Celiac.com 05/04/2017 - Japan's ANA airline is catching some public relations heat this week after reports that a man flying from Tokyo to Australia received a banana instead of the gluten-free meal that he booked in advance.

London resident, and celiac disease sufferer, Martin Pavelka flew All Nippon Airways flight from Tokyo this week, a nine-hour flight.

Numerous media have reported Mr. Pavelka's plights in glaring terms, such as the Independent's alarming headline: Man Given Banana as Gluten-free "Meal"Â on Nine hour Flight, with the equally sensational sidebar: Londoner flying from Tokyo to Sydney was handed a banana as the gluten-free inflight "meal." However, a closer reading shows those claims to be pretty misleading.

The fact is that Mr. Pavelka did receive his specially-ordered gluten-free meal at dinner, shortly after departure. The banana was part of the breakfast meal, the second meal service for the flight, which is where the trouble began for Mr Pavelka, who said he was "expecting something more substantial."Â

"All other passengers were served full breakfast meal consisting of eggs, sausage, mushrooms, bread, and yogurt,"Â Pavelka told the Standard, while all he received was a single banana,"Â which though "definitely gluten free…did not keep me full for very long."Â

So, let's add this all up. On a nine-hour flight, Mr. Pavelka received his special gluten-free meal for dinner, and then about 5 hours later, about 2 hours or so before landing, he received a banana in lieu of a full breakfast? But he wanted more? And this is a new story?

In the account given by the Standard, Mr. Pavelka's first words to the flight attendant were "is this some kind of joke?"Â Not exactly diplomatic language. Nor, by the Standard's account did Mr. Pavelka ask for anything more, such as a yogurt, or additional fruit?

Clearly Mr. Pavelka received less food at breakfast than the other passengers, but the food was gluten-free, as was his earlier dinner. It's entirely reasonable for Mr. Pavelka to expect to be treated like the other passengers, and to receive more for breakfast.

However, without more detail, it's hard to know exactly what ANA offered at the time of booking, or whether there was some kind of mix-up with the caterers who provide meals, including specialty meals, to ANA. Do we know for sure that ANA actually offered a full gluten-free breakfast on that flight? Or that Mr. Pavelka was promised one? That said, both Mr. Pavelka and the newspapers covering the story owe it to the public to be more clear and less sensational about the actual facts. Expecting two gluten-free meals, and receiving one gluten-free meal and a banana is a very different story than just receiving a banana.

Reports that the banana was the only gluten-free food ANA provided Mr. Pavelka for the entire nine-hour flight are simply wrong. ANA in fact provided Mr. Pavelka with a gluten-free dinner. The Standard managed to bury that important detail in paragraph ten of an eighteen paragraph article, while the Independent slipped it into paragraph seven of a thirteen paragraph article. Both papers carefully avoid mentioning the fact that the dinner was gluten-free.

The paragraph in the Standard reads: "Although he had been given a larger meal the previous evening when his flight left, Mr Pavelka said he was expecting something more substantial for breakfast."Â

Yet, somehow, the Standard published the story under the fact-mashed title, "Londoner who ordered gluten free meal on nine-hour flight is given a single banana to eat with knife and fork."

Both the newspapers and Mr. Pavelka seem focused on spinning a story that the banana was the only food ANA provided Mr. Pavelka during the flight, which was simply not the case.

Such obfuscation, presumably in search of readership, does little to provide clarity on the actual details, and much to cause doubt and confusion about what are actually fairly simple, if inconvenient, facts to a fairly mundane, and not-altogether newsworthy, story.

If Mr. Pavelka received only a banana for his nine-hour flight, that would truly be an outrage. If he received a gluten-free meal, plus a banana, that would be an inconvenience. The story was presented as an outrage, when the facts indicated it was clearly more of an inconvenience.

This article was revised for clarity by the author on 5/10/2017.

Read more:

• The Standard.co.uk
• Metro.co.uk
• The Independent.co.uk

Celiac.com 04/27/2017 - Celiac disease is associated with numerous chronic conditions, such as anemia and malabsorption of some critical vitamins. Changes in the gastrointestinal tract, rates of gastric emptying, and gastric pH are responsible for impaired vitamin and mineral absorption.

