Celiac Disease: What Gluten-Free Means Today

The only treatment for celiac disease is a gluten-free diet. This diet is free of all but very small amounts of gluten. In 2007 the Food and Drug Administration released a proposed rule for the labeling of gluten-free food. Among other criteria that must be met, food labeled gluten-free must contain less than 20 parts per million of gluten. This labeling rule is scheduled to be finalized sometime in 2012. The gluten-free diet is made up of both labeled and unlabeled gluten-free foods. If a food is not labeled gluten-free, consumers must look for the ingredients wheat, barley, rye, malt, oats, and brewer's yeast. If the food is a meat, poultry, or egg product, consumers also should look for the ingredients modified food starch, dextrin, and starch. While the gluten-free diet may be challenging at first, the learning curve is steep. It is essential that patients receive up-to-date timely and on-going counseling from a registered dietitian proficient in celiac disease and the gluten-free diet.