Perhaps the new FDA Labeling won't be good for us

[mcnomore]

Here's a post I saw on another forum:

Sadly, this news I just can't be happy about. Unfortunately I think the 20
PPM standard is a win for manufacturers at the expense of the health of
people with CD in the US. I will no longer be able to trust any product
labeled gluten-free to be safe for my family, especially as the new rule
allows foods containing wheat to be labeled gluten-free as long as they
contain less than 20 ppm.

Companies such as Omission Beer, a beer made with barley that is processed
to contain less than 20 ppm gluten, can now label their products
gluten-free. Companies that put soy sauce made with wheat in a product will
likewise be able to use the GF label if they believe their product contains
less than 20 ppm gluten. The same is true for any product that contains
wheat. Products containing wheat flour can be labeled gluten-free. Oh, and
there still is no requirement that allergens such as barley, rye, and oats
be labeled. So, a rice milk containing barley that is tested to be less than
20 ppm gluten can now be labeled gluten-free, but is not required to list
barley in the ingredients if it is not considered a significant amount.

The only thing a manufacturer has to do to slap on a GF label is believe
that they are truthfully stating that their product has less than 20 ppm
gluten. There are no rules about how this should be determined. There is no
rule requiring the product to be tested. There are no rules about
preventing cross contamination. There is no enforcement for this rule except
that the manufacturer is expected to be truthful or if a consumer complains.

I've been against the 20 ppm rule since it was proposed. I think we can do
better. Tests are available that can reliably test down to 5 ppm. I looked
in detail at the studies that supposedly showed that 20 ppm is safe for
"most" celiacs. There were very few studies done, none of them were large,
many of them had major flaws (such as dropping people who got sick and quit
before the study was completed, then not counting those people in the
results). We've also just dealt a major blow to those celiacs who don't fit
into the "most" category and for whom even the slightest trace of gluten is
a problem.

Oh, and be aware that foods labeled "no gluten ingredients" have NO
standards and do not have to meet the 20 ppm limit. Hope that's not too
confusing.

This rule only makes my life more challenging, as it will now be more
difficult for me to determine what foods are safe for my family to eat.

[gluten]

Hi, The new ruling means to continue to read the ingredients list and call the manufacturer to clarify any questions. Jon

[mcnomore]

You are so right, I just checked with the manufacturers of the ghee and salt I use on Friday and found that they don't have a separate facility for gluten-free.

[tex]

This is the same guideline that has been followed here, ever since the Codex Alimentarius Commission's most recent recommendations went into effect in Europe (about 4 years ago). One man, Dr. Alessio Fasano, at the University of Maryland, shoulders the lion's share of the responsibility for this ruling. We discussed this a couple of years ago. You might find these discussions interesting, to provide some insight into the history of GF regulations in the world:

http://www.perskyfarms.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=14673

The Codex ruling came a couple of years before that:

http://www.perskyfarms.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=9457

Unfortunately, the bottom line is that if a zero tolerance rule was in effect, and products could not contain any gluten at all (and that rule was enforced), you would probably be able to count the number of GF products on the market on the fingers of 1 hand, because absolutely no manufacturer would be able to comply with the rule. Gluten is truly ubiquitous, and it cross-contaminates virtually everything, to some extent, however small.

Tex