What do you think about the choice of gluten & wheat free brands on UK supermarket shelves?

[Robin]

SURVEY LINK REMOVED.

Robin, please would you message me direct to explain who you are, who the survey is on behalf of and who will be using the results. Thank you.

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Hi Robin, my problem with the vast majority of free from products is they contain so many additives the list is far from free from.

I also don't like how much trans fats (saturated fat) so many gf cakes and biscuits contain.

The Hero food group control a huge amount of the gf market across the Eu. They own Juvela, Nutricia, trufree, Dr Schar, DS, Semper in Germany, to name a few. And they are the main provider of gf foods on prescription. So after filling in your questionaire I do not see the vast majority of gf foods as either healthy or nutritious. But highly processed and full of saturated fats and additives and not suitable for all coeliac because they can contain codex, oats or oat flour.

I would like to see better quality foods for coeliac and this is not a dig at you or your survey but my honest opinion.

I actually like Mrs Crimbles chocolate macaroons sometimes, so as an example here's the ingredients in Mrs Crimbles Bakewell slices:

Ingredients

Sugar, margarine [vegetable oils and fats (palm, coconut, rapeseed), water, emulsifier (mono and diglycerides of fatty acids), acidity regulator (citric acid), colour (beta- carotene)], rice flour, strawberry filling [sugar, straw berries, water, dextrose, invert sugar syrup, citric juice, thickeners (pectic, sodium alginate), modified starch, elderberry juice, flavouring, stabiliser (calcium citrate), preservative (potassium sorbate)], eggs, apricot jam [sugar , apricots, glucose-fructose syrup, water, stabilisers ( pectin, sodium alginate), acidity regulators (citric acid, asorbic acid), anti-oxidant (calcium citrate), flavourings, preservative (potassium sorbate)], coconut, potato starch, almonds (1%), rice starch, glycerine, raising agent (sodium bicarbonate), stabilisers (locust bean gum, pectin), water , dextrose, fructose, flavouring, salt, sorbitol, xylitol, glucose syrup, preservatives (potassium sorbate, sodium acetate, calcium acetate, calcium propionate), acidity regulators (citric acid, potassium

[Robin]

Hi Jerry,

Thank you so much for all your comments ...

... we will certainly pass them on to our clients for this piece of work. We are an independent market research company that works with food companies of all sizes. The survey is on behalf of one food company but the results will be used by them - with all the major retailers in the UK - to ensure they get the best possible mix of products on the shelves.

It is a common perception of convenient foods that they contain a lot of artificial additives, not least as they contain compound ingredients (margarine, jam etc). It feels as though free from products are particularly exposed to this perception as gluten & wheat free shoppers naturally scrutinise ingredient declarations, AND avoiding the use of wheat flour etc often necessitates a more complex recipe. The ingredients of the margarine alone are not easy on the eye, but that is what many of consume every day without thinking about it and most nutritionists tell us it is better than butter!

In terms of quality standards, you may know that new European laws raise the bar for food companies to be even more stringent in their exclusion of gluten to use the words "gluten free" (down to 20 parts per million or less).

... hopefully the food industry can keep moving things forward, and this research can do it's part in helping that process. Thank you again for your help!

Kind regards, Robin.