US FDA announces new standards for ‘gluten free’ labelling

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced a new regulation for the ‘gluten-free’ labelling of food products, a move that will to help nearly three million Americans suffering from celiac disease.

Under the new regulation, in order to use the term ‘gluten-free’ on the label, a food must comply with all requirements of the definition including that the food must contain less than 20 parts per million of gluten.

In addition, it requires foods with the claims ‘no gluten’, ‘free of gluten’. and ‘without gluten’ to comply with the definition of ‘gluten-free’.

This development is expected to bring uniformity to the $4bn gluten-free products market, the officials said.

Celiac disease is an autoimmune digestive condition that can be effectively managed only by eating a gluten free diet.

In people with celiac disease, foods that contain gluten trigger antibodies production that damages the lining of the small intestine, limiting the ability of celiac disease patients to absorb nutrients.

This can lead to serious health problems including nutritional deficiencies, osteoporosis, growth retardation, infertility, miscarriages, short stature, and intestinal cancers.

Gluten is a starch and protein composite that occurs naturally in wheat, barley, rye and cross-bred hybrids of these grains.

FDA commissioner Margaret A Hamburg said that adherence to a gluten-free diet is the key to treating celiac disease, which can be very disruptive to everyday life.

"The FDA’s new ‘gluten-free’ definition will help people with this condition make food choices with confidence and allow them to better manage their health," Hamburg said.

The FDA noted that many food products that are now labelled as ‘gluten-free’ may already comply with the new federal definition.

It stated that the food manufacturers will have a year time after the rule is published in order to make their labels comply with the new requirements.

FDA deputy commissioner for foods and veterinary medicine Michael R Taylor said: "We encourage the food industry to come into compliance with the new definition as soon as possible and help us make it as easy as possible for people with celiac disease to identify foods that meet the federal definition of ‘gluten-free’."

The FDA was directed to announce the new regulation by the Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act (FALCPA), which directed the agency to set guidelines for the use of the term ‘gluten-free’ to help people with celiac disease maintain a gluten-free diet.