Food Affordability, Tax Fairness, and Celiac Disease

Living gluten-free in Canada isn’t a choice – it’s a medical necessity for people with celiac disease. But eating safely comes with a much higher price tag.

News & Updates

Thank you to the 33,000 Canadians who supported petition e‑6853. On March 26, 2026, the Government of Canada issued its response, noting the current Medical Expense Tax Credit (METC) process and that regulations are reviewed on an ongoing basis.

Our message remains the same: the incremental cost of a medically required gluten‑free diet is a real and inequitable burden. We’ll keep working with all parties toward practical improvements that make the METC fairer and more accessible, especially for low‑income Canadians. So, what’s next?

Invite your Member of Parliament to our gluten‑free breakfast for Parliamentarians on May 5 in Ottawa. Help us reach all 343 MPs. Download the invitation (EN/FR).
Get timely updates from Celiac Canada.
Read the Government’s response.

Our Advocacy Working Group will review the response in detail and keep the community posted.

Why is gluten-free food so expensive?

Here are a few reasons gluten-free food can be more expensive.

Special ingredients: Gluten-free products often use alternative flours (rice, sorghum, quinoa, almond, etc.) that are more expensive to grow, mill, and source. These ingredients require extra binders, like xanthum gum, psyllium, starches, that also add cost.

Smaller production runs: Regular bread or pasta is made at massive scale; gluten-free products are made in much smaller batches, which drives up cost.

Dedicated facilities: To prevent cross-contamination, some manufacturers run entirely separate gluten-free facilities or lines—adding cost.

Importing products: Many gluten-free brands are imported, which adds transportation and customs costs.

Gluten-free food is 150-500% more expensive than its gluten-containing equivalent!

The Problem with Canada's Current Tax Credit

Canada does have a Medical Expense Tax Credit (METC) for gluten-free food but:

It’s complicated: you must keep every receipt, track the difference between regular and gluten-free versions, and submit detailed records at tax time.
It excludes many people: not everyone can itemize their taxes (for example patients with low health or financial literacy), and many who need help the most can’t benefit
It’s unfair: families with multiple people with celiac disease face very high grocery bills, but little meaningful relief

Read about Andy’s experience navigating the tax credit process and why we’re asking for change.

Only 1 in 5 claim the existing tax credit because it's too complicated.

What We're Asking For

Celiac Canada is advocating for a flat refundable tax credit that would provide real, simple relief:

$1,000 per adult with celiac disease
$600 per child with celiac disease

This approach would:

✔ Reduce the financial burden of a medically necessary diet

✔ Be fairer and easier to access than the current system

✔ Help families struggling with food costs

Food is our medicine.

How We Are Supporting You

Celiac Canada’s Advocacy Working Group, Board of Directors and Staff are working every day to advocate for fair, affordable access to gluten-free food. Here’s a look at what we’ve done, and what we’re doing now:

2026 - Taking Action

On March 26, the Government of Canada issued its response to petition e-6853, noting the current Medical Expense Tax Credit (METC) process and that regulations are reviewed on an ongoing basis. Our Advocacy Working Group will review the response in detail and keep the community posted.
Our message remains the same: the incremental cost of a medically required gluten‑free diet is a real and inequitable burden. We’ll keep working with all parties toward practical improvements that make the METC fairer and more accessible, especially for low‑income Canadians.
We will be making a submission to the Pre-Budget Consultation for the Standing Committee on Finance.
Celiac Canada is hosting our annual Gluten-free Breakfast Reception on Parliament Hill, May 5th.
We’re sharing our message with the community through stories like Andy’s. Every year, Andy collects hundreds of food receipts and creates spreadsheets and systems to submit a claim for the incremental cost of his gluten-free food. He has now been audited twice by the Canada Revenue Agency.

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2025 - Pushing Hard for Change

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Election advocacy: we rallied our community to send over 5,000 personalized letters sent to party leaders
Community poll: 1,800 voices weighed in on affordability, healthcare & the tax system. Read the results here.
Tariff consultations: we submitted a letter to the Minister of Finance and reached out to suppliers to better understand which tariff codes are being impacted and advocate for exemptions
Food banks: we are updating and improving our resources across the country to ensure they are up-to-date and easy to use
33,000+ Canadians signed our Parliamentary tax petition – It has now been resubmitted, and we achieved more signatures than the previous petition!

2024 - Taking Our Message to Parliament

1st Ever Parliamentary Caucus Created: Led by Liberal MP Sonia Sidhu (Brampton South) and Conservative MP Tim Louse (Kitchener Conestoga), this caucus opens doors for sharing issues & solutions with like-minded politicians who share an interest in celiac disease and come together to build awareness, change laws, & standards of care. The caucus will focus on issues like affordability and tax benefits.

May 2023 Celiac Caucus - Parliament Hill

Elizabeth May, Green Party Leader, with Melissa Secord, National Executive Director Celiac Canada

Lizbeth Wall, President, Celiac Canada Board of Directors

27,000+ Canadians signed our Parliamentary tax petition – one of the largest celiac petitions ever!

2023 - A Milestone Year

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Hosted the first gluten-free breakfast on Parliament Hill to influence policy.

Open Letter to Parliament: Calling out the unfair, unworkable Medical Expense Tax Credit. Read it here.

2022 - A Task Force Begins

A task force was struck to research past tax decisions, perform Freedom of Information Requests and consult legal tax experts. This fact-finding was intended to inform a strategy to bring forward to the Minister of National Revenue and Finance in 2023.

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