News Flash

Do you find labels like ''may contain wheat,"or "made in a plant that also processes wheat" confusing? You can tell the FDA why at a public hearing on advisory-labeling that will be held on Sept 16. Go to www.cfsan.fda.gov and click on Allergens to register.

The hearing is designed for consumers with allergies and does not mention those who follow the gluten-free diet. But advisory labels play a role in the gluten-free diet because they can make it difficult to determine if a product is safe.

Information gathered from consumers and food processors at the hearing will be used to develop a long-term strategy for use of advisory labels, according to the FDA.

Editor and publisher, Ann Whelan will share her expertise on the growth in the gluten-free market at the third annual Gluten-Free Culinary Summit on September 19, 2008. For more information on this summit, www.theglutenfreelifestyle.com/Gluten-Free%20Culinary%20Summit/schedule.php

Information on how to get gluten-free school lunches for children with celiac disease is now available on the American Celiac Disease Alliance website.

Included is:
- A model 504 plan developed in conjunction with the Disability Rights Educational Defense Fund;
- Physician forms and information about special diets at school specific to each state;
- A sample physician statement;
- A sample gluten-free lunch menu.

The ACDA, a celiac advocacy group, went to experts in federal nutrition programs, school food service and disability rights for its information. In addition to parents, the website is designed to help teachers, administrators and food service workers.

The ACDA recently completed a survey that found that 90 percent of families send their child to school with a packed gluten-free lunch. Schools routinely tell parents their child does not qualify for gluten-free lunches or the school simply will not provide them, the survey found. Consequently, the majority of families do not approach the school about special accommodations for the gluten-free diet, according to the ACDA. 

But some children have 504 plans and have been able to get gluten-free lunches. The ACDA says this proves that when schools are pressed and realize they are required by law to accommodate the gluten-free diet, they do so. Still, the numbers are small and the ACDA is working to get all schools to offer gluten-free lunches to students with celiac disease. 

You'll find information about school lunches at www.americanceliac.org (click on school resources) or at www.americanceliac.org/studentscd.htm.

Pesky "may contain" labels that complicate grocery shopping and limit food choices for those who follow the gluten-free diet came under scrutiny Tuesday at a public hearing by the Food and Drug Administration.

Consumer and food industry representatives both told the FDA that the advisory labels are being used more often by food companies and ignored more frequently by confused consumers.

When the top eight food allergens, including wheat, are used as an ingredient in food they must be listed on the food label under the Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act. But the law does not cover allergens that accidentally get into food through cross-contamination. Companies sometimes voluntarily warn consumers about the potential for contamination by using the "may contain" labels.

Scott Mandell, president of the gluten-free food company Enjoy Life Foods, summed up the problem for gluten-free and allergic consumers. "Grocery stores are still a dangerous minefield," he said.

The FDA held the hearing to find out what makes a company use an advisory label, whether the labels are effective and how consumers would like to see them worded.

Although the hearing focused on food allergies, the labels present the same challenges to those who follow the gluten-free diet. Some gluten-free products also have advisory statements that say "Made in a plant that also produces wheat," or "Made on share equipment that also produces wheat." Also, many mainstream foods that appear to be gluten-free from the ingredients list also use the warning labels, making it hard to determine if they are actually safe for those who follow the gluten free diet. 

Industry representatives said "may contain" labels are supposed to protect allergic and intolerant consumers from risk and let them know they should not eat the product. But consumer advocates said many believe the advisory statements are really designed to protect companies from legal liability, do not understand them and simply ignore them. 

The FDA said the hearing is the first step in getting food manufacturers to use truthful, clear and effective advisory labels. The agency will accept public comments on advisory labels until January 14, 2009.

Submit written comments to:
Division of Dockets Management (HFA-305)
Food and Drug Administration
5630 Fishers Lane, Room 1061
Rockville, MD 20852.

Submit electronic comments to www.regulations.gov.

