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Showing results for tags 'canadian'.
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Celiac.com 06/06/2017 - Word from the Great White north is that the Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority (SLGA) is preventing the sale of Estrella Damm Daura, following a warning from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA). The SLGA, according to the company's website, is "a Treasury Board Crown Corporation responsible for the distribution, control and regulation of beverage alcohol in Saskatchewan. SLGA operates 75 retail liquor stores and there are approximately 600 private liquor retailers throughout the province." According to statements by SLGA spokesman David Morris, the CFIA advised SLGA and other liquor jurisdictions to "put the product on hold" last month over concerns that Daura Damm was brewed with products that contain gluten. Any decision by the SLGA to discontinue sales of Damm Daura would likely impact large numbers of customers in the region. It may also impact similar products from the EU. Brewed in Spain by S.A. Damm, using traditional barley ingredients, Estrella Damm Daura is filtered to reduce its gluten content to levels well below the 20 ppm required for products labeled gluten-free. S.A. Damm's company website says that "All batches are analyzed and certified by the CSIC before hitting the market," and that the company guarantees Daura Damm's gluten content is three parts per million or fewer. EU gluten-free standards permit any finished product below 20ppm gluten content to be labeled gluten-free. Canadian standards prohibit any product made with gluten-containing source ingredients from being labeled as gluten-free. Therein lies the apparent rub. Under EU standards, Estrella Damm Daura qualifies as a gluten-free beer. Under Canadian standards, it does not. No word yet on whether Canadian trade agreements make exceptions for EU products, such as beer. Meanwhile, potential beneficiaries are Canadian breweries, such as Rebellion Brewing Co., a Regina-based brewery that uses locally grown lentils to make its celiac-friendly Lentil Cream Ale. Rebellion brewmaster Mark Heise says SLGA's decision to cease ordering Estrella Damm Daura could be a "massive" opportunity. "It's huge for us," he says. No word yet on how far the Canadian authorities will go in their efforts to enforce their gluten-free standards against EU products, but they may have just fired the first shot. Stay tuned for more on these and other gluten-free stories as they develop. Read more at TheStarPhoenix.com
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Celiac.com 07/05/2013 - Meanwhile, on the Canadian gluten-free front, a local lawmaker has introduced a bill to have testing for celiac disease covered by the Ontario Health Insurance Plan. Bill Mauro (Lib., Thunder Bay-Atikokan) introduced a private member’s bill Tuesday afternoon in Queen’s Park asking for an amendment to the Health Insurance Act to include serological testing for celiac disease. Mauro cited statistics indicating that about one per cent of Canadians are currently affected by celiac disease, but that 90 per cent of them are undiagnosed. The longer those people remain undiagnosed, the more severe the potential health impact. The long-term impacts of celiac disease can include vitamin deficiencies and higher rates of type 1 diabetes, arthritis, depression, neuropathy, infertility and osteoporosis, among other factors. Celiac disease can be detected with a simple blood test and controlled by diet. With early detection, people with celiac disease can live "a long and healthy life,” Mauro said. Source: tbnewswatch
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Celiac.com 08/17/2012 - In an effort to promote the production of safe, reliable gluten-free food products, the Canadian Government has announced a $245,000 grant that will help the Canadian Celiac Association partner with ExcelGrains Canada, the Packaging Association of Canada and the Canadian Health Food Association to develop specific controls and the supporting tools for each of their existing food safety systems. The measure includes specific controls for gluten-free foods. The end result will be a group of gluten-free controls and guidelines that will help to eliminate the risk of gluten contamination in grains, packaging materials, and bakery products, across the entire product manufacturing chain. Once developed, these gluten-free controls and guidelines will be adaptable and transferrable to other producers and manufacturers across the Canada. The CCA's mission is to promote awareness of celiac disease and gluten intolerance, along with offering advice and information to manufacturers and distributors of gluten-free foods. ExcelGrains Canada is a farm food safety program for grain farmers managed by the Canada Grains Council. Member of Parliament Ron Cannan of Kelowna-Lake Country is a strong supporter of the measure. He says that food safety is one of the government's priorities, and that the investment "will help provide consumers with the gluten-free foods they need and boost consumer confidence in Canadian food." Thanking the government for passing the measure, Jim McCarthy, Executive Director of the CCA, noted how important it is for "government and industry to work together to ensure that foods labeled 'gluten-free' truly are safe for the consumers who need them." He added that the measure will help the three million or so Canadians who suffer from celiac disease and gluten intolerance to more easily and safely access a 100% gluten-free diet. The investment is part of the Canadian Integrated Food Safety Initiative, through which, the Canadian government helps organizations develop national, government-recognized on-farm and/or post-farm hazard analysis and critical control points (HACCP) or HACCP-based food safety systems.
