Store Tours in Northampton

[LolaBlogger]

I am a Registered Dietitian working with Coeliac UK to offer people with coeliac disease and their families the opportunity of attending one of four scheduled Store Tours in Northampton. We will focus on reading food labels and healthy eating - information is aimed at those who may be less confident with gluten-free food choices in supermarkets.

The tours are as follows:

Mon 12 Dec, 10 am, Sainsbury's Weedon Road

Tues 13 Dec, 2 pm, Asda Harborough Road

Tues 13 Dec, 6.30 pm, Sainsbury's Weedon Road

Thurs 15 Dec, 6.30 pm, Asda Harborough Road.

If you are interested, please telephone me on 07968 201205 for more details and to book a place on a tour.

Ruth Loebl, RD

(I have tried to ask permission for this post, so I hope it is acceptable!)

[Glutenfreemonica]

what a super idea! Well done on the initiative. I don't suppose you might know if this is happening in other parts of the country, or just in Northampton. I live in Essex.

[LolaBlogger]

It's an initiative led by Coeliac UK, and depends on individual dietitians coming forward to offer tours. You can read more at:

coeliac.org.uk/store+tours

The tours focus on all foods, not just those in the 'free from' aisles.

[Hidden]

Hi Lola, I think what you are doing is commendable. I also think that you are missing the points that Tony is trying to make in that:

1) Not all coeliac can eat all food clearly labelled as gluten free. This used to be the case with Walkers crisps and Pringles crisps which would say suitable for coeliac and contain wheat. It is now very relevant with oats as many coeliac can not tolerate oat gluten avenin's as supermarkets are using oats more and more in free from foods.

2) In the Eu wheat derivatives do not have to be labelled as such and CUK claim that they are gluten free and safe for coeliac. In the US, Australia and NZ wheat derivatives have to be labelled as such.

What really confuses me about CUK stance is that to them coeliac like myself are chronic or super sensitive coeliac and this is why we have to avoid codex wheat allowed levels of malt and oats even pure oats. Where as in Australia where codex wheat, oats and barley are also off the menu for coeliac. They also have 5ppm as gluten free. But in Australia I am an ordinary coeliac? And the Australian coeliac society give a list of wheat deriv's like dextrose and maltodextrin that can be problematic to a minority of super sensitive coeliac who can not tolerate up to 5ppm.

So sadly you are in the cross fire from Tony over CUK's stance on gluten free.

And from a personal point of view as a UK diagnosed coeliac my biggest worry about my diet is me being made ill by a third party who assumes that ALL coeliac can eat foods labelled as gf. Sadly CUK do not seem to acknowledge our needs and the ironny is that the more sensitive that a coeliac is the more support they need. When in reality we feel ignored.

So I think dieticians should be made more aware of the needs of the super sensitive coeliac and life beyond codex.

Thats my 2p's worth.

Jerry

[Sappho in reply to Hidden]

Jerry I applaud you on that clear explanation of the stance being taken. I agree with you totally, being one of the coeliacs who is very sensitive to wheat derivitives. I also worry that generally the opinion of CUK is that all coeliacs need to ingest considerable quantities of gluten before being tested by biopsy. My endo is very happy to confirm in writing that I am coeliac without me doing this, indeed he told me it would be too dangerous for me to do the challenge and that I should never take the advice of any doctor to get it done. Not all the recommendations are good advice for everyone.

[LolaBlogger]

I do not feel that I am in the crossfire - I have been a member of GFG for some time, and Jerry and others often write about their needs, so I am well aware of his position.

I am not acting on behalf of Coeliac UK, nor am I employed by them, but am offering my services on an initiative they are piloting. I am sorry that you assume I will not cater for the people who are highly sensitive to gluten.

You are clearly experts on your own requirements, and are skilled advocates. There are many others, who may be newly diagnosed, and need more basic reassurance that, for example, couscous and Guinness contain gluten, but buckwheat and gin do not.

[Hidden]

Hi Lola, I wasn't having a go at you, my comment about super sensitive coeliac was a generalisation on dieticians who rely just on CUK for info' I understand your motives and you and I share a common goal of wanting to help coeliac, you as a qualified dietician and me as a sensitive coeliac who was diagnosed over 16 years ago and as you rightly say I'm on top of my diet and my dietary needs so the reason that I am a member and volunteer with GFG is to help other coeliac.

I am also very interested in nutrician and my philosophy is that I eat myself healthy so I am also interested in the cooking/baking side of the diet and I am friends with Adriana and Adriana is friends with one of the directors of CUK so I see GFG as building bridges between coeliac, regardless. So I am glad that you as an RD are a member of GFG and you are well equiped to help coeliac regardless of their sensitivity and I admire you for that.

So I'm sorry for saying that you were not aware of the needs of super sensitive coeliac.

Jerry

[Sappho]

I second that report on the fact that gluten can be residual in grain alcohols. The other risk is that cheaply produced copy alcoholic drinks are often made with poorly distilled alcohol bases, so alcoholic drinks not normally distilled from grain are being mixed with cheap alcohol that is from grain.