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Thanks Beth for your summary today.  One other item to note, as we are both
in Canada and associated with the Canadian Celiac Association is that
Canada, which has one national association is also pursuing a certification
process and a symbol for GF products.  It just has not been advertised on
the listserv.  

 

There should be one symbol and certification process for North America -
just like Europe and Down Under - the same symbol is used throughout all
these countries and all those Celiac Associations follow the Codex
Standard.  It has been really easy for me to travel in these countries and
get GF products when I do not speak the language!  So, as Jim at the
Canadian Celiac Association and I discussed after Beth's email, I propose
that all the Celiac Associations in North America set up one certification
program and then use the same symbol as is currently used in the majority of
the world - which is a staff of wheat in a circle with a slash through it.
With the US adopting the 20ppm standard that currently exists in Canada,
Europe, AU and NZ; why would we not use similar certification and GF symbol
on our products?  Why re-invent the wheel?  We all will be following the
same Codex standard of 20ppm once the labeling laws are passed.  No
confusion then for Celiac's when traveling - no matter where you go the same
universal Gluten Free symbol is used.  Perhaps this symbol can be defined in
the Codex Standard and can then apply around the world, no matter who is
doing the certification?  The certification also could become a North
American standard agreed to by all our Celiac Associations, which then can
be implemented and granted by any of the various Celiac Associations.  The
current symbol can be used, which has already been created and is pretty
specific. Companies like Cream Hill Estates will only have to get certified
once and it will apply to both Canada and the US.

 

I am sure that this can happen, however I have found things can move very
slowly!  Once being a very frequent flyer, 11 years ago, it took me 2 years
of constant contact to get United Airlines, which is not a small company, to
change their gluten free meal to one that is pre-packaged so substitutions
would not happen at the various kitchens.  I took about 4 flights a week on
UAL and did not have time to shop for food before flights - the selection
was not there for GF foods!  However change can happen, especially when more
than one person is involved.   I CHALLENGE all of the leaders in our various
Celiac Associations that instead of the expense of creating, implementing
and promoting their own certification program and symbols, to get together
and instead focus on a COMMON certification standard and GF symbol for GF
products in Canada and the US.  

 

This would really SUPPORT celiacs, who are usually paying members of the
various Celiac Associations, to still keep the cost of products down from
the manufacturers we all support and to enable the manufacturers in not
having to raise the cost of products in order to pursue the different
certifications and symbol labeling on their goods.

 

Thanks for your attention to this matter, I know I rested easier seeing
items with GF symbols on them as I travelled outside our countries, it would
be nice if the same happened where we call home.

 

PLEASE no comments to me are needed and I will not provide a summary.  This
is my opinion of something that can be accomplished after seeing what the
different Celiac Associations are doing / promoting as they are all treading
down the same road with similar costs to implement - at what costs to us
Celiacs?  I look forward to a post on how the Canadian/US Celiac
Associations are going to proceed.

 

Lynda

Vancouver, BC 


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