If suffer from celiac disease or are allergic to gluten, a a type of protein found in certain grains, then you are aware of how hard it can be to go shopping for that you can eat. It's common for most foods to not be labeled for containing gluten. Foods can appear to be gluten-free, only to have gluten contaminated ingredients. More difficulties can happen when food is packaged and handled on the same equipment of gluten containing foods. Even trace amounts of gluten are enough to make people with celiac disease ill.
Food manufacturers and shopping markets are making a greater effort of carrying special gluten-free foods. Nevertheless, the attempts are not nearly enough. Until recently, most people who had to avoid gluten were frequently left guessing on what foods were OK to consume or they needed to eat what seemed to be a very clean diet of essentially rice, meats, and fruits and vegetables.
Unfortunately there is no single worldwide description for the phrase gluten-free. However, there are an increasing amount of groceries on the market that are being labeled gluten-free. This is a more common practice in Canada and parts of Europe where special labeling regulations are in place that identifies which foods and ingredients are allowed and not allowed to be called gluten-free.
In Europe, Codex Commission approved 20 ppm as a safe threshold for gluten in gluten-free products. The amount was previously 200ppm so this is a significant improvement for those with celiac disease or gluten intolerance.
It is estimated that one in 133 people in the United States have celiac disease, but only around 40,000 to 60,000 Americans have been diagnosed. The average in Europe is one in 300 people with one in 200 in Germany and one in 100 in the United Kingdom.
So until better testing and labeling are a commonplace, what are those of us who need to avoid gluten in our foods to do? One choice would be to eat a very Spartan diet. The other is to take the responsibility to educate yourself and your loved ones on which foods are gluten-free.
There are many ways to learn more about eating a gluten-free diet. One way is to meet with a dietitian about food allergies. There are a ton of blogs out there dedicated to living gluten-free. There are also many websites that share gluten-free recipes. These can be very helpful. There are even gluten-free shopping guides that help you pick out gluten-free foods at the grocery store.
Author Resource:-
The author recommends visiting Cecelia's Marketplace to learn more about gluten-free living.
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