Can individuals with celiac disease identify gluten-free foods correctly?

Patients with celiac disease (CD) often report inadvertent gluten exposures and challenges reading labels. The most common cause of non-responsive CD is gluten exposure. We aimed to assess whether recently diagnosed CD patients can determine whether a food is gluten-free based on labeling, and to assess skills over time. A secondary aim was to identify factors associated with label reading proficiency. Inception cohort with follow-up at 6, 12, and 24 months after diagnosis. Participants were asked to determine whether 25 food items were gluten-free based on labeling information. Diet adherence was assessed using the Celiac Diet Assessment Tool (CDAT) and the Gluten-Free Eating Assessment Tool (GF-EAT). 144 adults with newly diagnosed celiac disease were enrolled. The initial quiz at 6 months was completed by 83%. Quizzes were completed by 72% at 12 months and 70% at 24 months. Median overall accuracy scores were: 23/25, 24/25 and 21/25 at 6, 12 and 24 months respectively. Gluten-free products with explicit “gluten-free” claims had the fewest errors. Quiz scores were not correlated with tTG IgA levels, or CDAT or GF-EAT scores. Diet adherence was generally good (>85% with CDAT