May 10 2011
More on Gluten Free
This week the Washington Post came out with an article discussing the fact that Food & Drug Administration still has not defined exactly what it means for a product to be labeled as gluten free under the Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act of 2004. The deadline for this information was four years ago, yet consumers are still without answers.
In the meantime, countless food manufacturers have jumped in to the evolving new market, as demand for gluten free products continues to increase. Gluten free products should be free from gluten, a protein found in wheat, rye and barley. Testing of products labeled as gluten free show some products contain no gluten, others have a trace of gluten and some contain a sizable amount. In the absence of a federal standard, two organizations “certify” foods as gluten-free for a fee from the manufacturer. The Gluten-Free Certification Organization (GFCO) is a program of The Gluten Intolerance Group®. GFCO’s Scientific and Professional Board review the practices of GFCO. GFCO inspects products for gluten and does not certify products for any other potential allergens.
For people celiac disease or gluten sensitivity, it’s buyer beware. The best you can do without a federal standard for gluten free labeling is to only use packaged products that are certified gluten free by the GFCO. Of course, it’s good to remember there are a wide variety of whole foods, (discussed in last week’s post) that are naturally gluten free, and this should form the basis of a healthful diet that is gluten free.
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