Posted: 2024-07-16 21:16:04

In short:

People affected by coeliac disease are struggling to afford the rising cost of gluten-free products.

Studies show most allergen-free foods are between four and five times more expensive than those that contain gluten.

What's next?

Industry experts are advocating for a subsidised medical food program for those who require allergen-free foods.

Rebecca can vividly remember the day she was diagnosed with coeliac disease five years ago.

"I stood there at the doctor surgery, and I was arguing with the doctor because no one wants to be a coeliac," she said.

"I knew everything had to change."

The only treatment for the autoimmune condition is to follow a strict gluten-free diet, but the products are often more expensive than groceries with gluten.

It's an additional financial burden the single mother of two has been struggling to afford.

"It's really frustrating because it's not my fault," Rebecca said.

"It would be different if it was just a lifestyle choice, but this is for my health and if I don't eat gluten-free, I can get really, really sick."

Rebecca portrait

Rebecca says eating gluten-free foods is a necessity, not a lifestyle choice.(ABC News: Tabarak Al Jrood)

Her 11-year-old son Alex also gets debilitating symptoms from eating gluten, but he can't be diagnosed with coeliac disease because doctors advised the testing required was too "unsafe".

"He'd get really sick, he'd start vomiting, he'd get cluster migraines … he's had to go through MRI's and a whole range of medical testing to find out what's going on with him," Rebecca said.

She recalled one occasion when Alex was accidentally given food containing gluten and ended up with a serious liver injury.

Lewis eating a sandwich

Alex, 11, becomes unwell if he eats foods containing gluten.(ABC News: Tabarak Al Jrood)

"He was off school for a very long time, he stopped eating [and] in one week, he lost over four kilos, he couldn't move, he was so sick," she said.

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