The Government regulated the Celiac Disease Law: mandatory gluten-free menu and updated medical coverage

He National government published this Wednesday the regulation of the Celiac Disease Lawthat defines the adjustments that institutions must make to offer a Gluten Free Menuexpands the identification of food and medicines and establishes the coverage that must be provided by social and prepaid works.

Published in the Official Gazette, the regulations will be established through the Decree 218/2023, what happened as determined in the Celiac Disease Law 26,588, modified by Law 27,196. Thus, the declared regulations”of national interest” medical care, clinical and epidemiological researchprofessional training in early detection, diagnosis and treatment of the disease, its dissemination, and access to food and medicine.

In addition to celiac disease, there is a sensitivity to gluten in non-celiac people

The decree informs that the disease is due to the ingestion of wheat, oat, barley and rye protein (TACC)that “they affect the small intestine in genetically predisposed individuals” and that people with celiac disease must carry out a lifelong strict diet.

The implementation of the law will allow “expand a greater supply of food, make it a right for all people with celiac disease and establish the standards to be met to ensure that at the time of offer them be safe“, said a statement from that portfolio.

Social works, prepaid and medicines

Through the standard, the methodology is established by which will update the current coverage amount by social and prepaid works and the periodicity with which the subsequent updates, which will be every 6 months.

The coverage amount will go from $2,672 to $7,806.73, contemplating the CBA (Basic Food Basket) updated by INDEC (National Institute of Statistics and Censuses) on April 20, 2023.

On the other hand, all medicines must be identified based on their gluten content or absence as “Gluten free” or “This drug contains gluten”. This point is key, since it is one of the great concerns of people with celiac disease, since the remedies are also a possibility of inadvertently ingesting gluten if its composition is not known.

Food and gastronomic venues

When the previous Law was established, in 2009, a official logo for identify the containers or wrappers of Gluten Free Food which is easy to identify.

From the ANMAT it was expanded and updated the official list of gluten-free foods, that at the time of the enactment of Law 26,588 it had only 1,400 registered products, and currently has more than 23,000 products.

Celiac Disease Law No. 26,588 also proposes the incorporation of the offer obligation of gluten-free menus in different institutions and establishments.

On the other hand, through Resolution 2176/13 of the Ministry of Health, the “Guide to Good Manufacturing Practices – Gluten Free Food Processing Establishments”, with recommendations, strategies, preventive and control measures necessary in order to minimize the risk of gluten contamination.

Likewise, it was indicated that the Argentine Food Code determines that any person who carries out activities for which he is or could be in contact with food, in establishments where food, or its materials are prepared, divided, stored, transported, marketed and/or sold premiums, must be provided with a “FOOD HANDLER CARD” issued by the competent Health Authority.

FP/FL