Coeliac UK
 | |
| Formation | 1968 |
|---|---|
| Founder | Peter Benenson, Elisabeth Seagall |
| Legal status | Registered charity |
| Location |
|
| Members | 67,000 |
CEO | Hilary Croft |
Key people | Caroline Quentin |
| Website | www |
Coeliac UK is a UK charity for people with coeliac disease, an autoimmune condition which the charity estimates affects 1 in 100 people in the UK, and the skin manifestation of the condition, dermatitis herpetiformis (DH).
History
Founded in 1968 by Amnesty International founder Peter Benenson, a coeliac, and Elizabeth Segall, the mother of a coeliac daughter, Coeliac UK (originally called The Coeliac Society) launched the first symbol that acknowledged and advertised that a product contained no gluten, namely the Crossed Grain symbol. Noted clinician Sir Christopher Booth was a founding member.[1]
The charity renamed itself Coeliac UK in 2001 and has since established the All Party Parliamentary Group on coeliac disease and DH and worked with the Food Standards Agency to introduce a new law that governed the labelling of gluten-free food.[2]
in 2015, English actress Caroline Quentin became the current patron of the charity.[3]
Activities
Research
Coeliac UK funds research to help recognise, diagnose, treat and cure coeliac disease.[4][5][6]
Accreditation scheme
In 2013, the charity launched its accreditation scheme, a framework for hospitality providers including restaurants and hotels. In order to earn this accreditation, establishments must undergo training, initial and ongoing compliance checks to ensure that their meals meet safety standards of no more than 20mg/kg gluten.
As of 2025, over 3,000 establishments across the UK had received this accreditation.[7][8]
Food Information Service
The charity also runs a Food Information Service which offers information on the suitability of over 200,000 dedicated gluten free and mainstream foods.[6]
References
- ↑ Arendt, Elke; Bello, Fabio Dal (2016-06-22). Science of Gluten-Free Foods and Beverages. Academic Press. ISBN 978-0-12-810455-2.
- ↑ "History of Coeliac UK | Coeliac UK". Archived from the original on 2012-05-26. Retrieved 2012-01-24.
- ↑ "Caroline Quentin announced as Patron of Coeliac UK". Coeliac UK. Archived from the original on 21 June 2015. Retrieved 9 May 2015.
- ↑ "AI research could accelerate coeliac diagnosis". Cambridge University Hospitals. Retrieved 2026-07-10.
- ↑ "Study identifies key immune structures in the gut that may drive coeliac disease". www.rdm.ox.ac.uk. Retrieved 2026-07-10.
- 1 2 Rostami-Nejad, Mohammad (2021-09-19). Gluten-Related Disorders: Diagnostic Approaches, Treatment Pathways, and Future Perspectives. Academic Press. ISBN 978-0-12-821858-7.
- ↑ Russell, James (2023-02-04). "Coeliac UK celebrates 10 years of its Gluten Free Accreditation Scheme". Hospitality & Catering News. Retrieved 2026-07-10.
- ↑ Cornwell, Ben. "Despite progress, hospitality sector must do more for gluten-free diners, report reveals". New Food. Retrieved 2026-07-10.