Intestinal CYP3A4 levels may also be disrupted, which may have implications in first-pass metabolism for some drugs that are substrates for this drug metabolizing enzyme.

This has led some researcher to investigate the potential impact of celiac disease on drug absorption. This would be of interest to pharmacists, since altered drug absorption can have pharmacokinetic consequences, along with the potential to impact overall drug therapy.

A comprehensive review on this topic was published in 2013 by Tran et al. Another review was published in 2014. The review by Tran, et al., considered absorption studies in subjects with celiac disease, and the authors focused on a handful of drugs, including acetaminophen, aspirin, propranolol, levothyroxine, methyldopa, and some antibiotics.

They reported that some reports show an altered gastrointestinal environment and sharp differences between drug absorption in patients with celiac disease, while other reports showed no absorption differences between those with and without the disease. The authors concluded that the drugs could potentially alter absorption in celiac patients, and that healthcare professionals should bear that in mind when starting drug therapy.

The 2014 review of the potential impact of celiac disease on cardiovascular drug absorption considered many of the same medications previously explored by Tran et al, with a focus on cardiovascular agents. The authors warned that numerous cardiovascular drugs may alter absorption in celiac disease, but noted few published studies with strong, comprehensive data. The authors also stressed the need for more studies on celiac patients, as well as caution when initiating cardiovascular drug treatments.

Available research indicates that patients with celiac disease can have altered absorption of many different drugs. Unfortunately, there still isn't much good data on altered drug absorption and disposition in celiac patients.

More study will likely help illuminate the influence of celiac disease on drug disposition. The early evidence suggests that celiac disease may alter drug absorption, but studies don't yet tell us how much, or how often.

The team is recommending that doctors and pharmacists consider possible absorption issues when prescribing drug treatments for people with celiac disease, and that they review the available literature on specific drugs, when possible. They also recommend increased monitoring for efficacy and adverse effects when beginning a new drug treatment regimen for celiac patients.

Source:

• Pharmacy Times

Celiac.com 04/24/2017 - The fallout continues from General Mills' recall of nearly 2 million boxes of Gluten Free Cheerios and Honey Nut Cheerios in 2015, which occurred after workers at a California plant accidentally loaded gluten-free oat flour into trucks that had been holding wheat flour, which contains gluten, and which then contaminated batches of "gluten-free" cereal produced with the grain from those trucks.

In comments to the U.S. Ninth Circuit court, plaintiffs representing a proposed class of consumers claimed that a lower court had erred in dismissing their lawsuit on the grounds that the company's recall program made the claims baseless. They asked that the court allow their lawsuit against General Mills to continue. The suit is based on claims that the supposedly gluten-free Cheerios that had been made with the wrong flour, and that the cereal had sickened consumers.

Lead plaintiff Christopher Hamilton told the panel that a refund program alone does not moot a claim for damages, as courts have held that, while refund programs do moot restitution claims, they do not moot claims for damages and injunctive relief, such as Hamilton's. "Indeed, in a case based on the exact facts present here, a court in California held that the Cheerios recall program did not moot a consumer's damages claim because the defendants did not satisfy the plaintiff's claims for statutory damages and injunctive relief," said Hamilton.

Hamilton, who has celiac disease, brought his suit in March 2016 after buying the supposedly "gluten-free," wheat-contaminated Cheerios. One sample revealed 43 parts per million of gluten, more than twice the legal ceiling for the "gluten-free" label, Hamilton said in his complaint.

Still, to the layperson, Hamilton's request for damages and injunctive relief invites questions. First, since the company issued a full product recall, what type of injunctive relief would they be seeking? Second, regarding damages, exactly what type of monetary damages would be claimed? Did these plaintiffs incur medical expenses, missed work or other costs? That is not made clear in these filings.

When U.S. District Judge Michael McShane dismissed the original suit in July, he did so based on the fact that General Mills did issue a full product recall. In his statements on the matter, the judge wrote: "Rather than mitigate his damages by accepting General Mills' recall/refund offer, Hamilton is suing General Mills for false labeling, marketing and promotion of the product. Hamilton paints a discreet [sic] manufacturing mishap as a grand scheme of deceptive advertising, marketing and labeling." Judge McShane added, "I find this to be creative at best."

