A Food Manufacturer’s Policy On Gluten

 

I know nothing about the preparation of food.

But I do know a lot about eating it and I’ve spent a lifetime marketing products of one form or another.

I am also a coeliac, which means I can’t eat wheat, barley or rye, so out goes bread, beer and pasta for a start. Studies show that one in a hundred of those in the UK are coeliacs. So if you include partners, children and parents, we are one of the biggest minorities in the UK, especially as the disease is no respecter of race, colour or nationality.

So it is in a manufacturer’s interest to take note of those, who need gluten-free food. Just as it is also important, that they look after those who through a lifestyle choice want to be vegetarians.

But needing gluten-free food or nut-free food for that matter is more important, as accidental ingestion can cause illness.

So what should manufacturers do :-

1. There should be a list on the company’s web site that shows what allergens are contained in their various products. Cadburys have this on the front page of their web site and can’t be faulted.

2. Products must be clearly labelled. These labels should also be readable by your average seventy-year-old, as for example coeliac disease is often not diagnosed until later life.

3. Products must contain a contact address and phone number.

4. Products should not contain gluten, where it is not expected. For instance, there are many products that contain gluten because it is in the wheat sugar used in the product for convenience.

5. Gluten free should mean gluten free and not the level defined in the Codex. Many coeliacs have been caught in this way.

6. Product formulations should not change from gluten-free to containing gluten without a warning label.

7. Products manufactured and sold in different countries should have the same formulation.

Does your company have a policy on gluten? And if so, how many of these points are currently in force?