Celiac Disease

What exactly is gluten? Gluten-free?

The substances that are toxic in CD are found in the protein components of wheat, barley, rye and possibly oats*. These proteins are collectively referred to as "gluten". While it is relatively easy to avoid foods obviously made with these grains, avoiding the 'hidden' sources of gluten requires knowledge, persistence, practice, and careful label reading. Foods that are considered safe for those with CD are described as "gluten-free". The use of the term "gluten-free", however, is not regulated in this country, and there are no internationally agreed upon standards for gluten-free foods. In Europe, a food product may be described as "gluten-free" if it is made with wheat starch that contains less than 200 parts per million (0.002%) gluten. In this country, most patient support groups believe that no level of gluten is considered safe until proven so. For this reason, the use of "low gluten" foods or foods made with wheat starch are not recommended.