Note Docket number FDA-2008-N-0429 in all comments.

Watch for more detailed information about the hearing and the problem with "may contain" labels in the next issue of Gluten-Free Living, due out in December.

In a story published Friday about the way foods that contain allergens are often mislabeled, the Chicago Tribune focused on a company whose chicken nuggets were labeled gluten free but actually contained wheat.

The story said the Food and Drug Administration and the US Department of Agriculture “fail to police store shelves” for products like Wellshire Kids' Dinosaur Shapes Chicken Bites. It said a “Tribune investigation revealed that the government rarely inspects food to find problems and doesn't punish companies that repeatedly violate labeling laws.”

The chicken bites and two more Wellshire Farm products that were labeled gluten free were tested in an independent laboratory and found to contain from 204 to 2,200 parts per million of gluten. The chicken bites, chicken corn dogs and beef corn dogs are no longer being produced by the company. 

Problems with the gluten- free products were discovered by mothers of two children with wheat allergies who suffered severe allergic reactions to the wheat in the chicken bites and had to go to the emergency room for treatment, according to the Tribune story. .
Subsequently, the mothers contacted the USDA, the FDA and the company but were largely ignored.

Currently, there are no specific regulations that govern foods that are labeled gluten free aside from a general rule that labels have to be truthful and not misleading. A much clearer definition is being considered by the FDA as part of the 2004 Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act. If the proposed definition becomes final, foods labeled gluten free would have to be tested to prove they contain less than 20 parts per million of gluten.

The FDA would have the authority to inspect food manufacturing plants and to prosecute companies whose “gluten-free” products don’t meet the requirements of the definition. Although FALCPA set an August, 2008 deadline for the definition, the FDA has yet to finalize it. FALCPA does not cover food regulated by the USDA, but the agency has said in the past that it would be likely to adopt the same rules for gluten free food.

The Tribune story faulted both the USDA and the FDA for not enforcing existing labeling laws. The Tribune story said “an alarming number of products sold as allergen-free actually contain harmful amounts.”   To read the Chicago Tribune story, click on the following link, Children at risk in food roulette. 

A second story about “may contain” labels and the problems they create for allergic and gluten-free consumers appeared Sunday in the Tribune.  To read the story, click on the following link,  A recipe for disaster

For the first reaction to the Tribune story from a gluten-free food maker, read what Scott Mandell, president of Enjoy Life Foods, has to say by clicking on the following link:
Enjoy Life(R) Foods CEO Says Tribune Investigation on Mislabeling ...
MarketWatch - USA

The American Celiac Disease Alliance has applauded the Chicago Tribune for raising awareness of problems with allergen and gluten-free labeling in two recent stories published by the newspaper. In a letter to the editor, the ACDA said the articles exposed serious problems that can be caused by mislabeled food. The celiac advocacy group also praised the paper for demanding stricter oversight of food labeling.

The Tribune stories included independent laboratory test results that showed several chicken products labeled gluten-free actually contained gluten.  Click to read the ACDA letter. 

Kinnikinnick, a Canadian company that has been making gluten-free food for 17 years, responded to the stories by detailing the steps it takes to ensure its products are gluten free. The company, which sells its products extensively in the US, has a dedicated gluten-free plant and tests its all of its foods. For full details go Kinnikinnick's Blog.

Steven Singer, president and found of Glutino food group, said labeling problems "break the confidence of consumers" who depend on gluten-free and allergen-free foods. He released a statement that outlines the production and testing steps taken to make sure Glutino and Gluten-Free Pantry brand products are gluten free. Click on Glutino for full details.

You have one more week to tell the FDA what you think of "may contain" labels. The agency will accept public comments on advisory labels until January 14, 2009.

Submit written comments to:
Division of Dockets Management (HFA-305)
Food and Drug Administration
5630 Fishers Lane, Room 1061
Rockville, MD 20852.
Submit electronic comments to www.regulations.gov. Note Docket number FDA-2008-N-0429 in all comments.

