Use of the term "Gluten-Free"

When reading food and other product labels, it is important to note that the label "gluten-free" can mean a variety of things. Gluten-free does NOT always mean the complete absence of wheat, barley, rye and oats (WBRO).

• gluten-free for international trade

The Codex Alimentarius Commission is a joint effort of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO UN) and the World Health Organization (WHO). The Codex Committee on Nutrition and Foods for Special Dietary Uses, among other duties, sets the standard of gluten content allowed in a food product to be considered “gluten-free” for international trade. Since 1983, the definition for “gluten-free” has been in draft form due to lack of consensus among the members of the Committee.

 

The 29th session of the Codex Committee on Nutrition and Foods for Special Dietary Uses was held in Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler, Germany on November 12-16, 2007. The Draft Revised Standard for Foods for Special Dietary Uses for Persons Intolerant to Gluten was approved to forward to the 31st Session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission for final adoption. This session will be held in Geneva, Switzerland from June 30-July 5, 2008.

The 31st Session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission approved the draft with no changes on July 1, 2008.

 

Highlights of the Standard include:

• Gluten-free foods do not contain wheat, rye, barley, oats or their crossbred varieties and the gluten level does not exceed 20mg/kg [20 parts per million] in total, based on the food as sold or distributed to the consumer

And/or

• Gluten-free foods may contain one or more ingredients from wheat, rye, barley oats or their crossbred varieties which have been specially processed to remove gluten and the gluten level does not exceed 20mg/kg [20 ppm] in total, based on the food as sold or distributed to the consumer.
• The allowance of pure, uncontaminated oats may be determined at the national level.
• Foods specially processed to reduce gluten content to a level between 20 and 100mg/kg [20ppm-100ppm] based on the food as sold or distributed to the consumer must not be labeled gluten-free. Labeling terms for such products (eg. low gluten, reduced gluten) and decisions for marketing may be determined at the national level, but must indicate the true nature of the food.
• Naturally gluten-free foods shall not be designated “special dietary”, “special dietetic” or any other equivalent term, but may bear a statement on the label that “this food is my its nature gluten-free”.

 

For a pdf of the full text of the Draft Revised Codex Standard for Foods for Special Dietary Uses for Persons Intolerant to Gluten, .

The 31st Session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission approved the draft with no changes on July 1, 2008.

 

For a pdf of the the full report of the 29th Session of the Codex Committee on Nutrition and Foods for Special Dietary Uses. Click here. The report includes all areas considered at the session in Germany. To find the sections on “gluten-free” definition and labeling, use the search option of the pdf.  

• gluten-free, wheat free

In the U.S. and Canada, gluten-free refers to a food item or ingredient with no gluten ingredients from WBRO or any of their derivatives - that means 100% gluten-free. Zero-tolerance is the term for the strictest interpretation of gluten-free, wheat free.

• gluten-free in processing

This term was developed in Europe to differentiate between naturally gluten-free and items that test gluten-free after processing. Such products meet the CODEX definition for gluten-free (200 ppm. or .03% of protein). Codex wheat starch and distilled wheat- or rye-based alcohol are examples of "rendered gluten-free in processing."

• gluten restricted [low gluten]

Items with small or minute amounts of gluten that may or may not be measurable with current tests are considered gluten restricted.

• naturally gluten-free

European celiac community-developed this term for products that occur in nature without gluten. No presence of WBRO.

An international priority has been given to establish both a safe level to consider gluten-free and a method of analysis to verify that level of gluten. At this time, there is no worldwide consensus

on the permissible level of gluten in a gluten-free product.

Self-management is the key to living a full life, gluten-free.

The ONLY RISK FREE choice is zero gluten -- no WBRO at all. Personal application must be based on understanding one's own body and situation.