Gluten Free Labeling Law

I'm not sure where to start on this one because it seems most people are all over the place with their knowledge of the PROPOSED gluten-free labeling law. Why did I put "proposed" in all capital letters? Because I wanted to catch your attention, and I want to alert the unaware that there currently is no labeling law regarding gluten.

At this time, the FDA requires that companies clearly disclose it if their products contain any of the "top 8 allergens." These include milk, wheat, soy, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, fish, shellfish, and soy. If you've ever heard of FALCPA otherwise known as the Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act of 2004, that's what this is. Although some individuals always seem to think that wheat=gluten, it does not. Gluten can also come in the form of barley, rye, and the always controversial oats. At this time, companies are not required to disclose the presence of barley, rye, or oats. Malt vinegar, which is derived from barley, could simply be listed as "vinegar."

So back to the "proposed" labeling law. Part of the FALCPA law required that the FDA establish standards for labeling products gluten-free. Many people believe that the lives of those on a gluten free diet will magically become easier when this law is passed/goes into effect. The problem with the law is right in the law itself:

In the rule, the FDA defines a product as “gluten free” if it does not contain the following: wheat, rye, barley, or any hybrid of these grains; ingredients such as wheat flour that have not been processed to remove gluten; or any item made up of more than 20 parts per million of gluten. 

So what's the problem? Did you see anywhere in that short statement that companies will be required to disclose barley and rye? No. The law only affects those companies that want to state "gluten-free" on the label. It also says nothing about oats. It will also scare more companies away from labeling their products as gluten-free.

The good news is that companies will not be able to to label their products as gluten-free if they are not because it will be against the law to do so. At this time, there is no standard, so a company can label their products gluten-free even if they're aware that they are not. It's not ethical to do so, but there is little chance of any legal action (although the gluten-free community tends to be a very strong community, and I've heard of companies going out of business for doing such things).

I think this is a huge step forward for the gluten-free community once the law goes into effect, but we still have a long way to go. I dream of a day when I can easily read an ingredient label. I don't expect companies to state the actual word "gluten" in the ingredient list, but I would like to know that I'm safe to eat something when a product contains ingredients such as vinegar, natural flavors, coloring, etc. I admire companies that will clearly disclose all gluten ingredients in ways such as "natural flavors (barley)..." and I wish all companies would do this.

What is your opinion on the proposed legislation? If you would change it, what do you wish it would say? I'd love to hear a "best-case scenario" along with a realistic scenario.

When ingredients change...

The gluten-free world has been getting better and better ever since I was first diagnosed with Celiac Disease over 5 years ago. New products are constantly being introduced, and existing products are changing their ingredients to remove gluten. Manufacturing practices are changing to eliminate the possibility of cross contamination.

Until now... 

In the past month, I keep coming across information stating products I previously enjoyed are no longer gluten-free. Other manufacturers seem to be taking the cowardly route and they are now stating that they can't guarantee their product is gluten-free because they don't know where the ingredients come from. 

Example 1: Advil Liqui-Gels

I used this product prior to going on a gluten-free diet, and I was incredibly relieved to find out it was gluten-free after my diagnosis. Tablet pain relievers often contain gluten as a binder, so it made sense that a liqui-gel wouldn't have the need for gluten. Until now. I don't even remember how I came across the information, but the other day, someone posted a link about this product. http://www.advil.com/faqs?search=Gluten&field_faq
In case you don't want to click the link, it says: 

Advil® Liqui-Gels® and Advil® Migraine and contain a wheat derivative, and are not gluten-free. You should check with your doctor if you have any concerns about taking this product.

I haven't done additional research to see if the generic versions are still gluten-free, but I have to admit I'm bummed that a product I've relied on for at least 10 years pre and post gluten-free is no longer safe for me to use. 

Example 2: Kraft

When I first was diagnosed, Kraft was named as one of those brands with exemplary labeling practices, and I knew I could always rely on the ingredient label rather than needing to call the manufacturer. That is no longer the case, which is extremely frustrating considering it is such a large company, and my opinion is that they should somewhat be setting the standard for how things are done and show other companies that it can be done. I heard someone questioned one of their products that I had always relied on as gluten-free, and they were informed that it was not considered by Kraft to be gluten-free. 

I decided to do my own research and call them. The call didn't go well. I've worked in customer service, so I always do my best to be upbeat and polite because I realize they don't make the decisions, but this one was tough. I asked if the product was gluten-free, and the response was that Kraft does not consider it to be gluten-free. I was advised that any product that contains "spices, flavorings, or coloring" is not gluten-free because they don't know how their suppliers produce these ingredients and it is proprietary information.

Often times, I am told that I need to call the manufacturer with the UPC each time I'm going to purchase a product so they can determine which manufacturing facility it was made in and where the ingredients were sourced from. This always ticks me off, and I always inform them that I will simply purchase from another company as I don't have the time to call every time I want to purchase one of their products. On a whim, I asked the Kraft representative if I could call to confirm if I needed to purchase one of their products.

Nope. They flat out don't know. Boo Kraft!

So not only was this one product no longer considered to be gluten-free, but ALL Kraft products are subject to this ridiculous rule of "spices, flavorings or coloring." 

I do my best to always stay positive about everything gluten-free, so here is my solution: we need to nicely contact these companies to let them know their changes have affected us. The gluten-free community needs to stand together and let companies know that it's not ok to suddenly change their labeling practices. When I voiced my displeasure on Facebook, a few of my friends said that I shouldn't be eating Kraft products anyway because they're full of GMO's, etc, etc, etc. For now, I'd like to focus just on the gluten-free thing though (I will cover my opinion of GMO's in an upcoming blog.) I realize there is a large portion of the population that does not care about GMO's along with a large portion that does. 

If you decide to contact Kraft, feel free to call Advil as long as you're on the phone ;)

Contact information for companies:

Kraft: 1-877-535-5666

Advil: 1-800-882-3845

Questions? Comments?.... I'd love to hear from you.