Advisory labels are used voluntarily by food companies to warn consumers when an allergen might accidentally be in a food because of cross contamination. When the top eight food allergens, including wheat, are purposely used in a food they have to be included in the ingredients list under the Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act. But the law does not cover allergens from cross-contamination.

Some gluten-free products have advisory statements that say "Made in a plant that also produces wheat," or "Made on share equipment that also produces wheat." Also, many mainstream foods that appear to be gluten-free from the ingredients list also use the warning labels, making it hard to determine if they are actually safe for those who follow the gluten free diet.

The FDA held a hearing last year as a start to the process of reviewing use of advisory labels. Consumer and food industry representatives both told the FDA that the advisory labels are being used more often by food companies and ignored more frequently by confused consumers.

Starbuck is looking for consumer comments on the possibility of offering more gluten-free foods in its stores. Go to Starbucks blog to add your suggestions. http://blogs.starbucks.com/blogs/customer/archive/2009/01/08/happy-new-year-from-the-food-team.aspx

On the blog, Starbucks says it has been testing gluten-free items in some of its stores and they have been very popular. Now they want the gluten-free customer to answer the following questions:

• What specific gluten-free products would you like to see in our stores?
• Would you prefer to see it individually packaged or unpackaged?
• How would you like to learn we have gluten-free products? For example, would you like to see it on a sign or would you prefer the barista tell you?
• Where would you like to see gluten-free products in the store; in the pastry case or placed elsewhere?
• The ingredient costs of gluten-free products tend to be higher, so would you understand if we charged more for the gluten-free version?

Just think of it! You meet your friends for coffee at Starbucks and you can have a little bite to eat along with everyone else. To make it more likely this daydream will become reality get going and send your comments now.

Gluten-free pizza is now on the menu at Uno Chicago Grill restaurants nationwide. The restaurant chain decided to offer the pizza at all 200 of its locations because it was so popular in Uno's test market.

In a press release, the restaurant said it received "very positive feedback from guests who suffer from celiac disease."

"Food allergies are a very serious, sometimes life threatening issue for many Americans," Uno CEO Frank Guidara said in the release. "Pizza is our signature product, and we wanted to offer a gluten-free pizza so all of our guests could enjoy it when dining at Uno."

Guidara said it took a year to come up with the right recipe for the pizza. He said the restaurant wanted a gluten-free version that did not sacrifice flavor.

Richard Hendrie, Uno senior vice president of marketing, said the demand for the gluten-free pizza was so strong in the test market that the restaurant chain decided to "pull out all the stops" to make it available in all its restaurants.

In addition to the gluten-free pizza, Uno offers a separate gluten-free menu in its restaurants.

A Florida support group is offering to help buy gluten-free food for celiacs in their community who are facing financial difficulty.

The Palm Beach County Celiac Support Group's new Gluten-Free Food Assistance program will provide a $25 monthly credit voucher to South Florida residents who have celiac disease or dermatitis herpetiformis and are living at or below the poverty line. The voucher can be used at designated stores to buy gluten-free items.

Phyllis Kessler, PBC support group president, said the current poor economy spurred the launch of the program. Kessler was shopping for her favorite gluten-free bread, a $10 loaf that is her one splurge, when the idea for the voucher came to her.

"I thought, 'How does someone who is laid-off buy this when they have to conserve?'" she said.  The support group calculated that the $25-per-month voucher could help with gluten-free needs, including bread and cereal. The vouchers will be paid for with money raised through a recent successful food expo and other fund-raising projects. 

Applicants must provide proof of income that meets federal poverty guideline levels and/or proof of participation in other public assistance programs, including food stamps, federal public housing assistance or Medicaid. The PBC board of directors will then determine who qualifies for the assistance program. All information provided as part of the application process will be strictly confidential.

This year, the group, a chapter of the Celiac Disease Foundation, will accept up to 30 participants. It hopes to double that number next year.

