Members showing their Canadian Celiac Association membership card will be admitted for free. Everyone else will be charged a mere $5 – a small price to pay for savings earned by buying directly from the distributor.

The event is presented by the Hamilton Chapter of the Canadian Celiac Association. People with celiac disease as well as those choosing to follow the gluten-free diet look forward to this annual event. Executive members will be available to answer questions from those who are newly diagnosed.

Bring your taste buds for sampling, your money for stocking up on all your favourites and your horseshoe for winning one of the door prizes.

Celiac disease is a medical condition in which the lining of the small intestine is damaged by an auto-immune reaction to gluten. Gluten is found in wheat, rye, barley and triticale, and even trace amounts can cause damage. People with celiac disease must follow a strict gluten-free diet for life. About one per cent of the population

suffers from this disease, and about 39 out of 40 aren’t diagnosed.

Conditions associated with undiagnosed CD include anemia, diabetes, osteoporosis, infertility and depression, to name a few.

The Canadian Celiac Association is a national organization dedicated to providing services and support to persons with celiac disease and dermatitis herpetiformis through programs of awareness, advocacy, education and research.