I have coeliac disease, and I am very sensitive to gluten so I need to stick to a strict gluten-free diet. Is it true that some foods labelled as 'gluten free' still contain some gluten? How can I find out what foods are suitable for me?

Yes, it is true, for a number of reasons, like contamination in the factory and the addition of a special starch which has been treated to reduce the amount of gluten, foods labelled as ‘gluten free’ have been allowed to contain small amounts of gluten.

However, new rules, published on 21 January 2009 relating to the use of the claims ‘gluten free’ and ‘very low gluten’ should make it easier for you to choose foods that are suitable for you.

Foods labelled as 'gluten free' are allowed to have small amounts of gluten in them (less than 20 parts of gluten in a million). This is because it’s difficult to make foods that are completely free of gluten. As well as 'gluten free', a second labelling term 'very low gluten' has been created. This is for foods that contain a special type of starch which has been treated to remove almost all the gluten. This starch is needed in certain foods, for example bread and cakes, to add consistency and texture. However, because of the way in which it's made, manufacturers find it very difficult to remove all of the gluten from the final food and so this category allows for a slightly higher level of gluten (100 parts of gluten in a million).

People with coeliac disease can safely eat small amounts of gluten. The amount will vary from one person to another. If you eat a lot of products labelled as ‘very low gluten’ in a day this could damage your gut, but eating small amounts of these products is still thought to be safe.

Having two labelling categories will allow people with different sensitivities to choose foods which are most suitable for them. However, it’s important to remember that foods labelled as 'very low gluten' won’t be suitable for everyone, so speak to your GP or dietician before introducing these into your diet for the first time.

Ofcourse, there are lots of other foods that are naturally free from gluten such as potatoes, maize and rice, that are also good sources of starchy carbohydrate. Fruit, vegetables and unprocessed meat and fish are also free from gluten, but some processed meats such as sausages and burgers are made with cereals that contain gluten.

It’s always best to check the ingredients list on all food packs for cereals containing gluten to make sure they don’t contain gluten. It’s also important because the new labelling rules give manufacturers until 2012 to reformulate products or change their packaging, so there could still be foods on the shelf with previous labelling until then.

Coeliac UK is an organisation that produces resources to help people with coeliac disease maintain a gluten free diet and the helpline number is 0870 444 8804.