Kessler is also looking for the program to spread beyond her own group. "I hope other celiac support groups across the country do something similar," she said.  South Florida residents who are interested in applying should contact Kessler at 561-637-0396 or Pkessler23@aol.com.

With the widespread recall of products made with salmonella-tainted peanut butter from Peanut Corporation of America it's hard to know what is safe to eat.

Fortunately for those who follow the gluten-free diet, major brands of peanut butter in a jar are not part of the recall. And many of the products, like cookies and crackers, that are being recalled are not gluten-free to begin with. But there are some you should be aware of, including several brands of ice cream.

For a round-up of many of the companies that have announced contamination problems, as well as those that have issued statements saying their products are safe, go to Progressive Grocer.

The Food and Drug Administration also has a web page with an up-to-date list of all products that have been recalled. Go to the FDA website. http://www.fda.gov/oc/opacom/hottopics/salmonellatyph.html#products.

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Gluten-Free Living's new issue can help you plan healthy meals, determine if your medicine is gluten free and use new technology to improve your gluten-free life.

And for the first time, Gluten-Free Living will be available in select Wegmans supermarkets.

If you've made a commitment to healthy, gluten-free eating based on nutritious and delicious food, our articles on beans are perfect for you. You'll find everything you ever wanted to know about including beans in your gluten-free meals in stories by nutrition expert Anne Lee and recipe master Jackie Mallorca.

We also have details on how celiac disease affects your bones in our story about osteoporosis. Find out why it's so important to pay attention to bone health after your diagnosis.

Are you interested in learning how to use you cell phone or iPod in your gluten-free kitchen? We have all the details on how you can put technology to work for you. Even kids get in on the action. Read how video games can teach cooking techniques to the young and young-at-heart.

You'll find the second part of our series about gluten in medications in our story about over-the-counter drugs.

And popular blogger Maureen Stanley shares her story about the way the Internet expanded her gluten-free community and how it can do the same for you.

Plus there are lots more. We continue our regular coverage of gluten-free labeling in our story looking into the problems a beleaguered FDA might have enforcing any definition of "gluten free." And in our "On Your Plate" column you will finds answers to questions about everything from movie theater popcorn to mushrooms.

Click here to become a subscriber so you don’t miss these great stories!

You'll find a lot of other important information on our website, including a news flash about a program that offers help with the cost of gluten-free food to those facing hard times. You'll also find our Blog, where we've recently written about everything from a move to ban treats from school to the importance of rice to the connection between "Slumdog Millionaire" and a gluten-free lifestyle. And here's a link to our Twitter account, where you'll find us posting as gfliving!

Whether you have Irish in your blood or just in your heart, it’s always fun to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day on March 17. Luckily for those who follow the gluten-free diet, traditional corned beef and cabbage recipes are almost always gluten free. Of course, potatoes are naturally gluten free. And those cute candies that look just like little Irish potatoes are also usually gluten free. You’ll find a simple recipe below.

If you have been dreaming about Irish soda bread - a quick bread made with flour, baking soda instead of yeast, buttermilk, raisins and sometimes caraway seeds - you can make your own gluten-free version. Whole Foods has a recipe on its website  and we’ve included a recipe based on a pancake mix below. 

Corned beef itself is most likely gluten free. Here are a few brands that are either labeled “gluten free” or say so on their company websites:
• Grobbel's Gourmet corned beef briskets.
• Wegmans corned beef brisket. Wegmans even notes that the corned beef is gluten free in the sales flyers it sends through the newspaper.
• Thuman’s cooked corn beef brisket, first cut corned beef (cooked and raw), top round corned beef (cooked), cap and capless corned beef. All are certified gluten free by the Gluten Intolerance Group.
• Freirich, all corned beef .
• Colorado Premium, all corned beef products.
• Safeway, Butchers cut bulk-wrapped corned beef brisket, corn beef brisket, vac-packed cooked corn beef. 

