Coeliac Awareness Week is almost here – 13-20 March. Men, as well as women, need to understand that coeliac disease is a very serious condition. Untreated, it can lead to other health conditions such as liver disease and cancer that can, in some cases, prove fatal. Coeliac disease affects at least one in 100 people, or nearly a quarter of a million of the population.  Diagnosis rates overall were poor, with four out of five coeliacs not aware that they had the disease. These are alarming statistics... ...Read more »

Food Standards Australian New Zealand has issued a recall of Vitality Bakehouse brand 210g gluten-free cookies, in Chocolate Mint and Vanilla Honey cookies, due to the detection of gluten in the product. The recall applies to all best-before dates for the product, across Victoria, NSW, the ACT, Queensland and Tasmania. Any consumers who have a gluten allergy or intolerance should not consume the product. According to FSANZ, the gluten in the cookies was detected during ‘laboratory testing’,... ...Read more »

Since 1974, in the U.S., the incidence of the disorder has doubled every 15 years. Researchers at the University of Maryland Center for Celiac Research recently found that the number of people carrying markers for celiac disease increased steadily, going from 1 in 501 people in 1974, to 1 in 219 in 1989. In 2003, the Celiac Research Center placed the number of people with the disease at 1 in 133. Celiac disease is triggered by consuming gluten, a protein found in wheat, barley and rye. Classic symptoms... ...Read more »

The worldwide market for gluten-free products is set to grow by US$1.2 billion over the next five years, to a total worth of over US$4.3 billion, according to predictions by consumer analyst group Datamonitor. Research suggests that the Australian gluten-free market will be grow to a total of US$98.6 million – one of the highest rates in the Asia-Pacific region, second only to Korea. “There is a wider audience for a gluten-free diet, greatly outnumbering those suffering from coeliac disease.... ...Read more »