But Hamilton says that he should be permitted to amend his complaint to include claims that the recall was delayed, and that the company was aware of complaints from sick consumers as early as July 2015. Hamilton also wishes to include allegations that General Mills deliberately ignored warnings from a dietitian that General Mills gluten-free testing was inferior.

The case is Christopher Hamilton v. General Mills Inc. et al., case number 16-36004, in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

Read more at Law360.com.

Celiac.com 04/20/2017 - More people than ever are following a gluten-free diet, but does the diet carry health risks that could cause harm in the long run? That's a very possible scenario, according to a report published in the journal Epidemiology.

The report presents strong data to suggest that numerous gluten-free food staples contain high levels of toxic metals, which means that many gluten-free eaters could face higher risks for cancer and other chronic illnesses.

Moreover, the US studies both reveal that people who follow a gluten-free diet have twice as much arsenic in their urine as those who eat a non-gluten-free diet. They also have 70 per cent more mercury in their blood, along with high levels of other toxic metals, such as lead and cadmium. Clearly the report invites further study to determine if these potentially negative effects are merely statistical, or if they are actually represented in corresponding numbers of gluten-free dieters.

So, look for more study to see if people eating gluten-free are actually having higher rates of cancer and other toxic metal-related disorders.

Meantime, you may be able to mitigate negative effects of a gluten-free diet by choosing products with lower levels of toxic metals. California-grown rice, for example seems to have lower levels compared to Chinese rice.

If you follow a gluten-free diet for medical reasons, keep an eye out for symptoms related to toxic metal exposure, and consult a doctor if you think you are experiencing such symptoms.

Read more at: Celiac.com.

• Does a Gluten-free Diet Mean Higher Arsenic and Mercury Levels?

Read more at The Daily Mail.
 

Celiac.com 04/05/2017 - To mark the start of Coeliac Awareness Week, Coeliac Australia and Nestlé Professional have launched Gluten Free Online Training – an interactive learning resource for foodservice professionals looking to expand their understanding of gluten free food practice throughout the hospitality industry.

Under the guidance of Australian chef and author Tobie Puttock, the project will train up to 30,000 students at all TAFEs and culinary institutes in the protocols for gluten-free food preparation and service.

People who successfully complete the training earn a Certificate of Achievement, which covers them for three years under Coeliac Australia's Gluten Free Standard for Foodservice Providers.

Cathy Di Bella, special projects officer at Coeliac Australia, says training in safe gluten-free food prep and handling practices is a huge stepping stone to meet the future needs of the foodservice industry.

Karen Kingham, dietitian and brand nutritionist at Nestlé Professional, says that the online training is intended to help people working in foodservice to become familiar with gluten-free customer and prep and server issues.

The goal is to promote gluten-free awareness and protocols to culinary and food industry workers, to benefit them, the industry, and its patrons.

"As most of us know celiac disease is real and symptoms are easily triggered, and I believe this should be treated the same as someone with perhaps a peanut allergy, and therefore food handling is of the utmost importance," said Puttock.

It's good to see such influential figures in the food industry bringing such seriousness and professionalism to the preparation and handling of gluten-free foods. Stay tuned for more on this and other gluten-free stories.

For more information: Australia's Gluten Free Online Training.

Celiac.com 03/31/2017 - Imagine going to restaurants in the future and having your gluten-free food made and prepared to order using a 3D printer. That's the future envisioned by WASP, an Italian company on a mission to use 3D printing technology to solve serious problems that afflict people.

WASP is in the business of improving quality of life through 3D printing, from spinal care to architecture to athletics, including their latest effort with celiac disease.

Inspired by the opening of a 3D printed pop-up restaurant, Food Ink., WASP wants to allow restaurants to easily set up gluten-free kitchens inside their regular kitchens; something that is currently a challenging and expensive task.

WASP envisions dedicated 3D printing equipment strictly for preparing gluten-free foods, with no risk of contamination from the other food prep equipment in the rest of the kitchen.