But even brands not on this list are likely to be gluten free. Read the ingredients and make sure any seasoning packet is gluten free, which it will be if it includes only spices. You may find natural flavorings listed. Natural flavorings are only very rarely made with any gluten-containing ingredients.

If you don’t have a favorite family recipe for corned beef and cabbage, there are many available online. You’ll find crock pot recipes at recipezaar.com and on the blog “A year of crock pot cooking” .  If you would rather cook your corned beef on the stove top go to wholefoods.com  for a recipe.

Irish Soda Bread
(From the package of Gluten-Free Pantry Brown Rice pancake and waffle mix)

Entire bag of pancake mix
2 eggs
¾ cup of low-fat milk
2 Tbs. melted butter or vegetable oil
¾ cup of raisins, soaked in hot water and drained
2tsp. caraway seeds (optional)
2 tsp. orange rind (optional)
1 Tbs. melted butter to brush on top of bread

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Empty contents of one bag of mix into medium mixing bowl. Combine eggs, milk and 2 Tbs. butter or oil and beat into mix. Fold in raisins, caraway seeds, and orange rind. Spread into a lightly oiled, 8-inch cake pan. Bake 35-40 minutes or until the top is brown. Brush with remaining butter. Cool slightly and cut into wedges.

Irish Potato Candy
(This recipe has been around for a long time. No matter where you find it, it almost always relies on the same ingredients)

1/4 c. (1/2 stick) softened butter
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 tsp. vanilla
1 lb. box confectioners' sugar
1 (7 oz.) bag flaked coconut
Ground cinnamon

Cream butter and cream cheese. Beat in the vanilla and confectioners' sugar, then the coconut. Roll into balls the size of a walnut. Roll in cinnamon and refrigerate until firm. Makes 3 dozen

Three new flavors of Chex cereal are now gluten-free. 

Corn, Cinnamon, and Honey Nut Chex are new gluten-free flavors being made by General Mills. They join Rice Chex, which has been gluten-free nationwide for almost a year.

The cereals have started to show up in supermarkets, but it's not clear how widely they are being distributed. All the flavors may not be available in your area yet.

The Chex cereals are clearly labeled "gluten free" on either the front or side of the box. Older boxes that contain barley malt flavoring and are not gluten free may still be on store shelves, so make sure you see "gluten free" on the label.

When General Mills introduced gluten-free Rice Chex, the company said its success would determine if any new gluten-free products would be added. At the time, Rohan Thakur, Chex cereal market manager, said it would make sense to develop Corn Chex as the next gluten-free cereal.
In the new gluten-free flavors of Chex, brown sugar syrup replaces barley malt flavoring. In Rice Chex, molasses replaces the malt flavoring. Previously, malt flavoring was the only ingredient in Rice and Corn Chex that contained gluten.

The company began taking steps to prevent cross-contamination when it made Rice Chex gluten free. At the time, Thakur said the cereal was being tested to make sure it met the Food and Drug Administration's proposed gluten-free standard of 20 parts per million.

Although Strawberry Chex does not have a gluten-free label, there are no gluten-containing ingredients in the cereal's ingredient list. Molasses is listed as a flavoring and there is no malt syrup.

If you go to the General Mills website, you might be confused by the status of the new cereal since the new gluten-free label does not appear on the boxes picture there. Also, the ingredients lists for corn, honey nut and cinnamon flavors still include barley malt flavoring. But the website advises consumers to rely on the package they see in the store because product formulation can change.

No one from General Mills was available to comment on the new flavors.

Watch for Betty Crocker gluten-free mixes for cakes, cookies, and brownies on supermarket shelves beginning about June 1.

A customer service representative said General Mills has developed Betty Crocker brand brownie, chocolate-chip cookie and devil's food and yellow cake mixes.

No set price was available, but the customer service representative said they will most likely be more expensive than wheat flour mixes sold by the company.

