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In my work as an author, researcher, and gluten-free advocate, I work hard to help the gluten-sensitive and celiac communities live a healthy, balanced lifestyle, free from the threat of gluten ingestion. Over the past several years, I am grateful to have witnessed a marked increase in gluten-free awareness and celiac disease research, with many benefits for gluten-free consumers, such as gluten labeling laws, more companies devoted to manufacturing gluten-free alternatives, and helpful online resources. Nevertheless, there is one arena that needs to be addressed—gluten labeling requirements of  medications. As it stands, the FDA hasn’t implemented any such requirements, putting celiac patients at risk.

It’s estimated that three million Americans have celiac disease, an autoimmune reaction to gluten, a protein found in wheat, barley, and rye. Genetic in origin, the disease works by attacking the absorptive fingers which line the small intestines, called villi, damaging them so that vital nutrients can’t be absorbed. What results is a wide variety of painful physical and mental symptoms, such as chronic diarrhea, chronic exhaustion, stomach problems, and migraines. Even though prescription and over-the-counter drugs can contain this ingredient that can make 1 in 100 Americans seriously ill, no clear gluten labeling laws exist, a fact which NFCA (the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness) is working hard to remedy.

The FDA has already launched a Safe Use Initiative, in which the FDA “seeks to partner and collaborate with relevant stakeholders to measurably reduce preventable harm from medications, thereby improving patient health,” according to the FDA’s website. Alice Best, Founder and President of NFCA, and Loretta Jay, M.A., the Director of Program Development, have teamed together to get the FDA to expand the initiative’s scope on behalf of the celiac community. “The Safe Use Initiative’s emphasis on informational errors makes this project particularly important to people with celiac disease and gluten sensitivity,” they wrote to the FDA.

According to Best and Jay, without labeling requirements for medications, “although few medications do contain gluten, every medication must be investigated to verify its gluten-free status.” The current situation requires that pharmacists and patients contact the pharmaceutical manufacturers themselves to inquire about gluten content. “Answers are not available after regular business hours, and sometimes manufacturers are not prepared with the responses when contacted during the day,” Best and Jay write. Furthermore, this information can change easily as pharmaceuticals are manufactured differently. Whereas time-consuming research can be inconvenient for celiac patients when it comes to food products, it can be a health-threatening matter when dealing with medication.

Clearly, this lack of gluten labeling requirements can put celiac patients at risk and result in what Best and Jay call “the almost certain potential for error and consequent grave harm to the celiac and gluten sensitive patient population.” Thankfully, we have the NFCA working on our behalf. In the meantime, celiac patients and pharmacists will have to continue their diligent research on their own. “It will be a long road,” Jay says, but with perseverance I think we can look forward to future gluten labeling on our medications.

Tina Turbin

www.GlutenFreeHelp.info

k.m.

Resources:

FDA: FDA’s Safe Use Initiative http://www.fda.gov/downloads/Drugs/DrugSafety/UCM188961.pdf

Regulations.gov: National Foundation for Celiac Awareness (NFCA)  http://www.regulations.gov/search/Regs/home.html#documentDetail?R=0900006480b0e253

GREAT Foodservice, which is a program of the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness (NFCA), has selected a symbol as the “universal gluten-free symbol” for brand association participants to use: a grain representing wheat with a cross-out mark, which is already widely used internationally. This will help  non-native English speakers, pre-literate children, and non-literate consumers to manage their gluten-free diet.

Any company can get their gluten-free product registered with GREAT to make use of this incredible service today!

Requirements:

Submission of application and payment of $100 per product

List of ingredients and copy of label

Letter of gluten-free verification from each supplier

HACCP or Gluten (Allergen) Control Plan

Audited Third Party Test Results and ongoing batch testing

Health or USDA certificate

Copy of liability insurance

Submission of contract

For more information contact: NBaker@CeliacCentral.org or 215.325.1306 x 105 or visit www.CeliacCentral.org and click on GREAT.

Tina Turbin
www.GlutenFreeHelp.info

Type Brand name in SEARCH BOX for a complete product listing. How easy is that!

This Gluten Free Source is an on-line leader that exclusively sells gluten-free products:

GREAT Foodservice, a program of the NFCA, is a program designed to efficiently train restaurants or institutional kitchens to meet the needs of gluten-free eaters.  First, General Managers and Owners get online training and learn the ABCs of gluten-free food preparation: AWARENESS of gluten and its toxicity to celiac, BRINGING in supplies and menu items, and CROSS-CONTAMINATION CAUTION.

After they pass their test, each of their locations is given a toolkit with PowerPoint presentations (with Spanish subtitles) for kitchen staff, logistics templates, and a bilingual DVD for all employees. Each location signs a ten-point contract to commit to train all new employees in the same program and to do on-site quality control testing.

The cost is only $200 for restaurants and health care facilities and $75 for schools.

For more information go to www.CeliacCentral.org and click on GREAT, or contact Greatfoodservice@CeliacCentral.org. They will get in contact with the restaurant, school, or hospital for you.

