Tips on how to read labels for gluten free foods

According to the US Food & Drug Administration (FDA), foods that carry the “gluten free” label, or variants thereof such as “no gluten”, “free of gluten” or “without gluten”, must contain less than 20 parts per million (ppm) of gluten. Why not zero ppm? Well, the FDA says the 20 ppm level is the lowest that can be reliably detected in foods using scientifically validated gluten detection methods, and is also shared by other countries and international bodies as an acceptable minimum level as most people with coeliac disease can tolerate ingestion of such tiny amounts of gluten. 

As well as the 20 ppm limit, the FDA rules allow a producer of food to label their product as gluten free if it does not contain:   

• An ingredient that is any type of wheat, rye, barley, or crossbreeds of these grains, 

• An ingredient derived from these grains that has not been processed to remove gluten, or, 

• an ingredient derived from these grains that has been processed to remove gluten, but results in the food containing more than 20 ppm of gluten. 

The European Union (EU) also uses the 20 ppm level of gluten as its legal limit on what foods can be labelled as gluten free. As well as specialist gluten free products, including foods that contain gluten free wheat starch, the gluten free label may also be used on uncontaminated oat products.     

In European countries, it is also possible to find products such as bread and flour mixes labelled as “very low gluten”. These products typically contain gluten free wheat starch with a gluten level of between 21 and 100 ppm.  

How to read labels for gluten? This is a key issue for people with celiac disease and non-celiac gluten sensitivity, or who are following a gluten free diet for other reasons.  

Apart from looking for gluten free symbols and certification, you should always check the list of ingredients. Wheat, barley, rye, and oats are key ingredients to check for.  

Don’t forget that wheat free does not necessarily mean gluten free. 

Check for any allergen warnings  which may quickly discount a product if these list a gluten-containing cereal (note that in some countries, allergen warnings statements are voluntary). However, there can be differences in what ingredients must be listed as allergens; in the US, barley and rye are not in the top eight allergens that must be listed. 

Although the list of ingredients may be all clear, there is often a “may contain” rider at the end, which is another thing to be aware of. “May contain traces of gluten” or “made in a factory also handling wheat” are examples of other products to avoid. Be aware that in some countries ‘may contain’ statements are voluntary. 

Finally, take care with food that is freshly made and pre-packed on-site for sale, such as cakes in a baker’s store. In such establishments, it is often the best policy to ask for a full explanation of ingredients or about possible contamination.