To achieve their goals, the company enlisted the help of Francesco Favorito, a chef who specializes in gluten-free foods and who founded Zeroinpiú, a line of gluten-free flour and pastry mixes.

Favorito devised a special gluten-free pastry mix, which he then put into a modified a DeltaWASP 20 40 by incorporating an extruder that heated and pre-cooked the mix during extrusion. The products were then finished in normal oven.

At Sigep, a baking and coffee expo held each January, the WASP 3d food printer stirred considerable interest from attendees.

Another demonstration of the printer was given at Carnival in Opificio Golinelli at the beginning of February, this time with the participation of Francesco Bombardi, an architect, designer and the founder of Fab Lab Reggio Emilia. Bombardi is also the founder of Officucina, a specialized space dedicated to food innovation and equipped with 3D printers, lasers, and other advanced technology.

WASP says it learned a great deal from the early trials. For example, adding heated butter increases fluidity and helps the mixture extrude more smoothly.

WASP notes that, even though the printer's main purpose is to create safe gluten-free foods for people with celiac disease, it can also be used to create complex shapes that would be impossible using normal methods.

Are you ready for some 3D printed gluten-free food from your favorite restaurant? Stay tuned for updates on this and other stories about gluten-free end celiac-friendly food technology.

Source:

• 3DPrint.com

Celiac.com 03/29/2017 - The March news regarding new gluten-free eateries shows that the most impactful news coming out of US colleges is about more than just basketball.

The gluten-free eating scene at US colleges is enjoying a surge of popularity, as more schools are catering to the dietary needs of students with food allergies and sensitivities with dedicated facilities and inspired food offerings.

With the recent reopening of Risley Dining hall, Cornell University welcomes the second certified gluten-free college eatery in the U.S., following Kent State. After working for two years to remove gluten from their dining hall menu, slowly adding items like rice noodles, gluten-free biscuits and brownies, Cornell's main eatery is now certified 100% gluten-free, peanut free, and tree-nut free.

University of South Carolina recently debuted not one, but two new campus eateries for students, staff and visitors looking for gluten-free dining. Campus staple, Naturally Woodstock, now offers exclusively gluten-free food options, while Plan-It-Healthy also offers an entirely gluten-free menu.

Meanwhile, Tulane University's Bruff Commons dining hall debuted a new, dedicated food prep station that serves fresh allergen-free food.

Called Simple Servings by Sodexo, the allergen-free serving line features two fresh meals twice a day — usually a meat with a vegetable and a gluten-free carbohydrate, said company dietitian Kelsey Rosenbaum.

The eateries at University of South Carolina and Tulane are working with Sodexo, a quality of life services company to provide gluten-free food services. Sodexo says that Tulane's cafeteria is the first allergen-free fresh food option at a Louisiana university.

As more and more colleges emulate the success of programs such as these, look for gluten-free, allergen-free options to become the norm, rather than the exception.

Read more:

• theadvocate.com
• 14850.com
• satprnews.com

Celiac.com 03/28/2017 - A savvy Girl Scout from New Jersey is close to selling more cookies than anyone in history thanks to her brutal reviews of the sweet treats that have gone viral.

Employing brutally honest cookie reviews, skilled networking and aggressive sales tactics, 11-year-old Charlotte McCourt set a new Girl Scout cookie-selling world record by selling 21,477 boxes of cookies, shattering the 35 year old previous record.

Originally, Charlotte was aiming to sell at least 300 boxes. As part of her effort, McCourt rated all of her cookies on a scale from 1 to 10, and included frankly worded reviews. She then emailed the rankings and reviews of her offerings to her dad's "rich" friend in hopes of swaying him to purchase a bulk of her 300-box goal.

For example, Charlotte rated the gluten-free Toffee-tastic cookies a 1, calling them a "bleak, flavorless gluten-free wasteland." She also slammed Do-si-dos as "unoriginal."

She did praise Samoas, the crisp cookie with shredded coconut, caramel and chocolate, rating them a 9.

The wealthy pal, who was revealed Wednesday to be Colorado-based venture capitalist Jason Mendelson, was blown away when he received the sales pitch from McCourt.

