Starting Tuesday, the label “gluten free” will actually mean “gluten free.”
Before Aug. 5, there were no standards or regulations governing the use of gluten-free claims placed on packaged foods. As of Tuesday, however, the Food and Drug Administration determined that the claim can only be used for foods containing less than 20 parts per million of gluten.
The FDA said that the term will still be voluntary, but that companies must market foods as gluten-free “in a truthful and not misleading manner.” Any food packaging that fails to meet its requirements “will be subject to regulatory action.”
This rule is particularly meaningful to those suffering from celiac disease, who will get sick if they eat foods containing gluten. While previously wheat was labeled on foods, the AP reports, barley and rye hadn’t always been labeled.
“A decade ago, our research determined that the prevalence of celiac disease in the United States was 1 in 133,” said Dr. Alessio Fasano, Director of the Center for Celiac Research at MassGeneral Hospital, in a statement. “Even then it was obvious that patients could not safely manage their diet without better labeling requirements. The FDA has devoted years of work to make sure the standard issued today was safe for celiac patients. Our research supports that standard.”
The FDA regulation was issued in August 2013, but wasn’t enforced until a year later.
- How an Alleged Spy Balloon Derailed an Important U.S.-China Meeting
- Effective Altruism Has a Toxic Culture of Sexual Harassment and Abuse, Women Say
- Inside Bolsonaro's Surreal New Life as a Florida Man—and MAGA Darling
- 'Return to Office' Plans Spell Trouble for Working Moms
- 8 Ways to Read More Books—and Why You Should
- Why Aren't Movies Sexy Anymore?
- Column: Elon Musk Should Not Be in Charge of the Night Sky
- How Logan Paul's Crypto Empire Fell Apart
- 80 for Brady May Not Be a Masterpiece. But the World Needs More Movies Like This