What is celiac disease? May 27th is National Celiac Day

For decades, it has been known that gluten (or similar compounds such as hordeins in barley and secalins in rye) in foods, often derived from wheat, barley, rye, oats, and spelt flour, is not suitable for a large number of people, including babies in the first months of life. Many people develop hypersensitivity, resulting in gluten intolerance or celiac disease.

Celiac disease and dermatitis herpetiformis (celiac disease of the skin) are caused by hypersensitivity to gluten. When a patient with celiac disease eats or drinks something prepared from or with one or more types of gluten-containing cereals, or that has come into contact with them, the mucous membrane of the small intestine is affected. A healthy small intestine has a large number of intestinal villi inside, which together form a huge surface area for nutrient absorption. The intestinal villi of patients with celiac disease cannot tolerate gluten, or more specifically, gliadins and glutenins, the main components of gluten.

As a result of an immune response triggered by gluten, the intestinal villi are damaged. Consequently, not all required nutrients can be properly absorbed by the body.

This can lead to deficiencies in, among others, vitamins, calcium, and iron.

In Spain, it is estimated that there are more than 500,000 patients with celiac disease. Celiac disease can be diagnosed at any age, but two peaks can be distinguished. The first peak occurs between six and ten years of age, and the second between twenty and forty years. The second group may have had celiac disease since childhood, but the symptoms do not become clearly recognizable until later.

There are no medications for gluten intolerance; the only way for a patient with celiac disease to avoid or manage symptoms is by following a strict diet free of gluten-containing cereals. The diet is sometimes temporarily supplemented with iron tablets and additional vitamins and minerals. There is wheat starch or wheat flour processed to be gluten-free, officially labeled as gluten-free, but it is not 100% free of gluten.

It is necessary that gluten content complies with the Codex Alimentarius standard. For example, for wheat flour processed as gluten-free, the limit is 200 parts per million (ppm). However, for some celiac patients, this is still too much, and they may experience symptoms after consuming such flour. Therefore, these more sensitive individuals must use products that are naturally gluten-free. For naturally gluten-free products, the established limit is a maximum of 20 ppm. However, naturally gluten-free products can become contaminated with gluten from other sources during processing, so it is important to always check the labeling.

At SALUTEF, we prioritize ensuring that products are not contaminated with gluten and that they do not exceed 20 ppm of gluten in all flours, flakes, starches, additives, and grains we work with. We hold the “gluten-free” certification from the European Licensing System (ELS), in accordance with the AOECS Standard for Gluten-Free Foods (Association of European Coeliac Societies), accompanied by license numbers ES-0176-XXX, issued by the Spanish Federation of Coeliac Associations (FACE). This allows us to use the certification on the labeling of products certified under the ELS umbrella.