Mendelson, childhood friends with McCourt's father, Sean, was sold on her pitch, immediately buying 25 boxes and donating them all to the military.

"As I'm reading her plea, all I can think is, 'My God, I'm a venture capitalist. I get pitched 30 to 40 times a day. This is an 11-year-old telling me exactly what she wants. There's no beating around the bush,'" he told The Post. "It is a master class on sales," he added.

Later, Sean's boss, TV personality Mike Rowe, shared the email with his Facebook followers, reading it and cracking up at the gutsy critique. Rowe's video, called "Truth In Advertising!" was uploaded Jan. 25 and has received over 8.4 million views, and triggered thousands of cookie orders for McCourt.

Read more at: GoodNewNetwork.org

Celiac.com 03/24/2017 - Does it meet the FDA standard for a gluten-free product? Is it safe for people with celiac disease?

Starbucks' new Gluten-Free Breakfast Sandwich looks yummy. But, why does Starbucks' website feature a disclaimer saying the company cannot guarantee the absence of allergens, including wheat?

The sandwich itself is pretty standard fare, consisting of two slices of cherrywood-smoked Canadian bacon, an egg patty and reduced-fat white cheddar on a gluten-free roll.

The company website uses boldface type to tout the "gluten-free"-ness of the new offering, noting that the sandwich uses a "gluten-free roll," is "prepared in a certified gluten-free environment," and sealed "in its own oven-safe parchment bag to avoid any cross-contamination." Sounds good, so far, perhaps even safe for celiacs.

But then there's this little disclaimer at the bottom of the page saying that Starbucks "cannot guarantee that any of our products are free from allergens (including dairy, eggs, soy, tree nuts, wheat and others) as we use shared equipment to store, prepare and serve them."

Wheat? This product may contain wheat? Wheat contains gluten. Things that contain wheat are not gluten-free, and usually cannot be labeled as such.

So, what's the deal? Is the sandwich gluten-free or not? Is this a bit like when Pizza Hut offered a gluten-free pizza crust, but wouldn't guarantee a gluten-free pizza? How much wiggle room is built into Starbucks' disclaimer? The questions are basic ones. Is the product gluten-free? Is it safe for people with celiac disease, or not? If it is, then Starbucks has been unclear in declaring the suitability of their product for people with celiac disease.

If not, then Starbucks has been equally unclear in declaring the unsuitability of their product for people with celiac disease. Also, if the company can't guarantee a gluten-free product, and won't recommend it for people with celiac disease, then who is this product for?

The Starbucks website features lots of talk about the "gluten-free," aspects of the product, and the serving process, but there is no language stating that the sandwich, as served is "under 20ppm" gluten, which is the FDA standard for advertising package goods as "gluten-free." There is no claim that the product is safe for people with celiac disease.

The Starbucks Gluten-free Breakfast Sandwich sounds very much like something that many people in the celiac disease community might welcome…IF it's actually gluten-free. Let's hope it is. Let's hope this was just a mix-up by Starbucks, perhaps the result of an over-zealous legal department.

Otherwise, it would seem that, without more clarity, people with celiac disease could be confused or mislead by the claims, and maybe influenced by the ubiquitousness of Starbucks and their promotional campaign into trying something that might harm them.

Celiac.com is reaching out to Starbucks for comment. We look forward to sharing their reply.

Until it becomes clear that this product is actually gluten-free, and suitable for everyone, Celiac.com urges celiac sufferers to use caution, and to follow the story here for more updates.

Source:

• Starbucks.com 

Celiac.com 03/18/2017 - Do you have an autoimmune disease? Does someone you know? Did you know that the numbers regarding autoimmune rates are all over the place, and that incomplete or wrong information can result in delayed or missed diagnoses? Want to help researchers create a database that will help them understand exactly how many people are living with autoimmune conditions?

Then behold the latest project from ARI, a 501c(3) nonprofit, with a mission "to create a hub for research, statistics, and patient data on all autoimmune illnesses." The project seeks to provide data that will help researchers nail down some basic answers about the numbers of people who live with one or more autoimmune conditions. The ARI website says that the company "operate a national database for patients who suffer from any autoimmune disease."

