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Gluten and Food Labeling

May 8, 2019 - from FDA:

Since 2014, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has required that claims on food labels that a food contains no gluten meet a clear standard that assures consumers that “gluten-free” claims on food products will be truthful and consistent.

Regulation: The rule specifies, among other criteria, that any foods that carry the label “gluten-free,” “no gluten,” “free of gluten,” or “without gluten” must contain less than 20 parts per million (ppm) of gluten. This level is the lowest that can be reliably detected in foods using scientifically validated analytical methods. Other countries and international bodies use these same criteria, as most people with celiac disease can tolerate foods with very small amounts of gluten.

Besides the limit of gluten to 20 ppm, the rule permits labeling a food “gluten-free, if the food does not contain:

• An ingredient that is any type of wheat, rye, barley, or crossbreeds of these grains,
• An ingredient derived from these grains that has not been processed to remove gluten, or,
• an ingredient derived from these grains that has been processed to remove gluten, but results in the food containing more than 20 ppm of gluten

Grains: A Closer Look: Certain grains are especially likely to contain naturally occurring gluten. However, these grains can be processed to remove gluten, including:

• Wheat
• Barley
• Rye
• Crossbred hybrids like triticale

Gluten-Free Labeling of Foods landing page