Help with new gluten standard

The Food Standards Agency recently revealed a new standard for labelling foods that are marketed to gluten-intolerant consumers. It is now expected that the European Commission (EC) will use this standard to draft a Directive for gluten-free foods as per Article 4a of EC Directive 89/398/EC on foods for particular nutritional uses.

A new Directive based on this standard would bring about a big change in the way that foods containing low levels of gluten can be labelled. Distinctions will have to be made between foods that naturally contain no gluten and foods that have been processed to have gluten removed. Moreover, allergen legislation will require that some foods that can legitimately be called 'gluten-free' will still have to bear labels that declare 'contains wheat gluten.'

New limits have been established for specially manufactured foods. Products with less than 20mg of gluten/kg of food will be considered as 'gluten-free' or 'naturally gluten-free'. Products with more than 20mg/kg but less than 100mg/kg might be considered as 'gluten-reduced' or 'low gluten'.

"The standard is complex and as with any change, some people might find it difficult to fully understand on first reading," says Barbara Hirst of RSSL's DNA and Protein laboratory. RSSL has produced some guidance notes to help clients and can also advise on strategies for producing 'gluten-free' and 'gluten-reduced' products as well as providing the analysis to substantiate any labelling claims.