She said General Mills made information about the mixes available to customer service representatives this week after a blogger who taste-tested the products posted information about them on the Internet. As news of the products leaked, the Betty Crocker consumer help-line received a flurry of calls.

The gluten-free products will be made in a separate facility to prevent cross-contamination from the wheat flour used in regular Betty Crocker baking mixes. The ingredients lists were not available.

Betty Crocker is also conducting a consumer survey about gluten-free products. If you call to ask about gluten-free items, you might be asked a few questions about the use of gluten-free food in your household. You can reach the consumer-help line at 800-446-1898.

This is the second time in a week that there has been news of new gluten-free products from General Mills. Earlier, word started to spread that the company has expanded its line of gluten-free Chex cereals with the introduction of gluten-free Corn, Honey Nut and Cinnamon Chex.

Although not officially launched, the cereals are now available in some supermarkets.

You can see evidence of the growing gluten-free market everywhere you look.

Now, a new report by market research publisher Packaged Facts has the numbers to show just how much growth there really is. 

The report says the gluten-free market has grown at an average annual rate of 28 percent since 2004, according to Progressive Grocer, a trade publication.  The market was valued at $580 million five years ago and reached $1.56 billion last year.

By 2012, it is expected to reach $2.6 billion in sales, according to the report, "The Gluten-Free Food and Beverage Market: Trends and Developments Worldwide. The report says growth will come from both new products and products reformulated to be gluten free.

And both consumers diagnosed with celiac disease and those who chose to follow the gluten-free diet for other health reasons are driving the growth.

Food Navigator, another industry publication, quoted the report as saying mainstream food manufacturers "have only just begun to aggressively pursue a gluten-free market strategy."

Still, the slow economy is expected to have some impact on sales. "Market growth will slow substantially due to the recession, slipping to a still sizeable 11 percent in 2009 and then bottoming out with 9 percent in 2010," Food Navigator said in its story on the report.

The Food and Drug Administration is conducting a new study to see how well consumers understand proposed gluten-free labels.

The agency plans to conduct a study to find out what gluten-free consumers think of statements like "free of gluten," "without gluten," and "no gluten." The FDA also wants to know what consumers think of advisory statements like, "made in a gluten-free facility."

Michael Herndon, an FDA spokesman, said the study is designed to test how effective gluten-free labeling options being considered by the agency are. The FDA is working on a definition for the gluten-free label because it is required to come up with one by Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act.

Specifically, the FDA wants to see if study participants understand what gluten-free labels mean or if the labels cause them to make incorrect assumptions about gluten-free food.

About 5,000 people will participate, including those have celiac disease or gluten intolerance or care for someone who does. A control group made up of participants who don't have celiac disease will be used for comparison. The FDA originally intended to select names from lists supplied by celiac support groups. However, the agency is currently reevaluating how to select participants. A panel of volunteers put together by a market research group will also participate.

The public can comment on way the study is set up until May 5. A Federal Register notice announcing the start of the study will be published about 60 days later and will include a new public comment period on labeling issues. This isn't the first time the FDA has asked gluten-free consumers for input on labels.

The FDA in 2005 held a hearing and took public comments from medical experts, food makers and consumers who were asked what they thought "gluten free" on a label should mean. The agency then proposed that foods labeled "gluten free" be held to a standard of less than 20 part per million of gluten.

But the FDA missed an August 2008 deadline for making the definition final because it was still conducting a detailed study of how much gluten can safely be allowed in gluten-free food.

Herndon said the safety assessment is done and has been reviewed by experts. The FDA is now looking at their suggestions and making changes before making the safety assessment available for public comment.

A review of the public comments should be the last step before a final definition is approved, but the FDA has not said how long that will take.

Herndon said the consumer study is not related to the safety assessment and should not delay the FDA's decision on a final definition for the "gluten free" label. However, he said that if the consumer study is finished before the final definition is approved, the results could convince the FDA to make some changes in the final definition.

