Instead of enjoying a family meal or a romantic dinner for two, diners with Coeliac Disease are forced to stay at home because eating out could be a serious threat to their health.

Coeliac Disease is an auto-immune disease caused by an intolerance to gluten. It can cause a wide range of health problems, including vomiting, tiredness, hair loss and infertility problems, but there is still widespread confusion over what is gluten free.

As part of Coeliac Awareness Week, which started on Monday (May 12), Coeliac UK is launching a campaign to raise awareness in the catering industry.

Chief executive Sarah Sleet said: "Even the smallest amount of gluten in a meal can cause an extreme reaction and make someone very ill.

"It is time for catering industry to wake up and realise that there is a substantial niche market that they are missing out on, and for people with the disease to be able to enjoy a meal out without the fear of becoming ill."

Mum-of-three Helen Pengelly, fromWest Sussex, who has Coeliac Disease, said: "I do find it very difficult to eat out because catering staff often just don't understand what is gluten free.

"I recently went to one hotel where I asked whether something had gluten in it and they weren't sure. I was then offered pasta as an alternative which is full of gluten and could have made me really ill.

"Even when they do understand, the choices for me are so limited that it is often easier to prepare something myself at home.

"Food manufacturers have cottoned on to the need and are already supplying plenty of tasty gluten free alternatives but restaurants and caterers are lagging behind."

It is estimated that one in 100 people has Coeliac disease – about 15,000 in Sussex alone – with many of those undiagnosed and suffering in silence.

If people following a gluten free diet accidentally end up eating something with gluten in it they can be ill within two hours, suffering aggressive symptoms such as severe diarrhoea, and vomiting which can last several days.

Long term, if it is left undiagnosed it can lead to osteoporosis and an increased risk of stomach cancer.

For more information about Coeliac UK visit www.coeliac.co.uk

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