In August 2013, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) published its final rule to define the term “gluten-free” for voluntary use in the labeling of foods.
What Does the FDA "Gluten-Free" Rule Allow?
The rule allows 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, or 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 of gluten.
20 ppm or more gluten.
So, Labeling Foods "Gluten-Free" Isn't Required?
“Gluten-free” will remain a voluntary claim that can be used at the manufacturer’s discretion and is not required information.
Therefore, this claim
should not appear in the ingredient statement on the Nutrition Facts label and
can be included on the
front of the package.
Additional Information: