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Canada changes access to gluten-free foods

Xinhua, May 30, 2015 Adjust font size:

Canadian Minister of Health Rona Ambrose Friday announced changes that will result in more safe food choices for Canadians with celiac disease by approving " gluten-free" claims on specially produced oats and foods containing these oats.

"These changes will make it easier for Canadians with celiac disease to make safe and informed food choices. By allowing a gluten-free claim on specially produced oats and foods that contain them, consumers with gluten sensitivities will be better able to identify products they can safely eat," said the minister.

Gluten-containing grains such as wheat, rye and barley are widely used in the production of many foods. People with celiac disease must avoid eating the gluten protein found in these grains to manage their health condition.

In the case of oats, normal agricultural practices can result in the unintended presence of small amounts gluten from other grains.

However, recent evidence shows that oats can safely be consumed by the majority of people with celiac disease as long as they have been produced and processed to avoid cross-contamination by gluten from other cereals.

So Canada will now allow specially produced oats with trace amounts of gluten to carry a "gluten-free" claim.

Celiac disease is an inherited medical condition that is triggered by the consumption of gluten. The immune system of an individual with celiac disease reacts negatively to gluten in the diet by causing damage to the inner lining of the small intestine, which reduces the person's ability to absorb nutrients.

The change is based on current scientific evidence, which shows that it is safe for the majority of people with celiac disease to eat specially produced oats, so long as they do not contain more than 20 parts per million of gluten from wheat, rye, barley or their hybridized strains.

Th change opens a new segment of the market to Canadian oat growers and food processors. The opportunity to reach customers with gluten-free diets will increase farmers' revenue for oats, which in 2014 contributed nearly half a billion dollars to Canada' s economy. Endite