Latest news with #coeliacdisease
The Independent
26-05-2025
- Health
- The Independent
Popular gym snack recalled over ‘health risk' to coeliacs and customers with gluten intolerance
A popular gym snack has been axed from shelves over fears it could pose a risk to customers with coeliac disease. The 75g Myprotein cookie was recalled because it contained wheat (gluten) that was not mentioned on the product label, The Food Standards Agency said. Coeliac disease is a condition where the immune system attacks your own tissues when you eat gluten. This damages the gut so the body cannot properly take in nutrients, according to the NHS. 'THG Nutrition Limited is recalling the above product from customers and has contacted the relevant allergy support organisations, which will tell their members about the recall,' the FSA said. 'The company has also issued a recall notice to its customers. These notices explain to customers why the product is being recalled and tell them what to do if they have bought the product.' The watchdog urged customers to return the snack to the shop from where it was purchased for a full refund. |If you have bought the above product and have coeliac disease, and/or an allergy or intolerance to wheat or gluten, do not eat it,' it added. In March, a major supermarket recalled a popular snack over fears a salmonella contamination could cause 'severe' diarrhoea and cramps. Lidl urged customers not to eat Sol & Mar Chicharricos BBQ Pork Scratchings and to return the 99p snack as quickly as possible. Salmonella symptoms include vomiting, stomach pains, headaches and a high temperature and can last up to three days, according to the NHS. 'Lidl is recalling this product due to the potential presence of Salmonella, which may cause severe gastrointestinal symptoms,' the supermarket said. 'If you have bought the above product, we advise you not to eat it. Customers are asked to return this product to the nearest store where a full refund will be given.'
The Sun
23-05-2025
- Health
- The Sun
Major food brand urgently recalls popular snack over health risk as customers warned ‘do not eat'
AN URGENT recall has been issued as a popular snack is pulled from the shelves over health risks. Customers have been warned "do no eat" due to wheat, or gluten, not being included on the ingredients label. THG Nutrition Limited is recalling the Myprotein Gooey Filled Cookie, Double Chocolate & Caramel. The product is a possible health risk for anyone with coeliac disease, and/or an allergy or intolerance to wheat or gluten. Shoppers have been warned the 75g packets and the 12 box of 75g packs have been recalled. All batch codes are affected and the best before date to look out for is June 17 2025 to July 16 2026. If you have bought the affected product and have coeliac disease, and/or an allergy or intolerance to wheat or gluten, do not eat it. Customers have been advised to return the item to the store they purchased it from. For more information, please telephone 0800 260 6946, Monday to Friday from 8am to 4pm or email qualityassurance@ Despite being food-related, coeliac disease is not an allergy or intolerance; it's an autoimmune condition caused by a reaction to gluten. When eaten, the immune system mistakenly attacks its own tissues, which damages the gut so the body can't properly take in nutrients. The NHS says this can cause a range of gut symptoms, including: Diarrhoea (which may smell particularly unpleasant) Stomach aches or cramps Bloating Farting Indigestion Constipation Vomiting Your product recall rights Chief consumer reporter James Flanders reveals all you need to know. Product recalls are an important means of protecting consumers from dangerous goods. As a general rule, if a recall involves a branded product, the manufacturer would usually have lead responsibility for the recall action. But it's often left up to supermarkets to notify customers when products could put them at risk. If you are concerned about the safety of a product you own, always check the manufacturer's website to see if a safety notice has been issued. When it comes to appliances, rather than just food items, the onus is usually on you - the customer - to register the appliance with the manufacturer as if you don't there is no way of contacting you to tell you about a fault. If you become aware that an item you own has been recalled or has any safety noticed issued against it, make sure you follow the instructions given to you by the manufacturer. They should usually provide you with more information and a contact number on its safety notice. In some cases, the manufacturer might ask you to return the item for a full refund or arrange for the faulty product to be collected. You should not be charged for any recall work - such as a repair, replacement or collection of the recalled item 1
The Independent
17-05-2025
- Health
- The Independent
I've just been diagnosed with the same disease as 1 in 100 people – but I've never felt lonelier
