The FDA’s new labeling rule is in effect as of August 5, 2014. What does this mean? It means that all manufacturers of FDA-regulated foods must adhere to the FDA’s definition of “gluten-free” if the product has a gluten-free claim on the package. The rule is voluntary, which means that manufacturers are not required to call out gluten on a label, but must adhere to the FDA rules if they claim the product is gluten-free.
What are those rules? Those rules state that food labeled “gluten-free” must contain less than 20ppm gluten, but manufacturers are not required to test said food.
There is no way to guarantee zero gluten, as there are currently no testing methods that test that low. In addition to the words “gluten-free”, the following labels must also adhere to the rules:
- no gluten
- free of gluten
- without gluten
These labels do not have to adhere to the rule:
- made with no gluten-containing ingredients
- not made with gluten-containing ingredients
There is a lot more information regarding this ruling, FAQs and such on the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness website. One of the FAQs talks about wheat starch being allowed to be present in a food that is labeled “gluten-free” so long as the finished product registers less than 20ppm gluten. I personally avoid foods with any ingredients like this, so it is good to know that I still need to read ingredient lists to make sure I am not ingesting anything that contains wheat starch.
What are your thoughts on the new rule going into effect? Will this make your life easier? More complicated? Not affect you in any way? Please let us know!
This may be a baby step forward. How does a manufacturer know that their product is under 20 ppm if not tested? Does the FDA test it?
Anything that creates greater adherence to laws governing gluten free foods and drugs is a step in the right direction. Now why can’t they test it prior to it getting to the consumer? Do they have to test food items to determine if they are free of dairy products?
I think this could be a HUGE issue! There are people that are sensitive up to 1 crumb of food. How do they know if its under 20ppm if it isn’t tested??