What’s with all the cuts?

In recent times many, many CCG’s across the UK have decided to stop prescribing Gluten Free products to Coeliac Disease patients. While they claim to have allowed the general public to cast votes and take surveys on these decisions, they certainly keep them under the radar! The only way you’d know about these surveys is…

Arsenic levels in rice – Pure products safe

Many of you will have seen reports this week concerning levels of arsenic in food, in particular in rice and rice products. Arsenic is a naturally occuring metal in the earth’s crust and therefore organic arsenic is present in most foods and the water we consume and always has been. Current research suggests that excessive…

Teenage kicks

There are many recipe books available for the gluten-free cook and a great number are written by people who were either themselves diagnosed with coeliac disease or who have a close relative with the disease. I haven’t come across many books that are simply written as an experience of being diagnosed and the impact it…

Quality not quantity

Regardless of industry sector there are always reports at this time of year to tell us what the likely trends for the coming year are going to be. Arguably the horse meat scandal has had one of the biggest impacts in years on the food industry and consumer buying habits, and it would also appear…

It’s just a habit…

Several different articles have piqued my interest this month, although I feel there is a related theme. One was the survey that a well-known supermarket conducted into people’s cooking habits. What they discovered was that most of us stick to a few well-known dishes when we cook dinner (49% consume the same meal 2 or…

Autistic licence

Research into diet and its link to diseases and disorders continues as keenly as ever and I was particularly interested in an article by Paul Whiteley on the subject of gluten intolerance and autism. For those who may not be familiar with Paul’s blog, he uses it “to describe and discuss various research into autism…

The carrot and the stick

An article has appeared in the British Medical Journal this week which grabbed my attention. It was written by a GP, Dr. Ian Lake, and he has been looking at the problem of encouraging people to willingly opt for healthy food choices. His opinion is that it is easier and more effective to motivate people…

Gluten-free and the NHS

You will probably have seen the recent news article in which the Drug and Therapeutics Bulletin raised the issue of whether gluten-free foods should still be distributed via the prescription system. Not surprisingly the article provoked some lively debate and brought forth some interesting views. Many reading the article will have felt this as quite…

Room for Innovation

According to a recent report by Frost and Sullivan the market for gluten-free products has grown so large that it now overshadows even the dairy-free market. Not only that, but they are predicting yet further growth in the demand for gluten-free foods provided manufacturers can keep educating people about why gluten-free products are good for…