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Celiac.com 02/03/2011 - Okay, so Canadians take their beer seriously. Beer being one of the few things that might stoke the passions of some Canadians almost as much as, say, hockey. So, proposed health regulations that would require beer labels to include a warning that beer is made with barley or wheat have the Canadian beer industry in a froth. Major players in the Canadian brewing industry are gearing up opposition over the proposed health regulations that would require just such labels, warning consumers that beer contains barley or wheat; something Canadian brewers liken to warning that ketchup contains tomatoes. The proposed rules are part of a larger set of regulatory changes Health Canada is seeking to make it easier for people with allergies to identify potential allergens in food ingredients. Health Canada statistics indicate that up to six per cent of children and up to four per cent of adults in Canada are believed to be affected by food allergies. People with serious allergies can go into shock or even die if they consume certain ingredients. Beer-label warnings are aimed especially at people with celiac disease. The proposed rules would require beer labels to "clearly and prominently" display a warning that says, "Allergy and intolerance information: Contains wheat." Barley-based beer labels would be required to include a warning that says, "Allergy and intolerance information: Contains barley." Canadian beer companies say the measure is not necessary, pointing out that people with celiac disease represent only about one per cent of the Canadian population, and tend to be well informed about the foods they should avoid. "These people are very well educated," said Andre Fortin, a spokesman for the Brewers Association of Canada, whose members produce 97 per cent of the beer brewed in Canada. "If a Canadian doctor diagnoses you with celiac disease, you're going to know that beer is not ideal for your system." The companies also point out small breweries might be hit especially hard by the labeling regulations. A number of breweries such as Steam Whistle Brewery and Mill St. Brewery sell their beer in vintage-style glass bottles with ceramic paint, which beer stores return to the companies, to clean and refill for reuse. Such companies might have to order new bottles to accommodate such regulations. The move could cost them millions of dollars, they say. However, for people who support allergy labeling requirements, the matter is serious. "This isn't just a bunch of fusspots," said Gwen Smith, editor of Allergic Living, a magazine and website that has long lobbied for the regulations. "This is about, 'How do I feed my children at dinner safely?' 'How do I feed myself?'" In addition to beer, new rules will apply to allergens derived from a wide range of foods, including almonds, cashews, hazelnuts, pecans, pistachios, sesame seeds, eggs, milk, soybeans, crustaceans, shellfish and fish. A review conducted nearly a decade ago for Health Canada estimated that implementing the proposed regulations would cost the Canadian food industry $102 million over two years, with annual costs of $13 million. The department expects the changes will cost the Canadian Food Inspection Agency $3 million annually, and Health Canada about $1 million per year. Health officials say that the cost of the implementing the proposed rules could be offset by some cost savings for the health-care system, since people with allergies would require less treatment. The department says the regulations are similar to those already in place in the United States, Europe, Australia and New Zealand. A spokesman said that after publication of the final version of the regulations, the food industry will have 18 months to comply. "The new labeling regulations are designed to ensure that consumers have the information they need to make appropriate choices and that this information is provided in a clear and consistent manner," the department said in a statement. Read more: Canada.com
