SILVER SPRING, Md. — The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced that foods labelled ‘gluten-free’ will soon be expected to contain less than 20 ppm (parts per million) of gluten.
“This standard ‘gluten-free’ definition will eliminate uncertainty about how food producers label their products and will assure people with celiac disease that foods labelled ‘gluten-free’ meet a clear standard established and enforced by FDA,” said Michael R. Taylor, J.D., deputy FDA commissioner for foods and veterinary medicine.
In addition to limiting the allowable amount of gluten to 20 ppm, the FDA has mandated that ‘gluten-free’ foods must not contain any wheat, rye, barley or crossbreed of the grains; any ingredient derived from these grains that has not been processed to remove gluten; and any ingredient derived from these grains that has been processed to remove gluten, if it results in the food containing 20 ppm gluten.
Food packagers are expected to adopt the new rules within one year.
