The case in summary: Shops all over Norway are empty of gluten-free oatmeal, which causes despair among people with celiac disease and diabetes, such as Mikkel Groven-Robertsen (12) from Seljord. Norgesmøllene, which produces gluten-free oatmeal, is experiencing a poor oat harvest for the second year in a row and is forced to import oats from Sweden and Finland. Gluten-free oatmeal is popular among children and is the most popular gluten-free cereal, according to Lise Friis Pedersen of the Norwegian Celiac Association. There are fears that imports of oats from abroad will lead to increased prices for gluten-free oatmeal. Oats do not contain gluten, but ordinary oat products may contain some gluten, therefore celiacs are advised to use oats labeled as gluten-free. The Groven Robertsen family in Seljord are now searching online for gluten-free oatmeal. The summary is made by an AI service from OpenAI. The content is quality assured by news’s journalists before publication. – I eat it almost every day for breakfast, after school and for supper, says Mikkel Groven-Robertsen. The 12-year-old has both celiac disease and diabetes. At the family home in Seljord, gluten-free oatmeal is used a lot. – It is probably the most important gluten-free product we have, because it can replace so much else, says mum Pia Groven-Robertsen. Just over three weeks ago, it could not be found in any of the three shops in the home village. And the shortage was not only local. Mikkel (12) eats cereal for several meals every single day. On the breakfast table this day there is also oat bread. Mamma Pia Groven-Robertsen on the left. Photo: Private – Most popular cereal In several forums and celiac groups on Facebook, people have expressed despair at empty store shelves. Lise Friis Pedersen from the Norwegian Celiac Association tells news that they have received many inquiries. Lise Friis Pedersen is senior adviser in nutrition for the Norwegian Celiac Association. Photo: NCF – Gluten-free oatmeal is used in many dishes and is popular with children. It is probably the most popular gluten-free cereal, says Friis Pedersen, who is senior adviser for nutrition for the Norwegian Celiac Association. – And it is relatively affordable, compared to other gluten-free products, she adds. She fears imports of oats from abroad will cause the price to increase. – We hope it doesn’t happen, but you have a slight fear of it, says Friis Pedersen. There is no gluten in oats, but ordinary oat products may still contain some gluten. Celiacs are therefore recommended to use oats that are labeled as gluten-free. What is celiac disease? Celiac disease is an autoimmune disease that makes you hypersensitive to gluten. If you eat gluten-containing food, the lining of the small intestine becomes inflamed and the nutrients from the food can be insufficiently absorbed. This can lead to a number of symptoms and health problems. Gluten is a protein found in wheat, rye, barley and spelt. The intestine is the part of the body most affected by celiac disease, but the disease can affect other parts of the body as well. Celiac disease occurs in approximately 1 in 100 people, but many are unaware that they have the disease. Most people are diagnosed between the ages of 40 and 50, but the disease can occur at any age. Source: Helsenorge Lots of rain on the oat fields The companies Axa and Møllerens produce gluten-free oatmeal for Norwegian grocery chains. Vidar Haugsdal is head of communication and sustainability at Norgesmøllene. He tells of a bad oat harvest for the second year in a row, and that gluten-free oatmeal is currently out of stock in many places in Norway. – This year it looked promising until 14 days before threshing. Then the rain came and flattened large parts of the oat fields in Norway. That is the reason why there is little oats to get hold of. Vidar Haugsdal is head of communication and sustainability at Norgesmøllene. Photo: Pressefoto / Norgesmøllene That is why they are now looking towards Sweden and Finland. Haugsdal says they have faith that they will soon be able to deliver again, and that they will then be able to deliver until the next grain harvest. He will not give exact dates. – It also depends on the quality of the lots of oats that we buy in. Many stores in Norway have run out of gluten-free oatmeal in recent weeks. This is from a store in Vestfold. Photo: Erik Andreassen / news Haugsdal explains that the oats must go through thorough tests to ensure that they are in fact gluten-free. – Does this have any effect on the price? – We hope it won’t matter. Having said that, it is the grocery chains in Norway that determine the prices. We cannot comment on how it develops, but hope that it will not be any more expensive on the raw material side, says Haugsdal. Axa also points to the weather as a reason for the shortage. Nor can they answer when it is possible to deliver again. The Groven-Robertsen family in Seljord uses oatmeal in much of their cooking. For bagels, cereal, bread, pancakes and much more. It gets away with half a kilo of oatmeal a week just on the cereal mix. Photo: Pia Groven Robertsen / Private Read the full response from Axa (Lantmännen Cerealia): Emelie Bontesse de Filippis is communications manager at the company Lantmännen Cerealia, of which the AXA brand is a part. She says they do not have the opportunity to be interviewed, but answers the following in an e-mail to news: The harvest of corn in 2024 has been challenging due to unfavorable weather conditions. This has resulted in reduced availability and impaired grain quality, especially on oats that are guaranteed gluten-free. Oats are naturally gluten-free, but there is always a risk of a small admixture of other grains such as wheat. That is why we offer lots where we as a manufacturer can guarantee gluten-free. For these batches, the oats are kept separate at each stage of the production process. Gluten-free oatmeal is an important product for people with celiac disease. There is currently a shortage of gluten-free oats, and we are doing our utmost to ensure deliveries to the shops. Following this answer, news sent several follow-up questions by e-mail. Including when they expect to be able to deliver again, whether they are thinking of importing oats from abroad and whether the shortage will have any consequences – for example on price. We received the following reply: The reason why it is sold out now is that we have been empty in stock and were waiting for the new harvest for new production. As I wrote earlier, the climate has affected this year’s Norwegian crop, and we are working intensively to understand how the deviation in the quality of the grain we have received will work in terms of production when we roll it into groats. The current situation therefore does not depend on our capacity, but on the access to raw materials, which is the bottleneck in the value chain. The grain market in Norway is heavily regulated, and the import of grain is only permitted when the Norwegian crop is not sufficient. Oats/oat groats are a popular food in Norway, as they have many health benefits. The demand for gluten-free oats has also increased in recent years, both in Norway and globally. Searching online The Groven Robertsen family in Seljord is now trawling the web to look for oatmeal. They have a little left after a family member shopped in Sweden. – We have seen that some online health food stores have gluten-free oatmeal, so we will try to order from there. If not, I don’t know. Then it will be a much harder everyday life, says Pia Groven-Robertsen. Hello! Thanks for reading my case! Do you have input for this article, or tips for other issues I should write about? Feel free to send me an e-mail! Published 16.10.2024, at 05.42
ttn-69
Mikkel (12) eats oatmeal every day – empty shop shelves create despair
