Views wanted on gluten regulation- U.K.

Views wanted on gluten regulation

The FSA is seeking views on a proposed European Commission regulation, concerning the composition and labelling of foods suitable for people intolerant to gluten.
The proposed regulation will put in place compositional criteria related to the claims ‘gluten free’ and ‘very low gluten’ for foods that have been specifically produced for people who are sensitive to gluten.

In addition, the proposed regulation introduces a provision to allow foods that are naturally free of gluten (i.e. those for normal consumption) to be labelled as ‘gluten free’, as long as the foods meet certain compositional requirements, in relation to the levels of gluten.

This regulation will ensure that all foods, which are labelled to indicate their suitability for people intolerant to gluten, will use harmonised labelling terms and reduce consumer confusion about these products. In addition, this new regime will facilitate better consumer understanding about how much gluten there is in the foods that they buy, and thereby help improve the health of these consumers. This regulation will also align the European Commission legislation with the recently agreed Codex international standard for foods targeted at people intolerant to gluten.

This will help facilitate international trade.
Once in force, the regulation will apply in all European Union Member States and will be implemented and enforced in national regulations for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Read the full consultation at the link below.
Responses are required by 30 September 2008.

The science behind the storyAbout 1% of the UK population has an intolerance to gluten. Anyone with a sensitivity to gluten – also known as coeliac disease – must avoid eating cereals that contain gluten, such as wheat, rye, barley, spelt, kamut or any variety of these crops.

Gluten intolerance is an auto-immune disease, which means the body's immune system attacks itself. The type of reaction it causes is different to a food allergy – it doesn't cause anaphylaxis.

Many people with coeliac disease don't realise they have it.
When people with coeliac disease eat foods containing gluten, it damages the lining of the small intestine, which stops the body from absorbing nutrients. This can lead to a range of symptoms including diarrhoea, weight loss and eventually malnutrition.