Gluten free food labelling UK

[Doggywalker]

Is anyone else finding the newer food labelling here in the UK lets them down? I notice that it now rarely mentions gluten which can be a real pain around Oats! I can have gluten free oats but not oats if they contain gluten. A while ago I was having a dairy free oat milk, not realising it contained gluten. The only thing that signifies it contains gluten is that the word Oats on the ingredients list is in bold. But in products where the oats are gluten free, the word is not bold, and often there is no other distinguishing mark. After a while I realised why I was feeling so unwell (I'm dairy & gluten intolerant) & stopped having oatly products!

However, I've just been to a dinner hosted by a friend, she went to a great deal of trouble to find out what my dietary needs were, but when I said I could have gluten free oat products she sounded so confident about that I didn't feel it needed further explanation!! - Oops! Bad mistake. (I saw the box that was used) I crawled home last night & can't eat properly today. She'd made a beautiful meal, but made the same mistake I'd made a while back. It made me realise why it's so important to have a clear labelling system. People who are catering for friends have to know so much information in order to provide a safe meal!

Has anyone else had trouble with this?

[Cooper27]

This is frustrating, sorry you were caught out by this.

Thankfully someone alerted us about oat milk a while ago, because coffee shops were rolling it out, and it was leading to cross contamination (the steamer mechanisms and jugs aren't thoroughly cleaned between customers).

I generally assume all oats are contaminated, unless they specifically say "gluten free", but it's awful if you're finding some that don't say it and that aren't bold.

[Cooper27 in reply to Cooper27]

By the way, I just happened on this company, who seem to make gluten free oat milk, if oat milk is your preference:glebefarmfoods.co.uk/produc...

[Doggywalker in reply to Cooper27]

Thanks, sounds good. Rice milk is my preference, but it's not great in coffee or cooking! So sometimes I have to use other things, hence the oat milk. Looks like this is a good product.

[BabsyWabsy]

Oats can be an issue. They contain avenin rather than gluten, but can be cross contaminated with wheat by methods at harvest. For example they may be in the next field and wheat dust blows across, or they may use the same combine harvester for both crops. This is not a labelling issue as such because unless precautions are taken to grow gluten free oats, and they are tested to check for gluten contamination, they cannot legally be labelled as gluten free. Gluten free status has to be verified.

[Researchfan]

Hi Doggywalker.Can be frustrating two steps forward one step back and all that. Hope you’re recovered.

As far as family friends my sister in law recently said to me don’t invite us round because she doesn’t know what I can eat!! They have very different typical diet of pasta and pizza and sandwiches anyway and sweet stuff and doesn’t cook really so I’m glad lol. I tend to cook from scratch for the most part basic fish meat veg salad etc. Biscuits is my vice and so hard to find decent gf ones. The Nairn’s oat chunky coconut choc chip are quite good I think - like a real biscuit I recently tried.

I’m wheat, gluten, soya plus other allergies free. I was dairy free after being allergic/intolerant to the protein in milk. Recently been reintroduced slowly and I’m eliminating dairy again as not doing too good at the moment. (Then again maybe it’s the oats based biscuits I’ve been eating).

Oats are a tricky one. I personally eliminated them in the past and didn’t make any difference (or so I thought). But now and again gf biscuits made with gf oats either ok with or they knock my tummy off. Same with porridge oats labelled gluten free - sometimes ok sometimes not. When it comes to reading labels, if in doubt leave it out. I’ve never tried oatly. I tried rude health oat drink - and no that didn’t agree with me personally. I like hemp milk or hazelnut when can get it.

I think the Australian rules are the best and oats are a no no. There under 4parts per million gluten free law should be over here not the eu under 20ppm. Too high. Makes me wonder now sometimes oats ok sometimes not, well makes sense now. The uk grows oats and wheat. Oats even gluten free ones are likely contaminated with wheat all the time (my opinion). Like BabsyWabsy said relating to how oats and wheat grown and harvested. Certified gf oats are just that as long as been tested to be below 20ppm. Personally I think the new labelling is a good thing - enlightening, albeit confusing; as now can see gluten free products stating not suitable for wheat allergy. But that says it all! Manufacturing of such products are keeping within the law 20ppm for gluten intolerant. It’s a whole whole other issue whether that level of allowable gluten in gluten free is actually suitable for the individual with coeliac disease, non-coeliac gluten sensitivity. Definitely not suitable for wheat allergic.

Grains, in general as a suitable food, to be or not to be?

Sorry for going on!

X

[Babette]

I've started making my own oat milk. It's really easy, produces less waste, and a lot cheaper than buying it. And I know they're gluten free!

[CATRYNA49]

I certainly have until I decided to go completely grain free. That makes it easier for me and helps others as well. No grain/no pain. When I want an alternative to raw goat milk, I make cashew milk.

[Researchfan]

Yeah, just checked and most oats contaminated with wheat barley rye. Mainly barley apparently. Here’s the research,journals.lww.com/eurojgh/Ab...

So probably a case of how sensitive someone is to either avenin in oats themselves, or gluten free certified oats that may/are allowed to contain upto 20ppm. I don’t think there is any oat producer in the world that certifies 0ppm gluten in oats. Something to be aware of if you don’t do well with even gf oats. 😳

[Ukulelelady1]

It is terribly frustrating and I don’t think the industry is doing enough to protect coeliac or those intolerant to wheat. You are lucky though, if you can eat gluten free oats. I had my suspicion that they caused me as much trouble as ordinary oats, and I’m just steering clear on the off chance as the ‘gluten free’ oats I had, might not have been gluten free after all, and I’m not prepared to play Russian roulette.

[chrissy30]

For coeliacs oats can be a problem anyway gluten free even. My older sister and I are both coeliacs but she can tolerate gluten free oats but I can't. I'm very sensitive to any gluten and had been diagnosed in my 40's after years of suffering tummy problems so I'm very strict with my diet. Even things like Mushrooms if cultivated in fertiliser containing any gluten can set me off and it's a shame as I like mushrooms. But I'd rather be safe than sorry. I became extremely ill in the end and developed Dermatitis Herpetiformis (DH for short) rash which Coeliacs can develop. My bones became osteoporotic as well and I had anaemia and terrible Migraine headaches where I'd be in bed for 5 days out of each month or so. I was given morphine for pain and it was horrendous. I was sent to the dermatology clinic in Canterbury and thankfully a doctor from South Africa recognised the 'rash' and I was referred for blood tests and it showed the antibodies for Coeliac disease. Then sent to see the gastroenterologist. So one has to be extremely careful if one is coeliac or sensitive to gluten or oats or both. Always check before eating anything. I can manage at home but when we go out I take sandwiches. With relatives they know to be careful. I don't eat in restaurants due to the risks of cross contamination on even cutlery as some are not that fussy on washing up. But it's good to be warned by other's experiences. Thanks.

[cranberryt]

I am in the US so I am sure our labeling is different. Here we have a “Certified Gluten Free” icon which indicates the food was independently tested and proven to have no gluten. I haven’t been brave enough to try oats yet, but if I do it will have to have that icon.