Healthy Gluten Free Consulting Can Help Individuals And Businesses

By Claudine Hodges


Food allergies have become a big issue and sometimes it seems like they are just a trend or a lifestyle choice. However, that is not the case, allergies are potentially lethal and can cause long term damage to a person's health. In the quest for sufferers to be healthy gluten free consulting can offer a range of services to improve lifestyle. It is also useful for those in the food industry who want to train their staff in gluten issues.

Firstly, let's be clear that wheat intolerance is not just a preference. People who have been diagnosed suffer a multitude of debilitating symptoms from irritable bowel syndrome to migraines. Before diagnosis they have usually suffered for many years and been unable to live a normal life. It is also extremely damaging to long term health. One study found that people with associated inflammation of the gut had a 39% increased risk of death, mainly from heart disease and cancer.

Recently a piece of research was done to see if the incidence of intolerance to gluten has increased as a proportion of the population. The team analysed blood samples from twenty thousand subjects. Half the sample were taken fifty years ago and the other half were taken recently. They found elevated TTG antibodies had increased by four hundred percent in that fifty year period. This is big news for anyone working in health and for the food industry.

Avoiding gluten is actually quite difficult as wheat is a versatile ingredient and is used in many ways. It crops up in surprising places such as ice creams, chocolate as it is used as a thickener by industrial food processors. It even appears in oats. This is because of cross-contamination. Oats do not actually contain gluten but they are often contaminated in factories.

At home gluten intolerant people also have to be careful of contamination of their food if other members of the house are eating wheat. Separate chopping boards, oils and utensils make life much easier. Trace amounts can affect health so it is essential that good kitchen practices are followed.

Staff training is also important. Kitchen staff will need to learn about how to prepare and check ingredients and avoid contamination. Consultants can make sure that procedures comply with local regulations. They can also help with menu and recipe design. Producing high quality baked goods is not always straightforward. For example, different flours and additives such as xantham gum are needed to make bread.

Front of house staff also need to be trained in helping customers with gluten intolerance. They need to know the history of the problem and how to question and reassure clients. Waiting staff should be able to converse with customers to advise them which dishes to avoid and of any dishes which can be altered to cater for the client.

Gluten free living is not a simple matter and the consequences for those with a food allergy can be very serious. Whether you suffer from an intolerance or work in the food preparation industry a consultant can help you learn about the necessary steps to making gluten free food. Healthy living is important for everyone and food intolerance need to be better understood so that sufferers do not live in pain or die early.




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