GlutenFreeTravelSite and the Celiac Sprue Association Announce Partnership

I received this press release from my online friend Karen Broussard, founder of GlutenFreeTravelSite.com, yesterday. This is an exciting, new way for gluten-free travelers to find dining recommendations across the globe.

GlutenFreeTravelSite and the Celiac Sprue Association Announce Partnership to Spread the Word about “Gluten Free Friendly” Restaurants and Other Businesses

Local CSA Chapters to Use GlutenFreeTravelSite as Forum to Share Personal Gluten Free Dining & Travel Reviews and Recommendations

South Riding, VA, July 10, 2012 – GlutenFreeTravelSite , a website containing thousands of user-submitted gluten free dining and travel reviews, today announced their partnership with the Celiac Sprue Association, one of the most prominent non-profit organizations dedicated to educating and supporting individuals with Celiac Disease and gluten sensitivity. The partnership goal is to further spread the word within the fast-growing gluten free community about the many restaurants and other businesses that safely accommodate people on gluten free diets.

“We’ve made the exciting choice to work with Silver Advocacy Partner, GlutenFreeTravelSite, to consolidate our local chapters’ valuable dining and travel reviews on one site — in a consistent format that’s accessible to Celiac Sprue Association (CSA) members – and the greater gluten free community,” said CSA Executive Director Mary Schluckebier.

CSA members will be able to access other members’ reviews on a dedicated page – and the reviews will also be accessible to any visitor to GlutenFreeTravelSite via a geographic search by town, zip code, state, or country. By having CSA members’ recommendations and reviews on GlutenFreeTravelSite, their feedback will help other people with Celiac or gluten sensitivity, whether they are searching the reviews on GlutenFreeTravelSite for someplace safe to eat in their area – or in a location where they are traveling.

“We are honored to be working with CSA on this important initiative,” said Karen Broussard, founder and president of GlutenFreeTravelSite, the original and most robust online source of gluten free dining and travel reviews. “As members of CSA’s chapters add their reviews, there will be an even greater treasure trove of personal guidance to search on our site — in addition to the thousands of existing reviews of restaurants, markets, bakeries, hotels/resorts, B&Bs, cruises, colleges, and even churches that offer GF communion. At the same time, we’ll be giving increased exposure to the many wonderful businesses that serve our gluten-free community.”

Most people who follow gluten-free diets do so because of Celiac Disease, an autoimmune disease in which the body is unable to digest gluten, a protein found in wheat, rye, and barley. As many as 1 in 133 people in the United States have it, according to a 2003 study, but over 90% of these people remain undiagnosed. In addition, a study in 2011 established that an additional 7-8% of the population has gluten sensitivity. As awareness of these two conditions has grown, more restaurants and other businesses have recognized the need to serve this market by offering gluten free options.
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About GlutenFreeTravelSite
GlutenFreeTravelSite was launched in April 2008 to give people following gluten-free diets a place to share personal, detailed feedback on restaurants, hotels/resorts, cruise ships, and grocery stores around the world that cater to the gluten-free community. In addition to their large database of valuable reviews, which includes feedback on many independent restaurants, GlutenFreeTravelSite also offers a “Gluten Free Restaurant Menus” section (http://glutenfreetravelsite.com/restaurants) showcasing a list of many national and regional restaurant chains that offer gluten-free menus, with direct links to their menus and locations. This section – and GlutenFreeTravelSite’s reviews — can also be viewed on-the-go via their free MOBILE version, which visitors to the site can automatically access when entering GlutenFreeTravelSite’s URL (http://glutenfreetravelsite.com) into the browser of any smart phone (iPhone, Android, or Blackberry).

About the Celiac Sprue Association
The Celiac Sprue Association (CSA) is a member-based 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to “Changing the World for Celiacs.” To achieve this vision, CSA pursues a mission of helping individuals with Celiac Disease and gluten sensitivities through research, education and support. Their member-volunteers work locally, regionally and nationally to increase awareness and improve diagnosis and treatment. They have over 120 affiliated local chapters across the United States that provide support in helping their Celiac and gluten sensitive members to love living gluten-free. CSA also offers a Gluten Free “Recognition Seal” program to certify products that meet their rigorous review and testing of ingredients, manufacturing practices, and procedures.