The FDA final rule, issued August 5, 2013, permits a “gluten-free” claim if any of the following criteria are met:
• the food does not contain any gluten-containing grains, such as wheat, rye and barley
•the food contains a gluten-containing grain that has been processed such that the presence of gluten in the food is less than 20 ppm or
• the food inherently does not contain gluten and any unavoidable presence of gluten in the food is below 20 ppm.
In addition, if a food’s label includes the term “wheat” in the ingredient list or in a separate “contains wheat” statement and is also labeled “gluten-free,” then it must contain the following disclosure noted by an asterisk and in close proximity to the ingredient list or “contains wheat” statement: “The wheat has been processed to allow this food to meet the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requirements for gluten-free foods.”
I wanted to report an incident that I encountered regarding the new rule. Let me say first that I have not posted on here in quite a long time, as I have been strictly gluten free and doing very well. I have celiac disease. My last visit to a gastroenterologist involved an upper and lower scope and blood testing. Everything was excellent and my blood levels (don't ask me the tests) were zero. He was pleased that I have been totally compliant with not eating gluten, and does not need to see me for 10 years. Yeah! I had been scoped regularly every three years in the past.
However, on a recent visit to our son in Cincinnati, I drank a new beer that my wife found at the grocery, labeled as "gluten free." It tasted great, but the next day I had severe abdominal discomfort and many visits to the bathroom. "Nuf said." I had looked at the label for the beer on the bottle, but saw nothing about gluten. After experiencing these problems, I looked at the carton. To my shock I saw that the beer claimed to be gluten free under the 20 ppm standard. It contained a statement by someone from the brewery who said he had celiac disease, and developed this beer using traditional brewing methods, but that would be gluten free under the FDA rule. My shock came when I saw that it contained Barley malt.
I, for one, will not be consuming anything that makes this claim, and firmly believe that the 20 ppm gluten standard is not fit for celiac consumption. If you consider the amount of money that breweries, bread companies and others are loosing due to people avoiding gluten, it is no wonder that the FDA has caved to permit products to be labeled as gluten free, when they are not. Just my humble opinion.
• the food does not contain any gluten-containing grains, such as wheat, rye and barley
•the food contains a gluten-containing grain that has been processed such that the presence of gluten in the food is less than 20 ppm or
• the food inherently does not contain gluten and any unavoidable presence of gluten in the food is below 20 ppm.
In addition, if a food’s label includes the term “wheat” in the ingredient list or in a separate “contains wheat” statement and is also labeled “gluten-free,” then it must contain the following disclosure noted by an asterisk and in close proximity to the ingredient list or “contains wheat” statement: “The wheat has been processed to allow this food to meet the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requirements for gluten-free foods.”
I wanted to report an incident that I encountered regarding the new rule. Let me say first that I have not posted on here in quite a long time, as I have been strictly gluten free and doing very well. I have celiac disease. My last visit to a gastroenterologist involved an upper and lower scope and blood testing. Everything was excellent and my blood levels (don't ask me the tests) were zero. He was pleased that I have been totally compliant with not eating gluten, and does not need to see me for 10 years. Yeah! I had been scoped regularly every three years in the past.
However, on a recent visit to our son in Cincinnati, I drank a new beer that my wife found at the grocery, labeled as "gluten free." It tasted great, but the next day I had severe abdominal discomfort and many visits to the bathroom. "Nuf said." I had looked at the label for the beer on the bottle, but saw nothing about gluten. After experiencing these problems, I looked at the carton. To my shock I saw that the beer claimed to be gluten free under the 20 ppm standard. It contained a statement by someone from the brewery who said he had celiac disease, and developed this beer using traditional brewing methods, but that would be gluten free under the FDA rule. My shock came when I saw that it contained Barley malt.
I, for one, will not be consuming anything that makes this claim, and firmly believe that the 20 ppm gluten standard is not fit for celiac consumption. If you consider the amount of money that breweries, bread companies and others are loosing due to people avoiding gluten, it is no wonder that the FDA has caved to permit products to be labeled as gluten free, when they are not. Just my humble opinion.
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