The labelling of allergens at Sainsbury’s  

Popular questions on coeliac/gluten-free labelling

 

Why have you changed your labelling on products for Coeliacs?

There has been a change in the European Union law on labelling of foods for Coeliacs which comes into effect early 2012. As a result, we’ve had to make changes to the labelling of around 1,000 of our products.  This means that the “suitable for coeliacs” statement has to be removed from the label of these products and the “suitable for coeliacs” icon will no longer appear on our on-line groceries website.

This is because…

  • To label a product ‘gluten free’ means it has to have less than 20 parts per million (ppm) of gluten - it used to be 200 ppm – so this is a significant reduction.
  • If a product which used to be labelled ‘gluten free’ or ‘suitable for coeliacs’ cannot be guaranteed to have less than 20 ppm of gluten, then Sainsbury’s will not allow it to carry this label.

 

 

Does this mean I can’t eat foods that I’ve always enjoyed?

The product formulation and the way the product is produced have not changed. The only change is the amount of gluten that is allowed in a product to enable us to call it ‘gluten-free’ or ‘suitable for coeliacs’. As usual, where a product contains gluten as an ingredient, this will be clearly shown in the ingredients list and in the on allergy advice panel on the packaging.

 

 
Where can I get more advice about gluten-free foods?

Sainsbury’s offers a range of over 200 branded and own brand products which are gluten and wheat-free. The Sainsbury’s freefrom range of over 70 products has recently been improved, and the majority of the products are gluten and wheat-free so you don’t have to compromise on quality, choice or taste. The products in this range are guaranteed to have less than 20ppm of gluten.

 

 

Where can I find suitable products

You can download a product guidance lists for those who wish to avoid gluten. These lists are updated regularly and you can also download our leaflet about coeliac disease.

 

 

This information is a guide only and should not replace advice given from your healthcare professional.