by Kim Koeller
and Robert La France
We have seen great improvement
on a global basis over the past five years with regard to
food labeling. These advances have been welcomed by the growing
community of individuals impacted by celiac, food allergies,
intolerances and specialized diets worldwide. When traveling
at home and abroad, one must always be aware of the local
labeling regulations. We have outlined some of the major global
movements below to help you in your gluten-free travels around
the world.
In 2002, the Food Standards
Australia New Zealand (formerly the Australia New Zealand
Food Authority) declared that "all food labels will show
the declarations of the presence of potential allergens in
foods such as gluten, peanuts and other nuts, seafood, milk,
wheat, eggs and soybeans. In addition, all foods containing
genetically modified materials must be labeled as such."
In 2005, the European Union
Directive on product labeling required manufacturers to identify
12 common food allergens including: celery, dairy, eggs, fish,
gluten, mustard, peanuts, sesame seeds, shellfish, soy, tree
nuts and wheat, and their derivatives.
As of 1/1/2006, the US Food
Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act (FALCPA) went
into effect. The presence of eight allergens including: dairy,
eggs, fish, peanuts, shellfish, soy, tree nuts and wheat are
now declared on ingredient lists. However, those of us following
a gluten-free diet in the U.S., have not had all of our concerns
sufficiently addressed since wheat, and not gluten, is included
in the current allergen labeling. The Food and Drug Administration
(FDA) is currently developing a definition for the term "gluten-free,"
as there is currently no approved legislature for U.S. food
manufacturers or consumers. Once approved, this will help
U.S. consumers managing a gluten-free diet safely navigate
grocery store aisles in search of safe foods, as well as restaurants
and those in the hospitality industry understand and identify
gluten-free ingredients.
Outside of the U.S., there
are also differences in the definition of the term "gluten-free",
and which foods are considered gluten-free. According to The
Coeliac Society of Australia, "there are two types of
foods suitable for those requiring a gluten-free diet:
- Foods labeled gluten-free
- Foods made for the general market which
are gluten free by ingredient
To be labeled gluten-free
in Australia and New Zealand, a food must contain "No
Detectable Gluten’ by the most sensitive universally
accepted test method. At the time of the printing of the Ingredient
List, 7th Edition, testing can achieve a detection
level of 0.0005 (5 parts per million). If gluten is not detected
then the food can be labeled gluten free."
What makes matters more
complex is that, "some ingredients (i.e. glucose syrup,
dextrose and caramel colour) are so highly processed that
when tested, the results have always shown ‘no detectable
gluten,’ even if derived from wheat," according
to The Coeliac Society of Australia. Therefore, these common
ingredients derived from wheat are rendered gluten-free, even
though gluten is declared on the product label. So, you can
buy a product that indicates that it is gluten-free and also
states on the label that ingredients included in the product
are derived from gluten-containing grains. While in Australia
and New Zealand, The Coeliac Society of Australia advises
that, "the label gluten-free overrides the product’s
ingredient listing, and products with statements such as "may
contain wheat or gluten" should be avoided."
The European Union follows
a different standard and is guided by the Codex Alimentarius,
which is managed by the Food and Agriculture Organization
of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Health Organization
(WHO). The standard "allows products to be labelled gluten-free
that contain an ingredient called "Codex wheat starch,"
which contains 200 parts per million of gluten. Coeliac UK
makes the following statement in their Gluten Free Food
and Drink Directory about other ingredients derived from
gluten containing grains:
"Some ingredients
can be derived from wheat or barley, but are safe for people
with coeliac disease. This is because they are highly
processed and the gluten content is negligible e.g. glucose
syrups derived from barley or wheat. Some ingredients
may have a low level of gluten, but still be within the Codex
standard e.g. Codex wheat starch and malt extract. When
malt extract is used in large amounts, as in some malted
breakfast cereal products, the gluten level is not within
the Codex standard. These products are not suitable on a gluten-free
diet."
Coeliac UK also makes the
following statement concerning the safety of Codex wheat starch:
"Whilst
the majority of people with coeliac disease can tolerate Codex
wheat starch, there are those who are more sensitive and
suffer symptoms and gut damage if they eat Codex wheat
starch."
