As Minister of Health, I am pleased to recognize May as Celiac Awareness Month and to acknowledge the challenges faced by Canadians living with this chronic disease.
Celiac disease affects about 1 in every 133 people in Canada and more cases are diagnosed as awareness continues to grow. The symptoms of celiac disease can develop at any age and your risk of developing the condition is higher if you are related to someone with it. Not everyone who inherits the genes associated with celiac disease will develop it, but family members, especially if they are experiencing symptoms, should be tested.
Symptoms of celiac disease are triggered by gluten. For people with the disease, gluten causes a negative reaction in their immune system causing internal damage and making it hard to absorb nutrients. The good news is that, when properly diagnosed, celiac disease can be effectively managed by avoiding certain foods and following a careful diet.
I am proud to say that Canada's food system is among the safest in the world and Health Canada is committed to making safe and healthy food more accessible to Canadians with food allergies and intolerances, including those who must follow a gluten-free diet. In addition to regulatory changes that were introduced in 2012 requiring manufacturers to ensure that sources of gluten are always identified on food labels, Health Canada is proposing changes to nutrition labelling that would make this information easier to find and read. These proposed measures further highlight our Government's commitment to ensuring that Canadians have the information they need to make healthy and safe food choices for themselves and their families.
I would like to acknowledge the ongoing work of the Canadian Celiac Association and the Fondation québécoise de la maladie coeliaque for their ongoing efforts to raise awareness and support research about this condition.
Sincerely,
The Honourable Rona Ambrose
Minister of Health
