Promising Gluten Free Vaccine Announced!

Imagine not having to live a gluten free lifestyle?

A new potential vaccine for those suffering from Celiac Disease has successfully completed a first round of testing!

Australian Company ImmusanT Inc., announces a study for a gluten free vaccine called Nexvax2. This immunotherapy treatment will initially coincide with a gluten free diet.

They are seeking participants in the U.S. to participate in the 2nd round of testing. For further information, please visit the National Institute of Health Trials site and perform a search for their trials under Celiac Disease: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov

Income Tax Benefit!

If you or one of your dependents has celiac disease and you itemize your deductions, the extra costs due to gluten-free dietary restrictions may be taken as a medical expense. In addition, you can deduct the cost of attending medical education conferences.

Do You Qualify for a Deduction?

AGI threshold increase. Starting in 2013, the amount of allowable medical expenses you must exceed before you can claim a deduction is 10 percent of your adjusted gross income (AGI). The threshold was 7.5 percent of AGI in prior years.

Temporary exception for age 65. The AGI threshold is still 7.5 percent of your AGI if you or your spouse is age 65 or older. This exception will apply through Dec. 31, 2016. You must itemize. You can only claim your medical expenses if you itemize deductions on your federal tax return. You can’t claim these expenses if you take the standard deduction. No double benefit. You can’t claim a tax deduction for medical expenses you paid with funds from your Health Savings Accounts or Flexible Spending Arrangements. Amounts paid with funds from those plans are usually tax-free. More information can be found at the IRS site.

Gluten Free Food Labeling

The FDA has made much headway in labeling products that do not contain gluten. On August 5, 2013, FDA issued a final rule defining the term “gluten-free”. However this is for voluntary use. The compliance date for the final rule was August 5, 2014. Food products with a gluten-free claim labeled on or after that date must meet the rule's requirements. Additionally, on June 25, 2014, FDA issued a guide for small businesses involved in the food industry to assist in compliance with this final rule requirement. FDA has indicated that it will continue to educate and monitor industry practice on gluten-free labeling.

Definition of “gluten-free” in this rule:

I quote the rule: “Foods may be labeled ‘gluten-free’ if they meet the definition and otherwise comply with the final rule’s requirements. More specifically, the final rule defines "gluten-free" as meaning that the food either is inherently gluten free; or does not contain an ingredient that is: 1) a gluten-containing grain (e.g., spelt wheat); 2) derived from a gluten-containing grain that has not been processed to remove gluten (e.g., wheat flour); or 3) derived from a gluten-containing grain that has been processed to remove gluten (e.g., wheat starch), if the use of that ingredient results in the presence of 20 parts per million (ppm) or more gluten in the food. Also, any unavoidable presence of gluten in the food must be less than 20 ppm.”

Are foods labeled ‘gluten-free’ a better choice for people with celiac disease and sensitivity to gluten?

Not always!! Gluten-free is a voluntary claim that manufacturers may choose to use at their discretion in the labeling of their foods. This is dependent on the fact whether those foods meet all final rule requirements for being considered gluten-free.

What is Gluten Anyway?

Gluten is the protein found in wheat. This covers many grains some of which are: spelt, farina, farro, semolina, rye, barley and others. Gluten is used to give foods their shape. Think of “glu”-ten as the “glue” that can allow food to maintain its’ shape. Gluten is very common in mass produced foods. There are even foods that you would never expect to have gluten. For example, gluten can be used as a thickener in sauces or as a sweetening syrup.