Gluten-free diet FAQs

Our section on labelling legislation contains a lot of information about how to label food products. Additional information can be found on the Food Standards Agency website.

No. Spelt is an ancient strain of wheat and contains glutenA protein that is found in the cereals wheat, barley and rye. . It is not suitable for people with coeliac diseaseA condition where a person is unable to eat gluten as it makes their body attack itself. .

No.  Mustard is a plant and is naturally gluten-freeWhen a food has less than 20 parts per million (ppm) of gluten so it is safe for people with coeliac disease to eat. . Mustard seeds can be ground down into powder, flour or oil which are all glutenA protein that is found in the cereals wheat, barley and rye. -free.

Wheat flour can sometimes be added as a thickener or bulking agent to some mustard products. If so, this must be declared separately on the ingredients list. Manufacturers must name the specific grain, for example, 'wheat flour'.
 
It is important to check the ingredients list of a mustard product to ensure it is suitable for your gluten-free diet.

There are some ingredients which are made from a cereal containing gluten but the grain does not have to be listed on the ingredients list. This is because the level of processing has removed the gluten. The European Commission has worked with the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) to develop a list of these ingredients which are exempt from the allergen labelling legislation.The following ingredients are safe for people with coeliac disease;

• glucose syrups derived from wheat or barley including dextrose
• wheat-based maltodextrins
• distilled ingredients made from cereals which contain gluten, for example, alcoholic spirits

Although these ingredients can be made from cereals containing gluten, you do not have to label them as such.

This is a specially processed wheat starch which has a level of glutenA protein that is found in the cereals wheat, barley and rye. within the Codex standardThe standard by which gluten-free foods are measured. All gluten-free products need to get to below a certain limit to be considered either gluten-free or very low gluten. . The Codex wheat starchA specially manufactured kind of wheat starch that has been washed to reduce the level of gluten to a trace level within the Codex standard. ingredient was first introduced as a basis for the staple gluten-freeWhen a food has less than 20 parts per million (ppm) of gluten so it is safe for people with coeliac disease to eat. substitute products like flour and bread to improve the quality and texture of the products. It must always appear in an ingredients list if it has been used.

Cross contaminationWhen food that is gluten-free comes into contact with food that has gluten in it, and so is no longer gluten-free. can occur in storage, preparation and serving. Here are some tips to help prevent the problem occurring:

• gluten-freeWhen a food has less than 20 parts per million (ppm) of gluten so it is safe for people with coeliac disease to eat. foods must never be prepared on a wheat-floured surface or in a floury atmosphere
• wash down surfaces before preparing glutenA protein that is found in the cereals wheat, barley and rye. -free food
• wash hands before handling gluten-free food (especially after other food preparation)
• use separate utensils, for example, a separate toaster for gluten-free bread; separate bread boards; separate containers for butter, margarine, chutney, pickle, jam etc, as knives can transfer crumbs from regular bread
• cook and serve gluten-free foods in separate dishes
• do not deep-fry gluten-free foods in oil which has been used for foods that contain gluten such as batters or breadcrumb coatings.

Our catering toolkit and catering training module contain information about contamination. Download it from this page.

Our Eating out without Venue Guide in our Members only area lists over 1000 venues across the UK that offer Member recommended gluten-freeWhen a food has less than 20 parts per million (ppm) of gluten so it is safe for people with coeliac disease to eat. food. You can refine your search by post code region, cuisine type and venue type.

To register now for our Members only area you will need your MembershipIf you have been diagnosed with coeliac disease then you can become a Member of Coeliac UK. reference number as quoted on your Membership card.