Gluten is the name given to a group of proteins (also known as prolamins). The names of the food proteins involved in coeliac disease are gliadin, hordein, secalin, zein, kafirin and avenin. Reactions to this group of proteins are not considered to be a true IgE allergic reaction.

Coeliac disease (European spelling, known as Celiac in North America) is an autoimmune disorder where the body reacts to gluten in foods consumed and damages the gut, causing poor absorption of foods.

Despite not being an allergy, gluten is usually included in food allergy lists as it needs to be labelled on food in Europe as there are large number of sufferers worldwide.

Seitan is a vegan food made from wheat flour, which is a better source of protein than tofu (which is made from soya). If you are allergic to wheat or are intolerant to gluten you will need to avoid foods which contain seitan.

Coeliac disease is not an allergic condition, but is triggered by gluten found in cereals and grains.

Gluten is also linked to Non-coeliac Gluten Intolerance, you can read more about this on the Food Intolerance page.

Dermatitis herpetiformis is a rare skin disease that has been linked to coeliac disease. The gliadin proteins found in wheat cause the immune system to overreact and target the skin.

Foods containing gluten are wheat, barley, rye, durum wheat and oats.

This food list is not exhaustive, the most up to date information is available on the Cross Reactivity Tool.

You can download a Gluten and Grains Factsheet from the Allergy Resources Ko-fi Shop for just $0.50 (£0.40 or €0.45).

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