The Myth of Hidden Gluten
It appears to have escaped the attention of some, but gluten is not permitted to ‘hide’ in food. Gluten has to be declared in ingredients lists — in the form of wheat, barley, rye or oats. The name of the…
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Methylisothiazolinone (MI): problem preservative
The preservative methylisothiazolinone (MI) is used in some cosmetics, household detergents and paints and can cause severe allergies. Here is a brief introduction to the problem, plus a short list of MI-free products. If you’re looking for in-depth information, including on the diagnosis of MI…
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Rosacea and gluten – a coeliac connection?
It’s not difficult to find stories online — usually in chat forums — of long-standing rosacea symptoms disappearing following a trial of a gluten-free diet. As the culinary culprit of our times, gluten is regularly made a scapegoat, and the…
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Why is gluten free food so expensive?
“Supermarket gluten-free food rip-off” said the Sun. “The gluten-free food price shock” said the Mail. The stories were based on research by Channel 4’s Supershoppers, which was screened yesterday at 8.30pm. The claim? That gluten-free shoppers are being diddled by…
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The Problem with “Free From Gluten”
I once flagged up to acquaintances from various corners of the ‘free from’ industry the wrapping from a paleo bar bearing the expression “Free From Gluten”. The legally permitted term, according to legislation (see clause 44), is “Gluten Free”. As you…
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2015: The 10 Best and Worst in Allergy & FreeFrom
The Best! 10. #fruitisnotapudding Demonstrating that coeliacs have a top sense of humour and exemplifying how good can come from not-good, Carly at GlutenFreeB.com runs this light-hearted annual award for the worst gluten-free dessert offering, and this year’s winner is memorably,…
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Marketing Genius? (Part II)
Genius are no stranger to this blog, and my criticism of their pursuit of a marketing strategy which seems to involve aligning themselves – and the gluten-free diet (GFD) – with fitness, sport and sporting excellence was covered in a…
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Onion allergy, kiwi allergy, garlic allergy, spice allergy, banana allergy …
When it comes to food allergies and intolerances, most of the talk is about gluten and the top 14 allergens — mainly milk, eggs, nuts, peanuts, soya, gluten grains and sesame. Labelling legislation requires manufacturers to emphasise (typically in bold) these…
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Hipsters, gluten and food snobbery
I’m not 100% sure what a hipster is, but it appears to involve multiple tattoos and skinny jeans and possibly an unruly beard and maybe implanting one of those black Polo-mint-shaped earrings through which you can see daylight into a…
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Schrödinger’s Oats
Labelling-wise, gluten is not an allergen — as I wrote a month ago — but oats are. Oats are one of the ‘cereals containing gluten’ as defined by the EU. They were included because they are normally contaminated with wheat…
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