WASHINGTON ? The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has begun scrutinizing gluten-free product labeling and is considering stricter standards for their usage, the Los Angeles Times reports.
As such, the agency has reopened a comment period that will continue through the end of this month for its 2007 proposal about labeling foods as ?gluten-free.? In particular, the FDA is proposing that foods labeled as ?gluten-free? cannot contain 20 parts per million or more of gluten.
The issue has come up for reexamination because gluten levels can be validated more reliably today than they could in 2007. The labels are important for people with celiac disease, which means their bodies cannot tolerate gluten.
?Before finalizing our gluten-free definition, we want up-to-date input from affected consumers, the food industry, and others to help assure that the label strikes the right balance,? said Michael Taylor, FDA deputy commissioner for foods. ?We must take into account the need to protect individuals with celiac disease from adverse health consequences while ensuring that food manufacturers can meet the needs of consumers by producing a wide variety of gluten-free foods.?
Catch up on gluten-free in the July NACS Magazine ?Foodservice? issue.
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