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FDA defining what “gluten free” means on packages

By MARY CLARE JALONICK
Published August 2, 2013 5:49pm ET
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FDA defining what “gluten free” means on packages
A variety of foods labeled Gluten Free are displayed in Frederick, Md., Friday, Aug. 2, 2013. Consumers are going to know exactly what they are getting when they buy foods labeled "gluten free." The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is at last defining what a "gluten free" label on a food package really means after more than six years of consideration. Until now, manufacturers have been able to use their own discretion as to how much gluten they include. Under an FDA rule announced Friday, products labeled "gluten free" still won't have to be technically free of wheat, rye and barley and their derivatives. But they almost will: "Gluten-free" products will have to contain less than 20 parts per million of gluten. (AP Photo/Jon Elswick) | Jon Elswick

WASHINGTON (AP) — A label that reads “gluten free” will now mean the same thing for all food, regardless of which kind you buy.

After more than a six-year delay, the Food and Drug Administration has set a new standard for labels that will make shopping easier for consumers on gluten-restricted diets. Until now, the term “gluten free” had not been regulated, and manufacturers made their own decisions about what it means.

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