What an amazing tool! Gluten-free eating out of the home will be much easier thanks to this incredible program.

Tina Turbin
www.GlutenFreeHelp.info

If you’ve been on a gluten-free diet for a while, you’ve probably come to know many of the gluten-free foods that are safe to eat as well as which ones to avoid, through knowledge of what foods naturally contain gluten, familiarity with various food brands and companies, and the know-how of acquiring information regarding gluten content—usually by calling up companies or checking their websites. As important as this is, celiac patients need to understand that gluten can be found in many other products than one would at first imagine, and one product in particular which you may depend on for your health and physical well-being—medications. Unfortunately, even though prescription and over-the-counter drugs can contain this ingredient which can make 1 in 100 Americans seriously ill, no clear gluten labeling is required by the FDA by pharmaceutical companies, a fact which NFCA (the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness) is working hard to remedy.

Celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder caused by gluten, a protein found in wheat, barley, and rye. It’s estimated that three million Americans have the disease, which is genetic in origin and works by attacking the villi, the absorptive fingers of the lining of small intestines, preventing proper absorption of vital nutrients and resulting in a wide variety of painful physical and mental symptoms, such as chronic exhaustion, chronic diarrhea, migraines, severe stomach pain, and diarrhea.

The NFCA on behalf of the celiac community is working to get the FDA to implement labeling requirements for gluten in medication. The FDA has already launched a Safe Use Initiative, in which the FDA “seeks to partner and collaborate with relevant stakeholders to measurably reduce preventable harm from medications, thereby improving patient health.” According to Alice Best, Founder and President of NFCA, and Loretta Jay, M.A., the Director of Program Development, in their docket to the Division of Dockets Management of the FDA, “The Safe Use Initiative’s emphasis on informational errors makes this project particularly important to people with celiac disease and gluten sensitivity.”

According to Best and Jay, without labeling requirements for medications, “although few medications do contain gluten, every medication must be investigated to verify its gluten-free status.” The current situation requires that pharmacists and patients contact the pharmaceutical manufacturers themselves to inquire about gluten content. “Answers are not available after regular business hours, and sometimes manufacturers are not prepared with the responses when contacted during the day,” Best and Jay write. Furthermore, this information can change easily as pharmaceuticals are manufactured differently. Whereas time-consuming research can be inconvenient for celiac patients when it comes to food products, it can be a health-threatening matter when dealing with medication.

In the end, the ramifications of lack of gluten labeling requirements can have serious results— what Best and Jay call “the almost certain potential for error and consequent grave harm to the celiac and gluten sensitive patient population.”

In the meantime, as the NFCA continues to address the FDA regarding this initiative for gluten labeling requirements, celiac patients and pharmacists will have to continue their diligent research on their own. Loretta Jay anticipates that there will be more activities in this area. “It will be a long road,” she says, but I suspect it will be a rewarding one.

Tina Turbin

http://www.GlutenFreeHelp.info

Resources:

FDA: FDA’s Safe Use Initiative http://www.fda.gov/downloads/Drugs/DrugSafety/UCM188961.pdf

Regulations.gov: National Foundation for Celiac Awareness (NFCA)  http://www.regulations.gov/search/Regs/home.html#documentDetail?R=0900006480b0e253

We had SO much fun baking to our hearts content, decorating with our imaginations soaring, eating Pamela’s Products and enjoying one another’s company.

I am honored and grateful be able to have incredibly delicious ingredients and fun give-aways for my parties, all from Pamela’s Products as well as Nature’s Food Patches LOADED gift bags , once again.

If anyone is interested in helping to spread the word about making the AWARENESS of celiac much more broadly known, as it should be, please e-mail me and I will share how to bring this about in your area.

We need everyone’s help and support! We need to unite and share each and everyone’s special skills and interests in this area. The profits from this party were all donated to National Foundation for Celiac Awareness.

Thank you, Tina Turbin

I so wanted to be a winner in her December contest and get those delicious cookies ( the gift) delivered to my door BUT the another wonderful baker got the prize. Lucky gal!

You can see my competition here and see my muffins sitting right next to the winner in the top left:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=128591&id=9321268761

You can also view the photo of one of my GLUTEN-FREE cupcake parties in which I donate all the money rasied to National Foundation for Celiac Awareness( NFCA) on her second page. See all the lovely kids and moms!

My hats off to Yvonne M.B. for coming in first place with those adorable cookies.

Check out my recipes anyway as they are scrumptious.

OK folks, next time – right! …..:)  Tina Turbin

Be sure to read my December column in the newsletter of the National Foundation of Celiac Awareness, devoted to the topic of the seasonal activity of holiday baking with your celiac child. 

This time of year can be a challenge, yet the article offers practical, informative tips on how to create a new, gluten-free tradition every year.

 Happy holiday baking!

But what about if you’re traveling with a celiac child?  Learn some of my tips on how to easily manage the task.  In fact this is helpful advice for all parents whether your child has celiac or not!   Read Tid Bits with Tina in the NFCA’s (National Foundation for Celiac Awareness) November newsletter.