Gluten-free

The “gluten-free” claim is regulated: a product can only display it if it contains less than 20 mg/kg (20 ppm) of gluten, the threshold considered safe for people with coeliac disease. The crossed grain logo (AFDIAG in France) guarantees this control.

A fresh angle (vital for some, marketing for others): you need to distinguish two radically different groups:

1. Those for whom it is vital: people with coeliac disease (~1%), wheat allergy or confirmed gluten sensitivity. For them, a strict gluten-free diet is an absolute medical necessity, as the slightest trace reactivates coeliac disease.

1. Those following a fad: a growing share of the population avoids gluten without any condition, believing it is “healthier” or helps them “digest better”. For these people, there is no proven health benefit in avoiding gluten.

The paradox of industrial “gluten-free” products: a major counter-intuitive point, processed “gluten-free” products (breads, biscuits, industrial cakes) are often less healthy than their standard equivalents:

1. More processed (additives, gums to replace gluten)
2. Often higher in sugar, fat and refined starches (to compensate for texture and taste)
3. Lower in fibre and micronutrients
4. More expensive

So swapping a standard wholemeal bread for an industrial “gluten-free” bread is generally a poor nutritional trade, unless there is a medical need.

The real “naturally gluten-free” approach: if you need or want to avoid gluten, it is better to favour foods that are naturally gluten-free and unprocessed (rice, quinoa, buckwheat, pulses, vegetables, fruit, eggs, fish) rather than ultra-processed industrial substitutes.

In practice: before cutting out gluten “to feel better”, seek advice and rule out coeliac disease first (testing BEFORE stopping gluten). Often, the discomfort blamed on gluten comes from FODMAPs or the overall quality of the diet.