Eating out is simply too risky for many

In 2008, Coeliac UK, the national charity supporting people with coeliac disease, is highlighting the problem faced by many people who know going out for a meal could be a serious threat to their health due to misconceptions surrounding gluten intolerance and ignorance about what ‘gluten-free’ really means.

Coeliac disease is an autoimmune disease caused by intolerance to gluten, which causes inflammation in the lining of the large intestine. There is no cure or medication for the disease and the only treatment is to follow a strict gluten-free diet; so for the hundreds of thousands of people in the UK, being careful about what they eat is not just a faddy diet – it is an essential way of life. Without a gluten-free diet, the disease can lead to other conditions, such as osteoporosis, infertility or bowel cancer.

If someone with coeliac disease accidentally eats gluten, they are likely to be unwell within just two hours; the symptoms can often be very aggressive and include severe diarrhoea and vomiting, which can last from three to seven days.
Unfortunately, the catering industry is lagging behind the food manufacturing industry (which increasingly is offering more gluten-free food products), with many restaurants, catering establishments and even hospitals having little or no understanding of the need to offer gluten-free meals.

Gluten is a protein found in wheat (including spelt), rye and barley, and can be found in bread, pasta, cakes, biscuits, and beer; however, it can also be found in a wide range of less obvious products, including soy sauce, sausages, gravy and mayonnaise.

People with coeliac disease are not only faced with the possibility of becoming seriously ill if they unwittingly eat gluten, they are frequently treated like fussy second class citizens, much like vegetarians were in the 1970s. They are often told that a restaurant can’t provide them with anything to eat – or that an item is gluten-free when in fact it is not.

Furthermore, with the number of people being diagnosed with the disease increasing year on year, the food sector is losing out financially, as the majority of people with the condition, plus their families and friends, are choosing not to eat out in order to protect their health. 67 per cent of respondents in a survey carried out by Oxford University said that were less likely to eat out after they had been diagnosed with coeliac disease.

Coeliac UK will launch its campaign on Monday, 12 May 2008 to highlight to the catering sector (including restaurants, schools, hospitals and care homes) and to the Government the importance of offering clearly defined gluten-free meals. There will be a variety of local initiatives and activities across the UK including gluten-free challenges, information packs and a competition for UK chefs to design the best gluten-free recipe.

Sarah Sleet, Chief Executive of Coeliac UK, says: ‘We hope the awareness campaign will give greater understanding of the need to recognise the on-going health concerns that people with coeliac disease face, even the smallest amount of gluten in a meal can cause an extreme reaction and make someone very ill. It is time for catering industry to wake up and realise that there is a substantial niche market that they are missing out on, and for people with the disease to be able to enjoy a meal out without the fear of becoming ill.’

www.coeliac.co.uk

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