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The following report comes to us from The Sprue-Nik Press, which is published by the Tri-County Celiac Sprue Support Group, a chapter of CSA/USA, Inc. serving southeastern Michigan (Volume 7, Number 5 July/August 1998 Dermatitis Herpetiformis). Dr. Kim Alexander Papp is a consultant at St. Marys, Grand River, and Listowel Memorial Hospitals. He is also President of Probity Medical Research Inc. The first mention of Dermatitis Herpetiformis (DH) in the literature was in 1884 in Dhring. The connection to wheat was made in Dreke, Holland in 1941. It is an uncommon, but not rare, disease that affects males twice as often as females. It is found in 10% of first degree relatives. There is a genetic association; 90% of DH patients have HLA-B8 vs. only 15% of the general population. HLA-DRw4 and HLA-DQw2 are also associated with some DH patients. DH normally is found on elbows, knees, shoulders, buttocks, sacrum, posterior scalp, and face. While it is unusual, it can also show upon the hands or inside the mouth. It presents as clear blisters that itch very badly. [One patient described the itch ...like rolling in poison ivy naked with a severe sunburn, then wrapping yourself in a wool blanket filled with ants and fleas.-ed] The original diagnosis of DH was done by giving Dapsone, a leprosy drug, and noting any improvement. Today, the gold standard for diagnosing DH is a skin biopsy with immunofluorescence. (A plain skin biopsy is not sufficient.) Most DH patients also have villi damage in the small intestine and lymphocyte infiltration of the intestinal wall, and IgA/IgG antigliadin antibodies in the bloodstream. However, there is really no need to perform a small bowel biopsy or test for blood serum antibodies; the skin biopsy with immunofluorescence provides a definitive diagnosis. Dr. Papp indicated that about half of his patients are diagnosed after having their symptoms recognized and pointed out to them by other DH patients. DH is not an allergic reaction; a different mechanism is involved. It is caused by antibodies to the gluten found in wheat, rye, and barley. The causes of DH flares include large quantities of iodides (some iodine is needed in the diet), kelp, shellfish, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agents (such as aspirin), gluten, stress, and some cleansers. What else looks like DH? DH can be misdiagnosed as psoriasis, or the patient may have both conditions. Linear IgA disease--the immunofluorescence pattern is different, but it looks and feels the same as DH to the patient. Allergic contact reactions. DH is treated by adherence to a gluten-free (gluten-free) diet. The skin lesions can be treated with either a sulfone (Dapsone) or sulfonamide(Sulfapyradine) drug. In about 85% of the cases, at least a year on a strict gluten-free diet is needed before DH is resolved. In rare cases DH lesions clear up after only a few weeks on the gluten-free diet. Dapsone can have side effects, though these are not common. It can alter blood chemistry, causing anemia. Those of Mediterranean or African ancestry can have sudden red blood cell count drops [known asG6PD Deficiency--Dr. Alexander]. Other complications include tingling fingers and neurological problems. Ideally, if the patient is on medication there would be monthly lab tests to monitor the dosage and effect on the patient. This almost never happens. The gluten-free diet takes a long time to bring DH under control because it requires time to clear the IgA and IgG from the blood. So even if one is on a gluten-free diet and/or taking Dapsone, technically one has DH. Like an alcoholic, one always has the disease. Dr. Papp concluded his presentation by answering a few questions from the audience: Q: How soon after ingesting gluten or iodine will a flare occur? A: It varies tremendously. With iodine, it usually takes several days of consumption before a flare occurs. Q: What effect does stress have on a DH patient? A: It intensifies any symptoms the patient is experiencing. Q: What effect does iodine on the skin have? A: It really has no effect; it doesnt penetrate enough. Iodine must be consumed to cause a DH flare. Q: After several years on a gluten-free diet with no flares, is iodine still a problem? A: No.
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