There are a lot more gluten-free products out there now. Are they all really gluten-free?
Since my celiac disease diagnosis around 1996, gluten-free foods have come a long, long way. Products taste better and are readily available at neighborhood grocery stores. It seems like everybody knows somebody that has “gone gluten-free” for one reason or another. The gluten-free food trend has become a more lucrative branch of the food industry and that has contributed to the increased presence of gluten-free tagged foods on store shelves. I remember the days when the only gluten-free pizza I could find was a frozen taco-style pizza with a very "crispy" rice flour crust, refried beans, and soy cheese. I love that I don’t have to make my own bread anymore and that it does not have to be toasted in order to be edible. I believe that the gluten-free food trend helped push more companies to place gluten-free labels on products. I am not complaining about this. Well, not exactly.Gluten-free labels range from statements like “gluten-free,” “made with gluten-free ingredients,” “does not contain gluten ingredients,” “…contains no gluten…,” but for someone with celiac disease it has become increasingly difficult to know which labels to trust. There was no definition or standard in place regarding what it meant for a product to be gluten-free. With the potential for increasing profits by marketing gluten-free items, more companies started developing products and/or putting the gluten-free label on their products. No longer was this a niche market for a few companies specifically dedicated to making products for people with food allergies and intolerances. These companies were among the proponents for a standardized gluten-free label.
As use of the the label spread without regulation, so did careless use of it. While I do hold companies accountable for sloppy labeling and even false labeling, I have to cut them some slack. There were no standards in place for them to follow with regard to gluten-free labeling. This was a big problem.
Gluten-free labeling standards are here. At last!
On August 5, 2013, the Food and Drug Administration defined what “gluten-free” means if it is to be put on a food label. Hooray! No more will one company’s interpretation of “gluten-fee” differ from another company’s interpretation of “gluten-free.” This is a voluntary label and so some companies will label their gluten-free products and others may not. However, if a gluten-free label is placed on a product it must fit the definition and requirements set forth by the FDA. Industry was given one year to make changes to their food labels. Therefore, as of August 5, 2014 companies that put a gluten free label on their products must follow the new guidelines. Below is a summary of where we are at today with gluten-free labeling:
The “Gluten-Free” food label. A product can be labeled gluten-free if:
- it is naturally gluten-free
- it is a product that does not have any ingredients that come from a gluten grain (wheat, rye, barley, related grain or crossover grain)
- it contains less than 20 parts per million (ppm) gluten (from wheat, rye, barley, related grain or crossover grain)
Some other things to keep in mind:
- Labeling is voluntary; manufacturers do not have to label products gluten-free, even if they are gluten-free. Lots of foods are naturally gluten-free. If you have been recently diagnosed with celiac disease, it is important to learn about what foods you can and cannot eat and not exclusively rely on food labels.
- This rule impacts all packaged food items and supplements that are regulated by the FDA. It does not impact foods regulated by the USDA (eggs, meat, fish, poultry, for example)
- The old labels are still on the shelves and will continue to be for a while. To my knowledge, there is no strict time limit for them to be off the shelf. Any new labels placed on foods as of August 5, 2014 must meet these requirements.
- There are several acceptable terms for "gluten-free" on food labels and as the new label comes into effect, they will all mean the same thing (naturally free of gluten or contains less than 20 ppm gluten in the product).
The FDA regulates a variety of food, drugs, and supplements. Here is an link that provides an overview: What does the FDA regulate?
Here is a link to the FDA website: Q&A with the FDA about the Gluten-Free Food Label Final Ruling
This is a video from a physician at the Mayo Clinic from August 2013. In the video he discusses the FDA ruling and how it will impact food labeling once it goes into effect (which it now has). Dr. Joseph Murray from the Mayo Clinic discusses the impact of the FDA ruling about the Gluten-Free Label on August 5, 2013 (video)
What about products regulated by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Alcohol and Tobacco Tax Board?
The USDA regulates products such as eggs, meat, fish, and poultry. These are not impacted by this labeling rule. The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) oversees sale of alcohol. In 2012, the TTB issued its own ruling regarding gluten-free labeling of alcoholic beverages. A link to that ruling is provided here in PDF form (Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) Interim Ruling on Gluten-Free Label for Alcoholic Beverages). Here is a brief summary of the TTB ruling from 2012.
An alcoholic beverage can carry the gluten-free label if:
- It is made from gluten-free ingredients
- It is made from gluten-containing materials and has been processed in such a way so as to remove gluten.
Additionally, the TTB requires all manufacturers that place a gluten-free label on their products to include statements to alert consumers that: 1) the product was made from gluten-containing grains (if applicable), 2) there is no valid test to verify the final gluten content of fermented products (there is currently no validated scientific test available to determine if the gluten was removed to less than 20 ppm in fermented products), and 3) the final product may contain gluten.
What’s next?
Having a definition and standards for gluten-free labeling is an important step for people with celiac disease. It took many years to get to this point and hopefully this will allow people with celiac disease to consume gluten-free labeled products with greater confidence. As indicated above, we may see the TTB revise their guidelines for alcohol and gluten-free labeling to match with the FDA guidelines. They may not.
I have lived with celiac disease for nearly 20 years and I have advanced degrees in nutrition science. This makes dealing with reading ingredient labels and product inserts for medications easier for me than for many people. That said, it still can be tedious, confusing, and complicated. Especially when I don't feel well. It is my hope that one day we will see a level of mandatory consumer-oriented labeling in place for prescription and over-the-counter medications.
Resources Cited:
Food and Drug Administration. FDA Basics. About the FDA. http://www.fda.gov/aboutfda/transparency/basics/ucm194879.htm. Accessed Aug. 13, 2014.
Food and Drug Administration. Allergens. Questions and answers: gluten-free food labeling final rule. http://www.fda.gov/Food/GuidanceRegulation/GuidanceDocumentsRegulatoryInformation/Allergens/ucm362880.htm. Accessed Aug. 12, 2014.
Murray, Joseph. FDA defines "gluten-free" for food labeling - celiac disease in the news. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xEYVYD_h8DM. Published August 5, 2013. Accessed August 13, 2014.
Department of the Treasury Alcohol and Tobacco Tax Trade Bureau. TTB ruling 2012-2, May 24, 2012. http://www.ttb.gov/rulings/2012-2.pdf. Accessed August 13, 2014.
Department of the Treasury Alcohol and Tobacco Tax Trade Bureau. TTB Announcement, August 22, 2013 use of "gluten-free" on regulated alcohol beverages. http://www.ttb.gov/announcements/announcement-gluten-free-content-statements.pdf. Accessed August 13, 2014.
