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News
"I went to the Gluten-Free day at Whole Foods in Hillcrest . . . It was great to see and taste all the gluten-free products they had available! . . . There was a brand new product in the store being featured that I was lucky enough to be able to sample. It was a wonderfully soft sandwich bread made by Bread Physics.
Their bread was very good, but more surprisingly is that it was yeast-free, gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free, and soy-free. I wish I was able to purchase a loaf though, because they had sold out earlier in the day. But I will definitely stock up the next time I am there." Laura, 3/2
Made by the Muffin Physics company at www.muffinphysics.com - (dont think the bread is on the website yet since it's so new). "We just launched two no sugar added and yeast free breads...that are also free from: wheat/gluten, dairy/casein, egg, and soy."
"Please join my new group on TwitterMoms - Celiac Disease Awareness
http://www.twittermoms.com/group/celiacdiseaseawareness If you aren't familiar with TwitterMoms, it is a great social network
for connecting with other moms. There are many different groups,
discussions, and blog posts. There are only 2 gluten free groups and
we need more gluten free moms to join. There is Karen Fine's Mom Cooks
Gluten Free Group. You can also connect with Amy Leger from the Savy
Celiac and other gluten free people.
Twitter is a fantastic place to connect with gluten free people and
stay informed. My page there is http://twitter.com/MarylandCeliac. If you need any help with Twitter or TwitterMoms, you can send me a
message on twitter."
3/26/08
"There are well accepted criteria for the detection and diagnosis of celiac
disease. The tests used to fulfill these criteria have been subjected to
scientific scrutiny and validation. To our knowledge tests of antibodies in
stool or saliva have not been validated as a robust test for the diagnosis
of celiac disease. Many insurance companies base their decision to cover
the costs of testing on the scientific evidence that supports the testing of
that individual (indication) and the actual test used (validation).Our organization relies on the expertise of its physician members, as well
as the recommendations of the:
- American College of Gastroenterology;
- North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition (NASPGHAN);
- NIH Consensus Panel on Celiac Disease; and
- Childrens Digestive Health and Nutrition Foundation
for the most current scientifically proven information on the diagnosis of
celiac disease.
The ACDA promotes awareness and understanding of celiac disease among the
general public and to also disseminate scientifically validated information
to guide physicians in the detection and management of the disease. "
Andrea Levario, Executive Director
American Celiac Disease Alliance
www.americanceliac.org
News: CODEX APPROVES NEW STANDARD FOR GLUTEN FREE FOODS The Codex Alimentarius Commission approved new standards for gluten free foods when they met in Geneva earlier this month. The new benchmark states that foods labeled gluten-free may not contain wheat, rye, oats or barley and the gluten level may not exceed 20 ppm (parts per million). The previous Codex standard was 200 ppm.
The new standard does allow one or more ingredients from wheat, rye, barley or oats if it has been specially processed to remove the gluten and the gluten level doesn't exceed 20 ppm. Foods that have been processed to reduce gluten content to a level between 20 ppm - 100 ppm cannot be labeled gluten free but may be called low gluten or reduced gluten. Individual countries will determine marketing of these products at the national level and individual countries will also determine whether pure, uncontaminated oats are allowed at the national level.
Naturally gluten-free foods cannot be designated by a term like "special dietary" but may bear a statement that "this food is by its nature gluten-free."
The Codex Committee on Nutrition and Foods for Special Dietary Uses sets the standard of gluten content allowed in food products considered "gluten-free" for international trade. Countries that want to trade at the international level must adhere to Codex standards for foods that they export.
"On July 1st, the Codex Alimentarius Commission, associated with the
World Health Organization (WHO), announced new gluten-free labeling standards.
The new labeling standard states that food labeled gluten-free may not
contain wheat, rye, barley or oats, and its gluten level may not exceed
20
milligrams per kilogram (20 parts per million).
This Codex standard is used by countries throughout the world. While it
will apply to products which are imported to the U.S., it will NOT APPLY
to
products manufactured in this country. To date, the U.S. has not
adopted
any GF standard, though one has been proposed by the FDA. That standard
is
similar to the one just adopted by the Codex Commission. As you may
recall, the Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act (FALCPA)
required the FDA to have a standard in place by August 2008. With the Codex Commission=92s latest action, we are hopeful that the FDA
will
move expeditiously to finalize its standard for the United States."
Andrea Levario, Executive Director
American Celiac Disease Alliance
www.americanceliac.org
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