Frequently Asked Questions Find everything you need to know about coeliac disease, the gluten free diet and the work we do.
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Which products can't display the Crossed Grain symbol?
The Crossed Grain symbol can be licensed only for multiple ingredient and/or processed products. Products cannot be licensed if they are composed of a single ingredient or are unprocessed in nature. For example, fresh fruit and vegetables cannot be licensed as they are naturally gluten free; but fruit bars can be licensed as they have undergone a process which may hold a risk for gluten contamination. For a full list of products that are not permitted to display the Crossed Grain symbol please see Appendix One of the Licensing Information Pack.
Which foods are listed in Section 1?
Section 1 lists foods that are gluten free. They contain gluten at a level of no more than 20 parts per million (ppm). Products listed here comply with the law on gluten free (European Regulation EU No.828/2014). Foods in this section are tested to make sure they are gluten free.
You will find the following types of foods in Section 1:
- specialist, substitute foods available on prescription
- food carrying the Coeliac UK Crossed Grain symbol
We have thousands of more products labelled gluten free listed on our website and in our Live Well Gluten Free app where you can also view a products ingredients and nutritional information to help you chose suitable products for your diet.
Why are there more products in this app than in the Food and Drink Guide?
Our Food and Drink Guide does not include products that are naturally gluten free, such as fruits, vegetables and plain meat and fish. However, these are included in the product listings in the Live Well Gluten Free app, so this is why you may find that the results differ from what you are familiar with.
What is coeliac disease and dermatitis herpetiformis?
Coeliac disease is caused by a reaction of the immune system to gluten. The symptoms include:
- bloating
- diarrhoea
- wind
- constipation
- nausea
- tiredness
- mouth ulcers
- sudden weight loss
- anaemia
- osteoporosis.
Once diagnosed, it is treated by following a gluten free diet. Dermatitis herpetiformis is the skin manifestation of coeliac disease.
Which foods are listed in Section 2?
Section 2 lists supermarket own brand foods made without gluten containing ingredients and have controls in place to minimise the risk of cross contamination with gluten containing ingredients. We have also included a reference list of everyday mainstream brands. These brands produce some products that are made without gluten containing ingredients. You can check these products on our Live Well Gluten Free app, or on our website or call our Helpline on 0333 332 2033.
If products in Section 1 contain 20 part per million or less of gluten, what is the level of foods in Section 2?
We do not have gluten levels for the products in Section 2. The products in Section 2 are not specialist products and the manufacturers do not provide test results. They do not contain any gluten in the ingredients list and manufacturers follow advice from the Food Standards Agency on assessing and managing the risk of cross contamination with allergens including gluten containing cereals.
If you are unsure whether you can eat a particular product you can scan the bar code using our Live Well Gluten Free app or read the ingredients label. For more information on reading labels why not check out our labelling video that is produced in association with the Food Standard Agency.
Can I eat foods in both sections?
Yes, both sections lists products that are suitable for gluten free diet. Whilst the products listed in Section 2 are not labelled gluten free, the products in Section 2 are made without gluten containing ingredients and the manufacturers have made a risk assessment on cross contamination and have steps to control this. You can view the ingredients list and labelling information for these products on our Live Well Gluten Free app and on our website to help you choose suitable products for your diet.
Is it worth me renewing my membership with Coeliac UK?
Yes, together we continue to make a difference so no one’s life is limited by gluten. Our resources will help you with every aspect of your gluten free life.
As our reminder, with our Membership you will get:
- Our essential Food Information Service listing over 150,000 gluten free and mainstream, products, updated daily
- Our Live Well Gluten Free app to scan and check food as you shop and search over 3,000 gluten free accredited venues
- Over 1,000 recipes for every occasion in our Home of Gluten Free Recipes
- Travel tips to keep you safe in our travel guides
- Over £250 worth of exclusive food, drink product offers each year, straight to your inbox
- Support and events through our local groups near you
- One to one support through our Member2Member scheme, ideal for parents or newly diagnosed
- Our flagship magazine Live Well Gluten Free keeping you up to date on all things gluten free
- And much more!
What alcohol can I drink?
Cider, wine, sherry, spirits, port and liqueurs are gluten free.
Distilled spirits only contain gluten if gluten containing ingredients are added after the distillation process. In this case, there is labelling legislation that ensures the product label clearly states if wheat, barley, rye or oats have been added.
Distillation involves prolonged heating to produce a vapour and different components will vaporise at different temperatures so they can be separated. The vapour is then collected and cooled to form a distillate (liquid alcoholic drink).
Gluten does not form a vapour so even if the starting ingredient is wheat, barley or rye, gluten does not pass into the final distilled liquid.
Drinks with an alcoholic strength by volume (abv) of more than 1.2% do not have to list all ingredients. If they contain an allergen (including gluten containing cereals) they must declare this on the packaging, for example ‘contains wheat’.
An exception, is if the name of the drink contains the name of the allergen, for example ‘wheat beer’, then a statement, ‘contains wheat’ is not required. It should however be clear on the packaging which allergens are present.
Beer, lagers, stouts and ales are not distilled and undergo a different process known as fermentation and contain varying amounts of gluten and are not suitable for a gluten free diet but there are gluten free options available.
There are two types of gluten free beer, naturally gluten free beer and gluten removed gluten free beer. For both types, by law, manufacturers can only label a beer gluten free if it contains 20 ppm or less of gluten. In addition, a gluten removed gluten free beer made from barley must, by allergen labelling law, state on the label that it ‘contains barley’. For more information about fermented, hydrolysed products please read our article.
Specially manufactured gluten free beers, lagers and ales are available and are listed in Section 1 of our Food and Drink Guide, in our Live Well Gluten Free app and online Food and Drink Information.
Alcohol can have side effects whether or not you have coeliac disease. Information on sensible drinking can be found on the NHS website.
More information on alcohol can be found on our website.
Find out more about analysis of gluten in fermented and hydrolysed GF products here.
This information is based on the advice of our Food Standards Committee, Health Advisory Council and/or the Prolamin Working Group