As of Aug. 5, any food product bearing a gluten-free claim labeled on or after this date must meet the requirements of a rule issued in August 2013 by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that defines what characteristics a food must have to bear a label proclaiming it “gluten-free.” The rule holds foods labeled “without gluten,” “free of gluten” and “no gluten” to the same standard.
Manufacturers had one year to comply with the rule, which was welcomed by advocates for people with celiac disease, who face potentially life-threatening illnesses if they eat the gluten found in breads, cakes, cereals, pastas and many other foods. Without a standardized definition of “gluten-free,” these consumers could never really be sure if their body would tolerate a food with that label, according to Andrea Levario, executive director of the American Celiac Disease Alliance.