Comment online on the design of the consumer survey, go to http://tinyurl.com/cw3s92.

Written comments can be sent to Division of Dockets Management (HFA-305),
Food and Drug Administration, 5630 Fishers Lane, Room 1061, Rockville, MD 20852. Include Docket number FDA-2009-N-0083 in your comments.

An increase in celiac disease diagnosis results in a decrease in healthcare costs, according to a new study by researchers at Columbia University.

The study, published in the Journal of Insurance Medicine, concluded that costs went down because those diagnosed with celiac disease needed fewer medical office visits, laboratory tests, diagnostic imaging and endoscopies.

“We now have evidence that the increased awareness and diagnosis of celiac disease would benefit not only the patients but would result in health care costs savings," said Peter HR Green, M.D., Professor of Clinical Medicine and Director, Celiac Disease Center at Columbia University Medical Center.
The recent study examined CIGNA HealthCare data from 1999 to 2003 and revealed reduced health care costs after the diagnosis of celiac disease. CIGNA has approximately 10.2 million enrolled members in the US.

Those who have celiac disease, but have not been diagnosed, often spend years going to doctors and having a variety of tests and procedures that do not eliminate their symptoms. In addition, undiagnosed celiac disease leads to a number of other medical conditions. Once celiac disease is diagnosed, it is treated with a gluten-free diet and symptoms disappear.

"There needs to be greater physician education in the various modes of presentation and manifestations of celiac disease and more use of the widely available screening blood tests that detect the disease," Green said.

The American Celiac Disease Alliance is urging those who follow the gluten-free diet to contact lawmakers about health care reform, including legislation that would eliminate the use of pre-existing conditions to deny health insurance coverage.

The ACDA said health insurance companies are willing to abandon use of pre-existing conditions if Congress passes a comprehensive health reform plan providing coverage to all Americans. 

“It is a strong signal to all of us that policymakers are ‘Getting It’ and understand the frustration and fear faced by the millions of Americans with chronic medical conditions like celiac disease, “ ACDA president Beth Hillson said. 

For more details, including information on how to contact your legislators about the Pre-existing Condition Patient Protection Act, go www.americanceliac.org/advocacy.htm.

Google News Alert for: celiac disease

Starbucks today announced that a gluten-free cake will be available at all Starbucks nationwide beginning May 5.

The company has been testing gluten-free items in some of its stores, but this is the first product to be offered everywhere. The launch was announced on Starbucks blog, called My Starbucks Idea: Ideas in Action. The blog says the gluten-free Orange Valencia Cake with Almonds was designed, named and merchandised based on consumer comments made on the blog.

The cake will be sold in the pastry case and labeled “gluten free,” two things consumers also said they wanted. 

Click to read Starbucks the full blog post.

A new report by a market analysis company calls celiac disease an “untapped” market that could be lucrative for companies that can develop a drug to treat it.

Lack of awareness, diagnosis, and interest from the pharmaceutical industry has kept celiac disease out of the limelight, according to the report by Datamonitor Group, an independent business information company.

The report estimates a drug to treat celiac disease will be launched in about five years, causing diagnosis rates to increase up to 60 percent. It says lack of awareness of celiac disease among primary care physicians explains why only about 5 percent of those thought to have it in the US and 25 percent in Europe have been diagnosed.

Drug sales could reach $8 billion by 2019 in seven major markets, says a summary of the report, Stakeholder Opinions-Celiac Disease , released today by reportlinker.com.

The report says various approaches to using medication to treat celiac disease are being developed, but most are still in early stages and are being done by small, venture-capital- backed biopharmaceutical companies. But it points to a drug being developed by Alba Therapeutics as having the potential of involving larger pharmaceutical companies.

Up to 60 percent of adults with celiac disease may not strictly follow the gluten-free diet, according to an article published in the new Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics journal.

Researchers from the University of Sunderland and Durham University in the England reviewed 38 existing studies of adherence to the gluten-free diet and found that 42 to 91 percent of those who participated said they strictly avoid all gluten.