ARI's mission is to "reduce the time of diagnosis, support research, compute prevalence statistics, and establish autoimmune disease as a major class of disease so that it receives the awareness of the public, the attention of healthcare providers, and the appropriate funding needed to improve upon existing treatment protocols and disease management strategies."

This is one reason why Aaron Abend, the founder and president of ARI, decided to create the Autoimmune Registry after his mother was misdiagnosed for 10 years because, based on incorrect statistical data, "doctors thought Sjogren's syndrome was a rare disease with only 37,000 cases in the U.S." Today, researchers agree there are probably 3 million cases in the U.S., so not so rare at all.

Researchers currently estimate that anywhere from 9 million to 50 million people in the United States have an autoimmune disease. That's quite a wide range. Pinpointing the actual prevalence is part of what ARI will try to do. So, they are reaching out directly to patients to information about diseases like rheumatoid arthritis (RA), lupus, psoriasis, diabetes, Crohn's, celiac disease, Sjogren's syndrome, multiple sclerosis (MS), and many others fall under the autoimmune umbrella.

The registry is easy to join. It is free to sign up and consists of a simple survey that people with autoimmune diseases answer.

The information that people provide to ARI remains secure. The data may be used to compile statistics and qualify them for research opportunities, but no identifying information will be shared without permission.

The hope is that the registry can help researchers connect with people and the data. You can view the registry here.

Celiac.com 03/07/2017 - The Brits are having a bit of a dustup over the best way to help people support with celiac disease.

Currently, Britain's National Health Service supplies prescriptions for gluten-free food staples for people with celiac disease. Seemingly, no one disagrees with medical experts that celiac suffers should get support from the National Health Service to buy certain staple gluten-free products.

The question, at least from one side of the political spectrum, seems to be whether prescriptions are the best way to provide that support. And that question lies at the heart of the dustup.

In a recent article, the British Medical Journal presents a 'head to head' case for and against gluten-free prescriptions on the NHS.

In opposition to prescriptions, James Cave, a GP from Newbury, suggests an alternative would be a national voucher scheme or a personalized health budget for patients, so they receive the difference between the cost of gluten-free products and the prescription.

Matthew Kurien clinical lecturer in gastroenterology, Professor David Sanders, and Sarah Sleet, Chief Executive of Coeliac UK make the case in favor of providing prescription access to gluten-free staple foods, and say that removing prescriptions unfairly discriminates against people with celiac disease.

They explain "targeting gluten-free food prescriptions may reduce costs in the short term but there will be long term costs in terms of patient outcomes." They also note that there is no other example in the NHS of a disease having its treatment costs cut by 50-100 per cent.

Read more at Plymouth Herald.com.

Celiac.com 03/01/2017 - Do people who eat a gluten-free diet face an increased exposure to toxic metals like arsenic and mercury, and thus possibly higher rates of cardiovascular disease, cancer and neurological effects?

That's a very possible scenario, according to a report published in the journal Epidemiology. Maria Argos, assistant professor of epidemiology in the UIC School of Public Health, and her colleagues searched data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey for a link between gluten-free diet and biomarkers of toxic metals in blood and urine.

Of the 7,471 people they surveyed between 2009 and 2014, they found 73 participants who reported eating a gluten-free diet.

People on a gluten-free diet higher concentrations of arsenic in their urine, and mercury in their blood, than those who ate a non-gluten-free diet. In fact, arsenic levels for gluten-free eaters were nearly twice as high, and mercury levels were 70 percent higher.

So, does a gluten-free diet pose an actual health risk? Do people need to make any immediate dietary changes?

While noteworthy, Argos says the findings indicate the need for more studies, "to determine if there are corresponding health consequences that could be related to higher levels of exposure to arsenic and mercury by eating gluten-free."

Argos points out that the EU has in place regulations for food-based arsenic exposure, while the United States does not. The question that needs to be answered if whether rice flour consumption increases the risk for exposure to arsenic. An answer to that requires further study.

Source: University of Illinois at Chicago