Our aim is to make life easier for people on a gluten-free diet. We do this by promoting the interests of our 20,000 members and striving for an earlier and faster diagnosis. In addition, we support scientific research, provide independent, trustworthy advice, and stimulate contact within our community.
In a world where everyone seems to have an opinion about food and illnesses, accurate information is extremely important. Certainly people with coeliac disease, NCGS, dermatitis herpetiformis or related conditions depend upon this.
Collecting, organising and verifying what is written about gluten and coeliac disease is therefore one of our primary tasks. We publish such information on this website, in the Glutenvrij Magazine and on social media.
We focus on various groups: our members, on people who are not yet members and/or have not yet been diagnosed, and the professionals they deal with.
Read more: www.glutenvrij.nl (In Dutch use Google Translate)
We provide our members with the opportunity to speak with us. The volunteers of the Glutenvrije lijn (Gluten-Free Line) are available twice a week to listen to our members. In addition, our dietitian is available three mornings a week to answer any questions regarding the gluten-free diet. Contact
We promote contact between members and non-members in various ways. Contact is very important for those people who have recently been diagnosed. But experience has shown that afterwards as well there is a continued need to share knowledge and experiences.
For this reason we organise numerous activities for our members. Popular events are the annual Dutch Coeliac Disease Day (NCD) and our gluten-free markets. The children’s camps and baking workshops are also very popular among our members. Every year you can see our gluten-free helpers during the annual St. Nicholas festival, and our members can enjoy various dishes during the gluten-free Christmas lunch and the National School Breakfast.
We promote the interests of our members in areas important to them such as the food industry, healthcare and insurance.
We press the food industry for a wider availability of gluten-free products and correct information aimed at the gluten-free consumer. Within the healthcare sector we advocate for an earlier diagnosis and effective treatment by professionals in accordance with generally accepted guidelines. In the health insurance sector we focus on the reimbursement of the NCV membership.
The NCV is the first patient association to provide training for care professionals in the area of knowledge, treatment and work attitude. This has resulted in a special relationship with dietitians, with currently more than 150 dietitians registered with the NCV Dietitian Network. Dietitians can only join the network once they have successfully completed the special dietitian’s training. This training was put together and monitored by the NCV in close collaboration with the NCV Scientific Advisory Council.
The Netherlands Coeliac Society (NCV) issues the gluten-free trademark, the Crossed Grain, under licence to Benelux food manufacturers and food brands that are certified gluten free. The NCV licenses and monitors this on behalf of the AOECS, the umbrella organisation of European national coeliac societies. In addition, the NCV issues the Lekker Glutenvrij trademark to accredited restaurateurs, café owners and caterers in the private or public sectors in the Netherlands offering gluten-free options.
The NCV research fund contributes to scientific research in the area of coeliac disease. This fund is maintained in part by periodic donations and gifts.
In addition, members voluntarily take part in research. The NCV has an extensive database with medical information that is of great value to scientific research. Of course, we do this fully in line with privacy legislation and regulations.
The NCV wishes to stimulate young researchers to continue studying coeliac disease and related conditions. Young researchers can therefore apply for the NCV Stimulation Award. The winner receives a certificate and €15,000 to expand upon existing research or to work on applying their findings in practice.
The NCV regularly conducts campaigns to increase awareness about and understanding of coeliac disease. An important aim of this is to identify the large group of people who have not yet been diagnosed with coeliac disease.
What’s more, the NCV is regularly consulted as a reliable source by both online and off-line media, as well as radio and TV programmes such as the Dutch consumer programmes Radar and Kassa.
