Last year, on August 2, 2013, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a final rule officially defining the term “gluten-free” for food labeling. But while manufacturers were encouraged to comply with the new rule immediately following its declaration, they technically had a little over a year – until August 5, 2014 – to make the appropriate adjustments to their products, or forfeit any “gluten-free” claims they had previously made.
Obviously, this is big news to many of our fans and readers – and especially good news for those living with celiac disease, a gluten allergy or sensitivity or anyone who has simply chosen a gluten-free lifestyle. The FDA’s new regulations will help shed light on what is in our food, and that’s good news no matter what your diet includes.
To help break down the terminology surrounding these new regulations, which can at times be dense and complex, Celiac.org published “10 Fast Facts About the FDA Gluten-Free Food Labeling Rule.”
The list is written in Q&A form, and it answers such questions as “After August 5, 2014, what food products may be labeled gluten-free?”
Answer:
“A food product regulated by the FDA may be labeled gluten-free if:
1 It does NOT contain wheat, rye, barley or their crossbred hybrids like triticale (a gluten-containing grain) OR
2 It contains a gluten-containing grain or an ingredient derived from a gluten-containing grain that has been processed to less than 20 parts per million (ppm) of gluten.”
So, how do these new regulations affect Ancient Harvest and our family of products? Well, the short answer is that they don’t. We have always held our products to the above-mentioned standards, and so none of them need to be re-formulated or –labeled.
When you choose an Ancient Harvest product, you can do so with confidence that the product will always be gluten-free. We are proud to offer this assurance, just as we are proud to offer ancient grain nutrition and satisfying flavor – and we wholeheartedly stand behind the FDA’s new rule, which will (according to their official website) “help consumers, especially those living with celiac disease, be confident that items labeled ‘gluten-free’ meet a defined standard for gluten content.”
For more information on Ancient Harvest products and gluten-free grains, visit the FAQ page of AncientHarvest.com.
Photo credit: Celiac.org
