It is becoming a common practice for brands to specify that they are offering gluten-free products. The reason for this is because the fuss for gluten-free diets has been fronted as a game changer in the health sector. Most dieticians are of the view that gluten-rich products have been behind a number of health cases including coeliac and non-coeliac gluten sensitivity.
However, there is no need to get rattled by this gluten scare. With information from medalerthelp.org experts who provided the infographic below which explains the gluten-free diet and its benefits, you will easily identify appropriate products in the grocery stores making a gluten-free life an achievable reality for you.
Gluten-Rich Ingredients in Products
UK food labelling laws are clear when it comes to gluten-free foods. According to Coeliac.org.uk, only foods containing 20 parts per million (ppm) or less can be labelled gluten-free. You may have already seen some commercially sold products getting the gluten-free tag. However, despite these marketing efforts, there have been cases where a gluten-free brand ends up with a lot of gluten-rich ingredients.
Therefore, to avoid being misled, make sure you also check the list of ingredients. For instance, look out for wheat, barley, rye, and triticale. These grains will often be listed in bold letters, like other common allergens (such as peanuts and eggs), even on products that are not labelled gluten-free. It doesn’t end there, though, because you have to be wary of derivates of gluten found in other foods, like puffed rice and cornflakes as these may also contain malt flavouring known to contain gluten. However, in that case, gluten will also be noted on the list of ingredients.
If you are going to live on a gluten-free diet, it is vital to know the types of foods to avoid and what alternatives exist. There are foods which do not necessarily contain gluten but may get contaminated with this protein during the process of harvesting. Oats are a perfect example because they are harvested using the same machinery as wheat. However, pure oat can be tolerated by people suffering from coeliac disease. Gluten-free labels are now being tagged on most oats products including granola bars.
You may also have to avoid sauces and soups because they have been found to contain hidden gluten. The reason for this even with there being no gluten in the primary sources of soups is that wheat, which is enriched with gluten, ends up being used as the thickener. When buying canned sauces or soups, pay keen attention to the cream-based products.Farm produce that includes fresh fruits and vegetables are naturally gluten-free foods. Processed fruits, as well as vegetables, may end up with gluten; hence you should consider avoiding them especially if you have coeliac disease. Other farm produces such as packaged potatoes that have been frozen may not always be free of gluten. Therefore, read the label carefully if you are gluten-sensitive when considering to buy any of these products.
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Hristina Nikolovska is the appointed Community Manager at MedAlertHelp. Using her extensive background in digital marketing, as well as her social media and public relations experience, Hristina’s passion is to help bring trust and credibility to her company’s customers. When she’s not working for MedAlertHelp, she enjoys traveling around Europe and relaxing in one of the many Insta-friendly cafés while writing about the many things that spark her interest.