Easy List of How to Read Labels to Avoid Gluten Printable
3 Tips for Gluten-Free Label Reading
Download the Printable Version of this Educational Bulletin
Updated January 10, 2021
When you're living gluten-free, making sense of food labels tin be a fleck of a puzzle yous must solve earlier yous can feel confident put ting that product in your and bring ing it home to consume. We put together three tips for reading labels on packaged nutrient products to help yous figure out if they're prophylactic for y'all, or anyone in your househo ld, avoiding gluten.
Tip i: Look for Third-Party Certification
A production that carries a third-political party certification , such equally GIG'southward Gluten-Free Certification System (GFCO) distinctive marker , is considered condom for gluten-gratuitous consumers.
The GFCO mark represents a rigorous certification process that includes:
- Ingredient assay
- Constitute audits
- Frequent testing
- Off-the-shelf product testing
- Verifying there is no more than 10ppm gluten content in tested foods
Note that the U.Southward. Nutrient and Drug Administration (FDA) sets their gluten-content threshold at less than twenty ppm of gluten , making the GFCO's standard twice every bit strict.
Tip ii: Look for the words "gluten-free"
Run across the words "gluten-free" on a label, only not seeing a gluten-free certification mark? I f a packaged production is regulated by the FDA and labeled "gluten-free, " information technology is considered safe for gluten-free consumers. The FDA regulation says that manufacturers are required to comply with the gluten-free definition detailed in the ir regulation.
The FDA regulation also applies to using the terms "no gluten," "free of gluten," and "without gluten" on production labels. If yous see any of those terms, and the manufacturer is following the FDA's gluten-free regulations, then the food should be gluten-free .
* A production that is labeled gluten-free may include the term "wheat" in the ingredient list ( such as " wheat starch " ) or in a separate "Contains wheat" statement, but the label must also include the following statement: "The wheat has been processed to permit this food to meet the Food and Drug Assistants (FDA) requirements for gluten-free foods."
If "wheat starch" is an ingredient in a GFCO – certified product, the wheat has been processed to such an extent that the food meets the GFCO standard of 10 ppm or less gluten.
Tip three: Read the Ingredient Listing
For products that are not certified or labeled "gluten-gratis " , the best manner to brand sure you lot are eating or serving gluten-free packaged foods is to read the ingredient list.
What do you want to avoid? If whatsoever of the following are present on the ingredient list, the production is not gluten-costless:
- Wheat (including all types of wheat such as spelt , emmer, farro , and durum )
- Rye
- Barley
- Oats *
- Malt
- Brewer'due south yeast
* An important matter to note about oats : U nless the words "gluten-free" or a gluten-gratis certification marking are on the oats packaging, oats may not be gluten-costless. In the U.S., the FDA does not allow descriptions in ingredient lists , and so y'all won't see "gluten-complimentary oats " every bit one of the ingredient due south. Other countries practise permit descriptive ingredients so you lot might see this on products from other countries, such as Canada . See Are Oats and Oat Flour Gluten-Costless for more information. The safest oat products are those that accept been certified gluten-free. While products labeled gluten-free should comply with the FDA definition of containing no more than twenty ppm of gluten, this is not third-party verified. GFCO 's standard for gluten-gratis is ten ppm of gluten or less.
Dislocated Nigh That "May Contain Wheat" Statement?
Statements such as "may contain wheat" or "processed on equipment that handles wheat" are non relevant to the gluten-free status of a product that is certified or labeled gluten-free . These are voluntary statements that manufacturers may employ to be transparent or to alarm consumers who have wheat allergies – not gluten sensitivities.
If a product is either labeled or certified gluten-free, these statements are not relevant to the gluten-free status of a production because that product would meet the standard for gluten-free. If the product is not certified or labeled gluten-gratis, the product may not exist safety. If you aren't sure, contact the manufacturer straight. They should exist able to furnish you with the data you demand to make safe food choices.
Most Wheat Starch
Someone allergic to wheat should avoid wheat starch . For someone fugitive gluten, wheat starch could incorporate gluten unless it is i north a product that is certified or labeled gluten-free . In that instance, the gluten in wheat starch has been processed out . Equally long as the product is certified or labeled gluten-gratuitous , it is safe for someone avoiding gluten.
