For those who haven’t yet heard the news, the US now has a gluten-free labeling standard which was recently approved by the FDA.
Main Points
20 PPM
Products labeled gluten free must contain less than 20 parts per million (ppm). This includes food that is under the jurisdiction of the FDA, but not those covered by USDA, such as meat and poultry.
Testing Not Required
While manufacturers are responsible for making sure their food meets the requirements, they are not required to test their food products.
Voluntary Labeling
Gluten free labeling is voluntary. That means that manufacturers don’t have to label something as gluten free, even if it is.
Restaurants
How this will affect restaurants is unclear. The American Celiac Disease Alliance has asked for clarification on this.
My Thoughts
I have expressed before that I would prefer a lower level of gluten such as 10 ppm. Many people, including myself and my son have reacted to products that contain less than 20 ppm. However, I do believe that having a standard is better than not having one.
More Information
If you’d like to read more, visit these web sites:
Hi Linda,
Thanks for this clear summary of the main points. I agree with you that some standard is better than having no standard, even if 20 ppm may be a little higher than we’d like.