Coeliac Disease

IF BREAD DOES NOT AGREE WITH YOU Coeliac disease is a serious reaction to gliadin a gluten forming protein present in wheat and (in smaller quantities) in Rye, barley and oats. It is generally treated by complete avoidance of gluten.

The fact that coeliac disease was first diagnosed in 1950 and that a much larger group complain of less severe forms of wheat intolerance, allergy, bloating or just mild discomfort leads one to wonder why this scourge has sprung up in a period when bread consumption has fallen more than half.

There is widespread concern that aspects of modern breadmaking, most likely the accelerated fermentation process, miss out an important transformative element in traditional long fermentations. Specifically in 2002, Italian scientists were able to demonstrate that it was possible using traditional long fermentations to produce bread that could be tolerated by coeliacs. They showed that lactobacilli naturally present in the fermentation could neutralise the wheat gliadins.

We do not claim that any of our bread is suitable for coeliacs but it is clear that a large number of our clients who cannot eat ‘factory bread’ because it makes them feel uncomfortable, get on very well with ours. It seems most likely that the transformative effect of lactobacilli in long fermentations is the explanation.