Food Affordability, Tax Fairness, and Celiac Disease

Living gluten-free in Canada isn’t a choice – it’s a medical necessity for people with celiac disease. But eating safely comes with a much higher price tag.

News & Updates

Celiac Canada Featured in The Hill Times for Advocacy on Tax Fairness

September 14, 2026 – Celiac Canada is proud to be featured in The Hill Times for its ongoing advocacy efforts to make life more affordable for Canadians living with celiac disease. The article highlights Celiac Canada’s call for a simpler, fairer approach to the federal Medical Expense Tax Credit, which currently requires individuals with celiac disease to track and calculate the cost difference of gluten-free foods through hundreds of grocery receipts.

The coverage showcases Celiac Canada’s leadership in bringing this issue to Parliament Hill and raising awareness of the financial burden faced by people who rely on a medically necessary gluten-free diet. The article also highlights support from parliamentarians and thousands of Canadians who are calling for meaningful change.

As the national voice for Canadians with celiac disease, Celiac Canada continues to advocate for policies that improve affordability, reduce barriers, and ensure that access to medically required gluten-free food is recognized as an essential part of disease management.

Celiac Canada Submits Pre-Budget Consultation to the Federal Government

September 7, 2026 -Celiac Canada’s Pre-Budget Consultation has been submitted to the federal govenrment for their consideration. Read the full submmissions below.

May 23, 2026 – National Executive Director, Melissa Secord, was asked to make an oral presentation to the Standing Committee on Finance of the House of Commons in May to present one of our solutions to improve access to the Medical Expense Tax Claim for the incremental cost of gluten-free foods.

May 5, 2026 – Celiac Canada hosted 90 Parliamentarians, Senators and policy staff for a gluten-free breakfast and reception on Parliament Hill. The event had a 16-foot display featuring Mr. Andy Carnovale of Courtice, Ontario’s 2023 food receipts to demonstrate the current burden of the METC process and the lack of accessibility. The advocacy day included MP statements in the House of Commons and numerous meetings with officials.

March 2026 – Thank you to the 33,000 Canadians who supported petition e‑6853, the Government of Canada issued its response, noting the current Medical Expense Tax Credit (METC) process and that regulations are reviewed on an ongoing basis.

Our message remains the same: the incremental cost of a medically required gluten‑free diet is a real and inequitable burden. We’ll keep working with all parties toward practical improvements that make the METC fairer and more accessible, especially for low‑income Canadians.

Get timely updates from Celiac Canada.

Our Advocacy Working Group will review the response in detail and keep the community posted.

Why is gluten-free food so expensive?

Here are a few reasons gluten-free food can be more expensive.

Special ingredients: Gluten-free products often use alternative flours (rice, sorghum, quinoa, almond, etc.) that are more expensive to grow, mill, and source. These ingredients require extra binders, like xanthum gum, psyllium, starches, that also add cost.

Smaller production runs: Regular bread or pasta is made at massive scale; gluten-free products are made in much smaller batches, which drives up cost.

Dedicated facilities: To prevent cross-contamination, some manufacturers run entirely separate gluten-free facilities or lines—adding cost.

Importing products: Many gluten-free brands are imported, which adds transportation and customs costs.

Gluten-free food is 150-500% more expensive than its gluten-containing equivalent!

The Problem with Canada's Current Tax Credit

Canada does have a Medical Expense Tax Credit (METC) for gluten-free food but:

It’s complicated: you must keep every receipt, track the difference between regular and gluten-free versions, and submit detailed records at tax time.
It excludes many people: not everyone can itemize their taxes (for example patients with low health or financial literacy), and many who need help the most can’t benefit
It’s unfair: families with multiple people with celiac disease face very high grocery bills, but little meaningful relief

Read about Andy’s experience navigating the tax credit process and why we’re asking for change.

Only 1 in 5 claim the existing tax credit because it's too complicated.

What We're Asking For

Celiac Canada is advocating for a flat refundable tax credit that would provide real, simple relief:

$1,000 per adult with celiac disease
$600 per child with celiac disease

This approach would:

✔ Reduce the financial burden of a medically necessary diet

✔ Be fairer and easier to access than the current system

✔ Help families struggling with food costs

Food is our medicine.

How We Are Supporting You

Celiac Canada’s Advocacy Working Group, Board of Directors and Staff are working every day to advocate for fair, affordable access to gluten-free food. Here’s a look at what we’ve done, and what we’re doing now:

2026

On March 26, the Government of Canada issued its response to petition e-6853, noting the current Medical Expense Tax Credit (METC) process and that regulations are reviewed on an ongoing basis. Our Advocacy Working Group will review the response in detail and keep the community posted.
Pre-Budget Consultation submission and oral presentation for the Standing Committee on Finance.
Celiac Canada hosted a Gluten-free Breakfast Reception on Parliament Hill, May 5th with 90 Parliamentarians, Senators and policy staff.

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2025

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Election advocacy: we rallied our community to send over 5,000 personalized letters sent to party leaders
Community poll: 1,800 voices weighed in on affordability, healthcare & the tax system. Read the results here.
Tariff consultations: we submitted a letter to the Minister of Finance and reached out to suppliers to better understand which tariff codes are being impacted and advocate for exemptions
Food banks: we are updating and improving our resources across the country to ensure they are up-to-date and easy to use
33,000+ Canadians signed our Parliamentary tax petition – It has now been resubmitted, and we achieved more signatures than the previous petition!

2024

1st Ever Parliamentary Caucus Created: Led by Liberal MP Sonia Sidhu (Brampton South) and Conservative MP Tim Louse (Kitchener Conestoga), this caucus opens doors for sharing issues & solutions with like-minded politicians who share an interest in celiac disease and come together to build awareness, change laws, & standards of care.

May 2023 Celiac Caucus - Parliament Hill

Elizabeth May, Green Party Leader, with Melissa Secord, National Executive Director Celiac Canada

Lizbeth Wall, President, Celiac Canada Board of Directors

27,000+ Canadians signed our Parliamentary tax petition – one of the largest celiac petitions ever!

2023

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Hosted the first gluten-free breakfast on Parliament Hill to influence policy.

Open Letter to Parliament: Calling out the unfair, unworkable Medical Expense Tax Credit. Read it here.

2022

A task force was struck to research past tax decisions, perform Freedom of Information Requests and consult legal tax experts. This fact-finding was intended to inform a strategy to bring forward to the Minister of National Revenue and Finance in 2023.

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