August 5, 2014: New Gluten-Free Labeling Take Effect

Today, August 5, 2014 is the official day for the new gluten-free labeling laws to take effect. It has been a long time coming. After years of fighting for a standard of labeling for gluten-free foods, the FDA came up with new guidelines. Many companies have already put this new law into place over the last year. 

Excerpt from: Gluten-Free Living 101: A Step by Step Guide (pp 55 -57)

 In August 2013,  FDA passed a law to allow manufacturers to label a food “gluten-free” if the food does not contain any of the following:

•  An ingredient that is any type of wheat, rye, barley, or crossbreeds of these grains.

•  An ingredient derived from these grains and that has not been processed to remove gluten 
• An ingredient derived from these grains and that has been processed to remove gluten, if it results in the food containing 20 or more parts per million (ppm) gluten. (fda.gov) – Manufacturers are required to comply with this law by August 2014. – This rule includes all foods imported into the United States. 
• Foods that are naturally gluten-free (such as fruit or vegetables) can be labeled gluten-free. 
• Oats do not have to be certified as gluten-free to be labeled gluten-free, however, oats that are labeled gluten-free must contain less than 20 ppm of gluten. 
• The final rule applies to all FDA-regulated foods, including dietary supplements. The rule excludes those foods whose labeling is regulated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB

The topping  label has clearly stated that it contains WHEAT FLOUR but does not state whether or not the caramel coloring and/or natural and artificial flavors contain barley.  The manufacturing companies are only required to include the top 8 allergens in the ingredient list and/or the separate CONTAIN list.  Since barley and rye are not in the top 8 allergen list it is only required to include them on the label if they are used as a whole product and not if they are added  to another ingredient such as caramel coloring.  

The Top 8 Allergens are milk, eggs, fish, Crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, wheat, peanuts, and soybeans.

To read more about "How to Read Labels", or for "Surprising Places Gluten May be Hiding", see Gluten-Free Living 101: A Step by Step Guide


Photo by Thank Your Body. This site has an article on how to decode food labels that can help a person understand how to purchase healthy foods.