Toowoomba’s GF Oats founder’s journey began with a simple desire to provide Australians with a gluten-free option that could truly transform lives, especially her family, who were all diagnosed as gluten intolerant. What she didn’t anticipate was that the Australian labelling laws, unlike the rest of the world, prohibited her from labelling oats gluten free, and after 14 years still stand today. In her mission to help others, she faced unrelenting abuse and attacks from those who disagreed with her.
After over 10 years of lobbying and fighting to have oats declared gluten-free in Australia, Kylie Martin’s persistence and dedication has been rewarded when the Coeliac Australia confirmed, after an extensive study, that oats are gluten free and suitable for coeliacs to eat, and have backed GF Oats.
After starting her own flour brand, Brighter Life Wheat-Free Foods, Kylie was always looking for healthier alternatives. In 2007, she stumbled upon a game-changing revelation: in the United States, oats were certified pure and uncontaminated, making them safe for coeliacs to consume. Kylie couldn’t help but wonder if this discovery could also benefit her fellow Australians.
This discovery opened the door to years of trolling across social media. Not the outcome she expected.
“The prevailing belief at the time, both in the media and among food standards, was that oats were not gluten-free. The Australian food industry had not yet grasped that oats could be cross-contaminated with gluten during processing, leading to adverse reactions in those with coeliac disease,” Kylie said. “Despite showing the data and research, and the many studies showing uncontaminated oats are a great whole food for coeliacs to eat, the abuse continued.”
