This May (1–31 May) is Coeliac Awareness Month and BFree, the leader of gluten free flatbreads in the UK, is proudly supporting the campaign from independent charity, Coeliac UK, by donating 20p per pack for every limited-edition purple pack of pitta sold.
Coeliac Awareness Month aims to highlight the symptoms and risk factors of coeliac disease, and the importance of getting tested. Over the course of Coeliac Awareness Month, BFree aims to raise £26,000 for Coeliac UK and promote the campaign through on-pack messaging and initiatives.
BFree’s limited edition ‘A Little Pitta Love’ packs feature information about Coeliac UK and a QR code to learn more about coeliac disease, whilst 20p from every pack sold will be donated to Coeliac UK to fund its vital work for the coeliac community. The authentically stone baked gluten free pitta bread can be found in all major UK retailers.
As a part of its support for the Coeliac Awareness Month campaign, on 15 May, BFree is hosting an online Q&A with Sunday Times best-selling author and gluten-free cook, Becky Excell, and Dr Hazel Wallace, registered associate nutritionist and the founder of The Food Medic. Becky and Dr Hazel will discuss tips for eating out and cooking for those with coeliac disease, lookouts on ingredients lists, lunch inspiration and common misconceptions around the condition. BFree is also raising awareness through social media campaigns and advertising.
Alex Murphy, CEO of BFree, said: “We are passionate about supporting the coeliac community and so it was a natural step for us to get involved in Coeliac Awareness Month. At BFree, we’re all about what can be added to life, not what’s taken away, and we know what a big difference diagnosis can make for those unknowingly living with coeliac disease.”
Hilary Croft, CEO of Coeliac UK, commented: “Thank you to BFree for championing our cause and helping us to raise awareness of coeliac disease. This is a major milestone and it is a positive sign to see a key player in gluten free foods support our campaign in so many ways. When someone finally gets an answer to the cause of their unexplained symptoms, the positive changes can be momentous – for both their physical health and mental wellbeing. It is so important that we raise awareness of coeliac disease so we can improve diagnosis and get those with undiagnosed coeliac disease on the road to recovery.”
There’s an estimated 500,000 people1,2 in the UK who are living with undiagnosed coeliac disease – a serious autoimmune condition affecting 1 in 100 people3,4, yet only 36%1 of those affected are medically diagnosed. When people with the condition eat gluten – a protein found in wheat, barley and rye – their body attacks its own tissues. If left untreated, it can cause gut damage and serious health complications.
The first step recommended by Coeliac UK for those seeking answers around their unexplained symptoms, is to take its quick and easy self-assessment. This online questionnaire, based on the NICE guidelines5, will confirm whether the individual is recommended to speak with their healthcare professional about getting tested and gives people a letter to take to their GP to help with the process.
The self-assessment is available at: www.isitcoeliacdisease.org.uk
Coeliac UK is keen to stress that people should not cut gluten out of their diet without first being tested for coeliac disease. This is because gluten must be in the diet for the body to produce antibodies that are measured in the blood test. Removing gluten from the diet risks a potential false negative result.
For more information about Coeliac Awareness Month, visit: https://www.coeliac.org.uk/get-involved/awareness-month-2024/
For more information about BFree’s ‘A Little Pitta Love’, visit: bfreefoods.com/ukirl/little-pitta-love/