According to the Canadian
Celiac Association, "gluten-free in Canada means that
the food does not contain wheat, spelt, kamut, rye, barley,
oats or triticale, or any parts thereof. In Canada, wheat
starch is not permitted in a gluten-free diet."
Here in the U.S., the FDA
is proposing to, "define the food labeling term "gluten-free"
to mean that a food bearing this claim does not contain any
of the following:
• An ingredient
that is a "prohibited grain", which refers to any
species of wheat (durum, wheat, spelt wheat, or kamut),
rye, barley or their crossbred hybrids
• An ingredient
that is derived from a "prohibited grain" and that
has not been processed to remove gluten
• An ingredient
that is derived from a "prohibited grain" that has
been processed to remove gluten, if the use of that ingredient
results in the presence of 20 micrograms or more gluten
per gram of food
• An ingredient
containing 20 micrograms or more gluten per gram of food"
By establishing a US definition
for the term "gluten-free" and uniform conditions
for its use in the labeling of foods, the FDA believes that
this will ensure that persons purchasing US products are not
misled and are provided with accurate information.
Your input in the process
is important, so if you haven’t had the opportunity to
voice your concerns or support of this proposition, now is
the time to do so. The proposed rule has a 90-day public comment
period, which ends on April 23, 2007. Interested persons can
submit comments electronically or in writing as per instructions
provided in Docket No. 2005N-0279, available via the following
web-link:
http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20071800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2007/E7-843.htm
For more information on
the proposed US definition, please read the document titled
"Questions and Answers on the Gluten-Free Labeling Proposed
Rule", which is posted on the FDA’s Center for Food
Safety and Applied Nutrition website via the following link:
http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/glutqa.html
Remember, until there is
a universal consensus on acceptable levels of gluten and standardization
of definitions, product labeling of gluten-free and gluten-containing
ingredients will continue to vary from country to country.
As always, be sure to understand country-specific labeling
and read product labels diligently wherever you might be,
around the corner from your home or around the world, to ensure
safe eating anywhere!
 Product
Guides and Directories
To help you find safe gluten-free
foods during your travels, there are a number of resources
available from various organizations around the world. The
following information provides an overview of the guides and
directories detailing country specific product names, ingredient
definitions and manufacturer/brand listings currently available.
To purchase these guides or to obtain more information, contact
each of the organizations directly:
Australia
The Coeliac Society of Australia
Ingredient List, 7th Edition: An essential guide
for those requiring a gluten-free diet - Published in English
http://www.coeliacsociety.com.au
Canada
Canadian Celiac Association
Pocket Dictionary of Ingredients-–Acceptability of Foods
and Food Ingredients for the Gluten-Free Diet - Published
in English and French
http://www.celiac.ca
France
Association Française
des Intolérants au Gluten
Liste des Produits Autorisés - Published in French
http://www.afdiag.org/
Ireland
The Coeliac Society of Ireland
A List of Gluten-Free Manufactured Products - Published in
English
http://www.coeliac.ie
Italy
Associazione Italiana Celichia
Il Prontuario on Internet - Published in English and Italian
http://www.celiachia.it
Netherlands
Vodeinscentrum
Lijst van Glutenvrije Merkatikelin - Published in Dutch
http://www.coeliakievereniging.nl
New Zealand
Manufactured Foods Database
On-line listing available in English
http://mfd.co.nz
Spain
Federación de Asociaciones
de Celíacos de España
La Lista de Alimentos Sin Gluten - Published in Spanish
http://www.celiacos.org
United Kingdom
Coeliac UK
Gluten Free Food and Drink Directory - Published in English
http://www.coeliac.co.uk
United States
Celiac Sprue Association
The CSA Gluten-Free Product Listing - Published in English
http://www.csaceliacs.org
Clan Thompson™
Clan Thompson™ Celiac SmartLists and Pocket Guides -
Available in English
http://www.clanthompson.com
Kim Koeller and Robert La France
are President and Executive Vice President of GlutenFree Passport®.
They are the award-winning co-authors of the Let’s
Eat Out! Your Passport to Living Gluten and Allergy Free
book series, winner of the USABooknews.com Best Language Guide
and finalist for Best Health/Diet Book 2006; as well as, the
2006 Benjamin Franklin Award finalist for Best Health Book
and Best First Book Non-fiction. For more information and
free educational materials, please visit http://www.glutenfreepassport.com.
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