BONUS: Salvage Some Fourth dimension Reading Labels
Reading packaged food labels is a critical step for ensuring food safety. Yous tin can s ave some of the time you lot might spend reading labels past seeking out GFCO-certified products in advance of shopping at stores or online .
Due south earc h the GFCO Product Directory to identify the products and brands that have gone through GFCO's detailed testing, auditing , and review process and are immune to put the official GFCO certification mark on their packaging.
L ook for the new GFCO marking on product labels to residual assured that the nutrient detail is safe. Y ou may notwithstanding run across the old GFCO mark equally information technology is existence phased out . Yous tin likewise c heck if the mark is notwithstanding valid and up-to-appointment with a quick search of the GFCO Product Directory .
out if the food y'all're ownership off the shelf is gluten-free and rubber to eat does not take to be confusing. We ar e hither to help you live safely gluten-gratuitous.
Want to Know More?
Trusting packaged food labels can be challenging, particularly when you are new to living gluten-complimentary. Here is some additional information to explain the role of the FDA, the USDA , and the regulations that affect food prophylactic and labeling.
FALCPA: The Act that Protects You
FALCPA (the "Nutrient Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act") is an Human activity that passed in 2004 . According to the FDA's website, FALCPA was enacted to "improve nutrient labeling information for the millions of consumers who suffer from food allergies. The Act will be specially helpful to children who must learn to recognize the allergens they must avoid."
FALCPA applies to FDA-regulated products only.
The FDA'due south Role
The FDA regulates the vast majority of packaged foods. The FDA gluten-gratuitous labeling regulation is a part of FALCPA.
The USDA's Role
The USDA besides regulates certain foods, in particular: meats, poultry, egg products (but not actual eggs) and mixed products that by and large contain more than 3% raw or 2% cooked meat (for example, some soups and frozen entrees). Products regulated by the USDA are non required to comply with FALCPA, only an estimated 80-90% do so voluntarily.
| FDA | USDA | |
| Types of Food Regulated | Most p ackaged foods | Meats Poultry Egg products (but not eggs) Mixed products (with >iii% raw or >ii% cooked meats) |
| Role of FALCPA – "Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Human action" | Aye | No , but many food producers follow it anyhow |
What Does FALCPA Require?
The FALCPA labeling regulations crave that the top viii allergens be clearly identified, including wheat. Derivatives of wheat, such as "modified nutrient starch," must clearly indicate that "wheat" is the source.
The word "Wheat" tin either appear in parentheses in the ingredient list or in a separate "Contains" argument immediately after or next to the ingredient list.
The eight Major Food Allergens (FALCPA)
- Milk
- Eggs
- Fish (e.g., bass, flounder, cod)
- Crustacean shellfish (e.g., crab, lobster, shrimp)
- Tree nuts (e.g., almonds, walnuts, pecans)
- Peanuts
- Wheat
- Soybeans
W hat's missing? R ye and barley are not in the FALCPA top eight allergens, so anything d e rived from them in an ingredient listing , like malt from barley , do es non need to include a clarification of the source. If you are gluten-free, you need to not just avoid wheat gluten merely also gluten from rye and barley.
More Near "Contains" Statements
If you come across a "Contains" statement , or other indication that a USDA-regulated product is complying with FALCPA, so simply look for the word "wheat." If there is any doubtfulness about whether a product is complying with FALCPA labeling, the post-obit ingredients may be derived from wheat .
Avoid these or investigate further:
- starch
- food starch
- modified nutrient starch
- dextrin
Remember: West heat-gratuitous is not the same as gluten-free. A product tin be wheat-free but withal contain gluten from rye or barley.
Download the Printable Version of this Educational Bulletin
For Further Reading
FALCPA FAQ
The full FDA Ruling on Gluten-Free Labeling
Gluten-Free Labeling of Food (FDA)
Small-scale Entity Compliance Guide: Gluten-Gratis Labeling of Foods
Source: https://gluten.org/2021/01/10/3-tips-for-gluten-free-label-reading/
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