Those most likely to stick to the diet strictly reported being members of an advocacy group and/or having regular dietetic follow up, researchers found. Cognitive, emotional and socio-cultural influences were also important.

There was no difference in adherence between those diagnosed through blood test screening and those diagnosed because of symptoms of celiac disease.

Strict adherence was lowest among ethnic minorities and those who had been diagnosed in childhood.

Researchers concluded that more rigorous research is needed to determine who is most likely to cheat on the gluten-free diet and how best to help them stick to it.

Healthcare reform needed

The compelling story of a health insurance company's decision to cancel coverage for a 17-year-old Chicago girl after she was diagnosed with celiac disease is reverberating through the celiac community.

The Chicago Tribune story  detailed the way American Community Mutual took away Brianna Rice's insurance coverage in February after having approved her as a customer the previous November.

According to the story, American Mutual went through Rice's medical records after her celiac disease diagnosis and canceled her policy because it found reports of dizziness, elevated cholesterol, fatigue and a persistent cough. The insurance company said Rice's parents lied on her original application because they did not report these conditions. The application would have been denied if the problems had been included, the company said. 

Gluten-free bloggers, as well as those who share stories on Twitter, have been buzzing about the story.

Also, the article drew nearly 150 comments on Tribune's website, many from others who have celiac disease. They questioned why an insurance company would deny coverage for a health condition that is managed solely by diet, with the additional cost of gluten-free food paid entirely by the patient. They also noted that once a person is diagnosed with celiac disease and follows the gluten-free diet, symptoms disappear and the need for addition medical treatment is minimal.

Many in the celiac community wrote that insurance decisions like this one, plus denial of coverage for pre-existing conditions like celiac disease are reasons they support healthcare reform.

The American Celiac Disease Alliance, a celiac disease advocacy group, has been pushing for healthcare reform support. In particular, the ADCA supports eliminating pre-existing conditions as a reason for health insurance denial and insurance coverage of dietitian services. Consultation with a dietitian about the gluten-free diet is important for someone newly diagnosed with celiac disease, according to the ACDA.

Blood samples collected half a century ago from Air Force recruits in Wyoming have helped Mayo Clinic researchers determine that celiac disease is four times more common than it was 50 years ago.

In a study published in the Journal of Gastroenterology researchers also found recruits who did not know they had celiac disease were four times more likely to die within 45 years than those who did not test positive.

Since celiac disease is occurring more often and results in higher death rates when not diagnosed, the lead author of the study called it a "significant public health issue."

Dr. Joseph Murray said the study suggests the general population should be tested for celiac disease, much the way it is tested for cholesterol and high blood pressure. He said the current approach of waiting for people to complain about symptoms before testing may need to change.

Murray, a gastroenterologist at the Mayo Clinic and well-know expert on celiac disease, said it's not clear why celiac disease is more common. "Something has changed in our environment," he said. The study did not address the reason for the increase. Some wonder whether is has to do with changes in wheat itself or if it could be traced to increased consumption of gluten through processed food.

Diagnosis of celiac disease has been rising in recent years as doctors have become more aware of its varied symptoms. But the Mayo clinic study was designed to detect increases or decreases in the incidence of the disease not its diagnosis.

Researchers tested blood from 9,133 healthy young adults collected at Warren Air Force base between 1948 and 1954 for antibodies those with celiac disease produce in reaction to gluten. They found 0.2 percent had undiagnosed celiac disease. These results were compared to recent blood tests of 12,768 subjects who were either born in the same years as the recruits or who were the same age as the recruits at the time their blood was drawn. Celiac disease was found four times more often in the new blood samples.

The study relied on the blood tests to determine if someone had celiac disease. However, patients who have positive blood tests for celiac disease also undergo a biopsy to determine whether villi in the small intestine are damaged before getting a definitive diagnosis.

For more details on the study, including a video interview with Murray click here.