National Gluten-Free Day is celebrated in the United States on January 13th. A gluten-free diet is a diet that excludes all food items that contain gluten. Gluten is the protein found in wheat, barley, rye, triticale and spelt. Some gluten-free diets may also exclude oats, corn, soy or other food items that are known to be cross-reactive. Gluten-free food is usually a diet for people who have Celiac disease. However, people who have gluten allergies, an unrelated disease, should avoid all related grains.

According to Celiac Disease Foundation, “Celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder that can occur in genetically predisposed people where the ingestion of gluten leads to damage in the small intestine. It is estimated to affect 1 in 100 people worldwide. 2.5 million Americans are undiagnosed and are at risk for long-term health complications.” Meat, fish, poultry, fruits, vegetables, potatoes and rice are all gluten-free foods. As flight crewmembers, we must be aware of which items we carry on our aircrafts and what we order from caterers that can potentially harm our passengers.

Air Culinaire Worldwide has many menu options and a gluten-free menus that you can find at https://www.airculinaireworldwide.com/menus/. We also offer many culinary, food safety, and service classes for your continuing education program.

Questions?

If you have any questions about this article or food safety and culinary training, contact me at jdetloff@airculinaire.com. For questions about in-flight catering, contact weborders@airculinaire.com.