products consistently have no more than 20 ppm gluten, to also consider labelling them gluten free. In the absence of a gluten free label they will no longer be included in our food information listings. We are continuing to engage with the manufacturers to achieve a commitment to enable these products to be labelled gluten free in the future.

Premier Foods have a Bisto gravy which is labelled gluten free, this product can be found in most Free From supermarket sections.

If you need more information, please contact Premier Foods on 0800 234 6328.

 

Why are the supermarkets own brand products listed separately in the Guide?

The way that people use the Food and Drink Guide varies between individuals. We list the supermarket own brands separately as many members only go to one or two supermarkets and so we list supermarket own brand products together.

Why aren't naturally gluten free foods listed, such as vegetables, bacon and eggs? Can I eat these foods?

Some foods are naturally gluten free. Foods like meat, fish, eggs, fruit and vegetables are all naturally gluten free and so listing these in the Guide would mean the Guide would be unnecessarily large. We list foods on page 6 of the Guide which are naturally gluten free and produce a gluten free checklist which you may find useful. You can download this from the Gluten free diet and lifestyle section of the website. www.coeliac.org.uk/gluten-free-checklist.

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