Issues in food allergy and intolerance, coeliac disease, gut disorders, eczema, 'free from' and all allergies and sensitivities
You’ll have heard the news of the heart health and death-delaying benefits of whole grains in the diet earlier this year (see the Guardian’s report here, for instance), but if you’re coeliac you may be concerned about getting enough, not…
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The experience related in The Sun this week of a nut allergic student suffering a severe reaction after using a Nivea lip balm containing sweet almond oil should serve as a reminder that, if you have food allergies, the ingredients…
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Egg-free and wheat-free bread can be tricky to find as many of the new ‘wave’ of tasty gluten free breads — such as by Warburtons and Genius — contain egg, so finding one that ticks several boxes isn’t easy, and given…
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The Nima Gluten Sensor has launched in the UK to mixed response. I’ve written a piece for Foods Matter providing an overview of the product and looking at the research into its performance and limitations. But in this post I…
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Today Greggs launch a vegan sausage roll into selected branches, but the announcement came yesterday on social media, accompanied by an excellent and funny video. And, my word, did their social media team play a blinder, responding to the predictable…
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Earlier this year in Spring, I reported an allergy labelling problem to the Food Standards Agency. I’d been noticing for years that many manufacturers of spelt-containing products, while correctly highlighting the spelt in their ingredients lists, were failing to specify…
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Following my recent article on sulfite / sulphite sensitivity, it was pointed out to me that sulfites are also used in cosmetics. Given their role in colour preservation and to prevent oxidation in foods such as dried apricots, it’s not…
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… benzisothiazolinone, octylisothiazolinone. Four preservatives with very long names that most have never heard of, but together, they’re responsible for one of the most significant allergy epidemics in recent decades — and they are also the subject of my latest…
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However you spell them, sulfites / sulphites and sulfur / sulphur dioxide are not considered one of the eight key allergen groups in the US, but they are one of the 14 allergens in the UK / EU. They are…
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There is no evidence to suggest that gluten in beauty products can penetrate the skin, enter the bloodstream, and cause problems for people with coeliac disease. However, when wheat is found in skincare, it’s usually ‘broken down’ gluten — or…
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