Welcome to AOECS

1 in 100 people are estimated to suffer from coeliac disease in Europe

Applying that ratio, it can be assumed that more than 7 million people are affected by coeliac disease across Europe, with only approximately 25% of those actually receiving a diagnosis. Coeliac disease can present with a wide range of mild to very severe symptoms with the only treatment being a strict daily gluten-free diet.

AOECS aims to improve the quality of life for people with coeliac disease, for example by ensuring wide availability of safe gluten-free products across Member countries. The AOECS licensing scheme permits the use of our trademark-protected Crossed Grain symbol on tested gluten-free products across Europe. This highly visible symbol is easily recognisable irrespective of language barriers. So even when travelling, coeliac consumers are able to follow a strict gluten free diet and remain healthy.

The Crossed Grain Trademark safety guarantee

Due to our strict licensing requirements for the use of the Crossed Grain Trademark, surveys have shown that 78% of coeliac consumers trust the safety of a gluten-free product more when it bears the symbol. Every licensed product has undergone testing in an accredited laboratory to ensure its gluten content is less than 20 parts per million (ppm). In addition, each product’s manufacturing plant is audited once a year to ensure a consistent gluten-free production.

Our Member societies have currently licensed up to 22,000 gluten-free products across Europe.

The Crossed Grain Trademark is a registered trademark and we work very hard to protect it by ensuring that all infringements are dealt with swiftly and appropriately. Look out for the license number under the trademark on the packaging to be sure the product is under an authentic license. It would look like this: country code-license code-product code, for example for Belgium it could be BE-160-055. 

Read more on our gluten free certification scheme.