The organisation representing Coeliac Disease sufferers in Australia is advocating the Australian government revise the “Gluten Free” standard in Australia. The organisation Coeliac Australia had approached both Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) and the Australian Competition Consumer Commission (ACCC) with the aim of altering the “Gluten Free” standard to “less than 20ppm”. The organisation made a similar submission to the body developing Australia’s national food plan. In... ...Read more »

In a world first, Australian sugar cane is being made into a new gluten-free, low-sugar, high-fibre flour substitute, with a production line swinging into action this week. The breakthrough technology was developed by KFSU Pty Ltd, an Australian company at Ayr, near Townsville in Queensland, after five years of research and millions of dollars of investment. The first commercial production of the flour began at the KFSU factory in Ayr this week, using sugar cane harvested from the surrounding Burdekin... ...Read more »

Rising diagnosis rates of coeliac disease, combined with an increased awareness of the perceived benefits of a gluten-free diet, are driving growth in the free-from sector in the UK. Euromonitor forecasts that the gluten-free sector will grow by almost 10% between 2011 and 2015 to become a channel worth GBP95.5m (US$155.2m) a year. According to Norma McGough, head of diet & health at charity Coeliac UK, some 14,000 people are newly diagnosed each year, a number which she says was “assumed... ...Read more »

The US Food and Drug Administration has proposed standard definitions for manufacturers who want to label their products as being gluten-free. The FDA said yesterday (2 August) that it is proposing that foods bearing the claim cannot contain “20 parts per million or more” gluten. The agency said the limit was based on the available methods for gluten detection, as current methods cannot reliably detect the amount of gluten in a food when the level was less than 20ppm. The threshold is... ...Read more »

A new website, eFarmersMarket, is aiming to bring fresh Australian-made artisan food products to the doorstep of busy Australians everywhere. The website, launching this month, features a range of 750 all-Australian products, including messages from producers about their products and how they are produced. A huge variety of products are available, from an antipasto to sweets, with sections specifically for organic and gluten free products. eFarmersMarket endeavours to source all natural products... ...Read more »

Kellogg Company has announced that it will commence US sales of a gluten free version of its popular Rice Krispies breakfast cereal, known in Australia as Rice Bubbles. “Kellogg is pleased to announce plans for the launch of our first-ever gluten-free cereal – Rice Krispies Gluten Free – which should start hitting store shelves by early June,” said Doug VanDeVelde, senior vice president of marketing and innovation at Kellogg. “We heard the strong desire from people within the... ...Read more »

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 »

A new survey by Sainsbury’s has found that 37% of Brits cite cooking and entertaining for guests as the most stressful part of celebrating Christmas. A further 42% are worried about the costs of cooking for extra numbers, and 20% say that gluten free is the trickiest diet to cater for – beating vegetarianism and veganism. With 1 in 4 Brits now suffering from a food intolerance or allergy, more UK households than ever will prepare different meals on the big day for guests or abandon Christmas... ...Read more »

WBC Bircher muesli has released a new gluten-free museli, designed as a nutritionally-optimised breakfast option for coeliac sufferers and those who prefer a gluten-free taste. The museli uses uncooked rolled rice in place of oats, with added almonds, walnuts, sunflower seeds and pepitas (roasted Mexican-style pumpkin seeds), as well as cranberries, coconuts and sultanas for a sweet twist. In addition to being gluten-free, the muesli is high in fibre, protein and omega fatty acids. WBC is available... ...Read more »

Australia’s largest free-range chicken producer Lilydale has launched its first processed meat products, with their new premium gluten-free sausage range. The gourmet sausages are available in two varieties, Traditional Chicken and Basil & Sweet Chilli Chicken, retailing at $6.99 for a tray of eight sausages (375 grams), and will be available from Coles (excluding WA), independent supermarkets, Harris Farm Markets and Thomas Dux Grocers. “We think Australians will love our free range... ...Read more »