Gluten Intolerance Group publishes requirements for "Purity Protocol"
The Gluten Intolerance Group (GIG), the leader in the certification of gluten-free products and food services, announced that, in collaboration with leading oat processors, it has published an industry agreed-upon definition and requirements for operating under a “Purity Protocol”—a claim made by processors for the provision of gluten-free oats. The "Definition of the 'Purity Protocol' for Producing Gluten-Free Oats", written by GIG and published by AACC International (formerly the American Association of Cereal Chemists), provides transparency to the industry and gluten-free consumers, and it allows for auditing of the Purity Protocol claim.
While studies have found that oats are safe for the vast majority of those with celiac disease, they can be contaminated by wheat, rye or barley during farming, processing and storage. Purity Protocol is a farm-to-plate method of ensuring that oats are gluten-free and have met requirements for seed stock purity as well as criteria for harvesting, transport, storage, processing and manufacturing.