Alba Therapeutics is recruiting people with celiac disease to participate in a clinical research study to test a new investigational medication.

Participants must be:

1. Diagnosed with celiac disease by biopsy or capsule endoscopy.
2. Between 18 and 75.
3. Been attempting to follow a gluten-free diet for 12 months or longer.

If you meet these initial criteria and are interested in learning more about the study, check the online pre-screener at http://www.celiactrial.com/Home.aspx

Be aware
As with any important health decision, it is important that you understand fully what is involved before deciding to take part in a clinical study. Make sure you read all of the information you are given, and ask a member of the study team if anything is not clear. You may also want to talk to your primary care physician or family doctor about whether taking part is right for you. The study team will be able to talk to you about what other treatment options are available to you.

Here’s a story from CCA President Brian Benwell about his experience spreading the news about celiac disease and oral health.

“Last year I pointed my dentist to some information about the link between oral health and celiac disease: http://www.jcda.ca/article/b39/. I guess he read it, because at some point later in the year he had encouraged another patient to consult his family doctor about CD, based on the health of his mouth. This patient’s family doctor was skeptical, but ordered the tests. A diagnosis of CD was the eventual outcome. My dentist was thrilled with the opportunity to participate in a wider range of delivering good health care, and he thanked me for the tip.”

The CCA now has a printable version of the dental facts sheet in brochure and downloadable form that anyone can download: http://bit.ly/cca_dental. Take it to your dentist. We look forward to hearing repeats of Brian’s story from across the country. Please let us know how it all works.

Look for more items about celiac disease and oral and dental health through out the month here on our blog, on Facebook, and Twitter.

The CFIA has issued a recall for Nicole’s DIVINE CRACKERS – DILLY DILLINGHAM because of gluten. This is a class 3 recall, which means a low risk for problems, but the crackers are labelled as gluten free, so you may want to check your cupboards. The affected lot number is lot 11-143.

I was watching an episode of Masterchef New Zealand today (season 3, episode 3) and the viewers got an education about cross-contamination of GF products during baking.

The contestants had to prepare 8 different types of bread in a commercial bakery. One of the breads was GF and they made a number of mistakes leading to possible wheat contamination.

They started preparing their ingredients on a shared table – they were called on it and had to start again. One of the contestants used shared measuring equipment to weigh her ingredients – again, she was called on it and had to start again. The gluten free bread was also the only bread presented sealed in plastic containers.

New Zealand viewers got a great lesson on the challenges of gluten-free baking and it was a clear illustration of how hard it is to produce safe gluten-free food in a mixed kitchen.

Ironically, one of the contestants identified himself as gluten-free and he volunteered to make the GF bread. He didn’t really seem to be any more aware of the cross-contamination issues than the other non-celiac contestant.

I really hope that this kind of lesson will come to North American food television too. Anyone got some connections at Food Network Canada?

Imagine competing in a high-energy winter sport with celiac disease.

Dudley Coulter is a cross-country skier who competes nationally and internationally and trains at the National Development Center at Thunder Bay. Read his story.

The CCA is proud to sponsor Dudley and looks forward to cheering him as he heads to his goal of the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is warning people with allergies to egg, milk and wheat not to consume the Bin Bin brand Spicy Snow Rice Crackers described below. This is a class 1 recall and the product has been distributed nationally.

The affected product contains egg, milk and wheat which is not declared on the label. For more information, http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/corpaffr/recarapp/2012/20120207e.shtml

Should the CCA be advocating for “healthy” GF products (based on some definition of healthy) or should our goal be to allow people who need to eat GF to eat the same “not very healthy” diet most people without celiac disease eat?

This question has come up a couple of times recently. People have been complaining about seeing GF on products they don’t consider healthy – boullion cubes that contain a lot of sodium and baked goods with very little nutritional value.

What do you think the CCA should be promoting – products that “normalize” the GF diet to match the options wheat-eating Canadians have or products that allow us to eat a better than normal diet?

Sue N.

This may be too late for most households, but if you have some Christmas candy still around, you might want to check for this product.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and Winners Merchants International LP are warning people with allergies to milk and wheat not to consume the Jelly Belly Christmas Deluxe Mix described below. The affected product contains milk and wheat which are not declared on the label.

The Jelly Belly Christmas Deluxe Mix, product of USA, is sold in a 9 oz (255 g) package bearing Best Before date DEC 01 2012.

This product has been distributed nationally.

For more information, visit http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/corpaffr/recarapp/2012/20120127ce.shtml

If you happen to be in Ontario’s Cottage Country, stop by Huntsville’s Wheat-free Delights, the CCA’s’ newest Associate Member. They offer fresh bread Tuesday through Saturday after 10:00 am, english muffins, bagels, baguettes, quiches, oven-ready pizzas and a wide assortment of treats, all baked in a 100% gluten-free bakery. The products are made with a variety of wholesome ingredients including almond milk, organic cane sugar, Earth Balance shortening, ground almonds, quinoa, coconut oil and a whole lot of love.

Wheat-free Delights also offers online ordering for people who cannot get to the bakery. Place your order Monday by 6:00 pm and it will be shipped by courier to be received fresh Thursday or Friday. You can also pick up orders at the bakery. Orders must be placed 3 days prior to pick up or delivery and paid for at time of order.

For more information, and photos that will make your mouth water, visit wheatfreedelights.com

Kinnikinnick Foods in Edmonton Alberta has added Kosher certification to its dedicated gluten free, dairy free and nut free facilities in North America.  Both plants have been through the rigorous certification program under the supervision of the Kashruth Division of the Orthodox Union.  By making all of its products in house, Kinnikinnick can ensure all of its baked goods and snacks are safe from cross contamination. The OU certification means that those people with special dietary concerns that follow a Kosher diet now have access to a far greater variety of high quality items.

Read More.