I returned from a blissful holiday a couple of months ago to several missed calls from my doctor and a message to call my surgery urgently. 'We've had the results back from your latest blood tests, and it appears you have coeliac disease,' my GP told me, as I returned to reality with a huge bump. He was almost gleeful that he had finally figured out the core reason for the fatigue and other bizarre symptoms which had been plaguing me for months. As I have two friends with the condition, I thought I was fairly knowledgeable about coeliac disease. According to charity Coeliac UK, 1 in 100 people are estimated to have it, albeit more than a third of those are thought to be undiagnosed. Team GB Olympic swimmer Rebecca Adlington also recently spoke out about her diagnosis. But as a whirlwind of medical testing, scans and adjusting to a life-long restrictive diet followed, I started to feel more and more alone. Coeliac disease is where the body's immune system attacks its own tissues when gluten is eaten – which is present in wheat, barley and rye – and prevents normal digestion and absorption of food. There are dozens of symptoms, including fatigue, stomach pain, nausea, anaemia and neurological issues like 'brain fog'. And if the condition is not managed, it can cause serious health complications, including malabsorption, osteoporosis, infertility and even certain types of cancer. There is no medication, and the only treatment for coeliac disease is adhering to a strictly gluten-free diet and avoiding cross-contamination with foods which contain gluten. One of the biggest misconceptions about the disease is that 'it's just a food allergy', but it actually leads to long-term damage to the gut. That's why it's crucial for sufferers to avoid eating even a crumb of gluten. But, if managed correctly, sufferers can lead a healthy, symptom-free life. In recent weeks, when revealing my diagnosis out of both choice and necessity, I received comments such as: 'So can't you have a tiny bit of gluten occasionally?', 'Can you just try one?' and shockingly, even: 'If I was diagnosed with that, I don't think my life would be worth living anymore.' This is a medical condition – not a lifestyle choice. People's lack of understanding, combined with a struggle to find restaurants which will cater properly for gluten-free diets, left me feeling increasingly isolated. Until my diagnosis, I didn't realise gluten-free products aren't truly safe unless they have been prepared and cooked in a contamination-free environment. For example, they can't be fried in oil also used to cook gluten-containing items. I'm a very social person and having to check restaurant menus whenever I'm invited anywhere, insisting on specific catering for hen parties, weddings and events over the summer, and requesting my partner to have a kitchen free from gluten has left me feeling like a burden and takes up a lot of energy. Facing supermarkets remains my biggest personal challenge, where I feel self-conscious about having to check the label of almost everything I pick up, and I am always horrified at the increased cost of my shop when I reach the checkout. It's not always as bad as I make out. I will soon adapt to the life changes, and I have an amazing support network in my family, friends and partner. There are definitely more options available than a decade or 20 years ago, with gluten-free bread and pasta much improved – and I've managed to find some amazing communities online which offer support, advice, and healthy recipe options. But following my diagnosis, I was shocked to discover that prescriptions for gluten-free staple foods, such as bread and flour, are only available depending on where in the country you live. Research by Coeliac UK last year found people with the condition are paying up to 35 per cent more for their weekly food shop, particularly in light of the cost of living crisis. I'm in a relatively privileged position when it comes to managing my health, as I can afford the more expensive free-from products, and I live in London, where there is a much wider range of options for restaurants and supermarkets than in other smaller towns. But for many, that's not the case. And even those who have access to free prescriptions may not benefit if gluten-free food is not available on prescription in their area. This may lead to people eating food which contains gluten for cost reasons, leaving them open to short- and long-term health problems, and adding further pressure to an already-overstretched NHS. Earlier this year, a petition signed by 22,000 people was brought to Downing Street calling for an end to the postcode lottery on gluten-free prescriptions. And to mark Coeliac Awareness Month this May, Coeliac UK is encouraging people to take its online self-assessment to check their symptoms and spread knowledge about the disease. The more people who are correctly diagnosed means those with coeliac disease are more likely to be recognised and catered for, and fewer of us are likely to feel alone.
