That’s So Gluten Free Labeling
Gluten free labeling has to be one of the hottest topics in the celiac community as there is a lot of confusion about what certain labeling means [“gluten free” vs. “certified gluten free] and about what labeling is “safe” for those with celiac to rely on. In regards to what is “safe”, that is each person’s personal choice as we all live with celiac differently and we each make the best decisions we can for ourselves and our bodies. However, we do know 100% that living a gluten free lifestyle is the only “cure” for celiac disease as of right now.
For me personally, learning to understand food labeling, specifically gluten free labeling has been not only difficult but frustrating. I have glutened myself plenty of times due to misreading a label and/or trusting a wording on a brand without doing research. I now do my best to research every brand that I utilize even if they are certified gluten free and especially if they are utilizing gluten free labeling. Why? I like to know how things are created, processed, manufactured, and about the brand in general. I suppose you can say I really like learning and want to be as confident as I can be about what I am consuming & what I am sharing with the TSC community. Is what I consume going to be what others like to consume? Probably not. Is what I consume going to be what others feel safe to consume? There is a possibility that is not the case. And to me, those scenarios are okay. Again, we all live with celiac disease a little bit differently in regard to how we choose what is “safe” for us or not.
I have learned that the “gluten free” market is a great market for businesses to be in, especially since those two words have become more of a fad and crammed into a “healthy lifestyle” bucket, which means companies can capitalize on those words. Unfortunately, a lot of those companies use “gluten free” without the proper education / knowledge behind what they are creating and marketing, which causes more issues for those living with celiac, intolerances, allergies, and/or other autoimmune diseases that are food related.
I am hoping this blog post provides some insight into the gluten free labeling and gives you the confidence in yourself when you are doing your own research on products & their labeling.
What does "Certified Gluten Free" exactly mean?
Well first, let's talk about what is gluten-free certification and what is it designed for. This is a process designed to protect consumers with celiac disease by confirming that a products meets strict standards for gluten-free safety.
When you see the “certified gluten-free” symbol on a food package, it means the manufacturer has followed strict steps to prevent gluten cross-contact. Plus, this means that the food has been separately tested by a 3rd-party for the existence of gluten.
This is the main difference between 3rd-party gluten-free certification and gluten-free labeling, since the FDA does not require manufacturers to test for gluten in finished food products.
The words “certified gluten free” should leave no question as to what the new mark represents. The GFCO mark meets both the USDA requirements as well as international trademark registration requirements.
How does a product earn the “certified gluten free” label?
For a product to be able to have the certified gluten free label, the individual products have to be tested and certified every year according to the organization's requirements. Since I mentioned the GFCO already, let’s continue utilizing them as part of the explanation in understanding certified gluten free labeling. The GFCO requires individual products to be tested annually in a process that includes an ingredient review, plant inspection, and product testing. Also, the GFCO program was established with a threshold of 10 ppm.
“Taylor, what in the heck is ppm and why is it important to know?”
PPM is parts per million and it is the metric utilized when measuring gluten in products. For example one of the FDA criteria’s in using the “gluten free” claim and label on products is that the product must have a limit of less than 20 ppm.
Why 20 ppm?
Well the Celiac Disease Foundation Medical Advisory Board supports the less than 20 ppm of gluten standard for gluten-free labeling due to Dr. Peter Green [Director of the Celiac Disease Center at Columbia University]. Dr. Peter Green has stated that 20 ppm is the scientifically determined level of gluten that has been shown to be tolerated by those with celiac disease.
Note that you will see other research and gluten free labeling focused on less than 10 ppm of gluten? Why? Well those living with celiac disease should limit their daily gluten intake to no more than 10–50 mg [this has been talked about in research for years now]. So the lower the intake of gluten, the best for those living with celiac, yeah? Again, the ppm you consume is a personal choice.
What is the main difference between 3rd-party gluten-free certification and gluten-free labeling?
Let's start with when you see a food label claiming a product is “gluten free”. As you will come to find through your own research, other celiac resources, and from above that according to the FDA, products with the “gluten free” claim can’t contain more than 20 ppm of gluten. Again, this is the level / amount of gluten that the Celiac Disease Foundation has determined to be safe for most people with celiac disease.
The FDA does not require manufacturers to test for gluten in finished food products. The FDA doesn’t regularly test products claiming to be gluten free as their regulation states that the food company itself is responsible for that testing.
When you see the “certified gluten-free” symbol on a food package, it means the manufacturer has followed strict steps to prevent gluten cross-contact and typically involved a 3rd-party gluten-free certification.
There are a few different agencies that certify foods as gluten-free through a 3rd party, and each one has their own standards.
The Gluten Intolerance Group’s Gluten Free Certification Organization [GFCO] requires products to contain less than 10 ppm of gluten in order to earn certification.
Beyond Celiac in the US, and the Canadian Celiac Association, endorse the Gluten-Free Certification Program [GFCP], which uses the parameters as the FDA, which is testing products for gluten levels under 20 ppm.
The Celiac Support Association [CSA] has the most stringent requirements, which only certifies foods containing less than 5 ppm of gluten, and not admitting any products containing oats [even gluten free oats].
The NSF International gluten-free certification allows consumers to know that the product does not contain gluten over 20 ppm and that it is manufactured in a facility that prevents cross-contamination.
These agencies do not stop there with their certification requirements and/or process as they each submit their products for 3rd party testing to prove that their products are continuously and reliably gluten free.
Please note that these agencies and labeling requirements are mainly for the US. So please make sure to do research as you travel outside the US and/or live outside of the US.