For those who are gluten free, label reading is extremely important. You have to read the label each and every time you buy something, even if you have purchased that gluten-free product before.
Label reading isn't just for those new to a gluten-free diet.
Manufacturers can change their recipe or the type of ingredients they use in their products without giving customers any advanced warning.
So if you aren't reading gluten-free product labels consistently, you can accidentally gluten yourself.
A gluten-free diet comes with a steep learning curve.
The web is loaded with outdated information and misunderstandings about which ingredients are safe to use. This results in mistakes.
For example, many food product labels claim gluten-free status according to current FDA food labeling regulations.
However:
- "gluten free”
- "no gluten"
- "free of gluten"
- "without gluten"
Effective August 5, 2014, the FDA began requiring food manufacturers who use gluten-free labeling to adhere to the international standard of less than 20 ppm of gluten.
This means that products labeled "gluten free" can actually contain up to 20 parts per million of gluten and still refer to themselves as gluten free.
Whether that level of gluten residue is safe for you and your family depends on how much gluten it takes to set off an immune system response for you. The amount is different for everyone.
However, if you've recently been diagnosed with celiac disease or non-celiac gluten sensitivity, your immune system can be on high alert and overreact to any amount of gluten at all.
Current food allergen labeling offers help for those on gluten-free diets, as well as those trying to avoid the 8 major allergens, but there are many dangers that still hide within a company’s labeling policies.
If you need to stay gluten free, this beginner's guide to gluten-free products and labels will show which ingredients are safe and what to watch out for as you navigate your local grocery store shelves.
Reading Labels Isn't as Easy as it Looks
At first glance, common sense says that reading labels for the presence of gluten should be easy:
Just stick to the products that carry a "gluten free" designation on the label or only buy products that don't list wheat, barley, rye, or oats in any of the ingredients, and you'll be good.
But no matter what the media or some medical professionals claim, following a gluten-free diet isn't that simple.
"Gluten free" on the label means the product can actually have anywhere from non-detectible levels of gluten all the way up to 19 ppm.
If the product carries a gluten-free certification, the product can have anything from non-detectible levels of gluten up to 5 ppm or from non-detectible levels of gluten up to 10 ppm, depending on which organization certified the product.
Different organizations have different levels of gluten that they are willing to hold manufacturers to and different rules of safety that manufacturers need to follow before they will certify the product to fit within their definition of gluten free.
For those who are extra sensitive to gluten, a gluten-free certification makes the product safer since their standards are higher than the FDA has set, but these products are still not guaranteed to be gluten free.
Nor are they safe for all super sensitives.
It gets even more complicated when you try to figure out what's gluten free just by looking at the ingredient list or allergen warning statement on the label.
Many people who have been diagnosed with celiac disease or have non-celiac gluten sensitivity don't understand that.
Just because the product doesn't appear to have gluten in any of the ingredients, this doesn't mean that it hasn't been contaminated in the fields, during transport, or in the manufacturing facility.
Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act (FALCPA)
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| Wheat and Dairy have to be declared on the label but barley and rye do not! |
Luckily, wheat and milk have been declared to be major allergens.
If there is wheat, milk, or one of their derivatives in a product, it has to be listed on the label.
That law, the Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act (FALCPA), took effect on January 1, 2006. These food labeling regulations require any product that contains one of the 8 major allergens to be listed clearly on the label.
The 8 major allergens are:
- wheat
- milk
- eggs
- fish
- crustacean shellfish
- peanuts
- tree nuts
- soy
If a product contains one of these 8 major allergens or even a derivative, (which includes modified food starch, caramel flavors and colorings, maltodextrin, casein, etc.) it must be listed in the food label ingredients OR the food allergen warning statement.
Keep in mind that wheat and milk do not need to appear in both places. Manufacturers only have to put the presence of an allergen in one place or the other, so you will have to read the entire label to be sure that it doesn't contain wheat or any other allergen you must avoid.
Also, note that regulations deal with the ingredients added to the product by the manufactuer. They do not require manufacturers to provide information about potential cross-contamination that might occur during processing and manufacturing.
Cross contamination is considered accidental by the FDA, so while a product may appear to be gluten free due to its list of ingredients, it could still be contaminated with gluten, and, therefore, unsafe.
All warnings about potential cross contamination with major allergens is voluntary. The lack of a cross-contamination statement doesn't mean the product is free of risk.
Manufacturers Often Use Alternate Names
The law states that the 8 major allergens must be listed on the label in simple terms.
However, manufacturers are known to use alternate names for ingredients.
For example, wheat could be called:
- farina
- semolina
- or triticale
If you are only avoiding gluten, pay close attention to the information listed in the wheat-free diet section.
While a wheat-free diet isn't necessarily gluten free, all gluten-free diets are free of wheat. The handout will help you start to determine which foods have wheat in them.
I've run into quite a few people who didn't understand that all-purpose flour and the foods made from that flour contained wheat, and often barley.
Meat, Eggs, and Dairy are Regulated by the USDA
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| Simply read the label to find barley in turkey or other meat products |
Many people on gluten-free diets worry about the natural flavorings in products. This is because barley is a natural flavoring.
However, meat and poultry labeling falls under the guidelines of the USDA, so the guidelines are different from other food products managed by the FDA.
On March 1, 1990, the USDA published their final ruling on natural flavors, natural flavorings, flavors, and flavorings that are used in meat and poultry products.
Even so, gluten-free dieters still worry about hidden gluten in meats and poultry products.
"Food Safety: Natural Flavorings on Meat and Poultry Labels," published by the USDA, says the final ruling required manufacturers to list the specific ingredients used as flavor enhancers, emulsifiers, stabilizers, and binders on the label of all products governed by the USDA.
This ruling includes products that contain 2 percent cooked meats (or more) and 3 percent raw meats (or more), such as frozen meals, canned chili, soups, and other meat-containing processed foods.
However if a product contains less than 2 percent cooked meats or 3 percent raw meats, they are governed by the FDA, so the label won't be clear as to their gluten content.
If hydrolyzed protein of any grain type is used in a product overseen by the USDA, such as tuna, the grain must be listed on the label.
If wheat, barley, or milk proteins are added to meat or poultry products, such as turkey, the specific protein used must be listed on the label. It cannot be hidden under the various terms for natural flavors.
Most of the time these vague, generic terms on meat products are talking about the saline solution and flavor enhancers that manufacturers inject in them to cover up the tastelessness of the meat.
However, the rule that requires grain to be listed on the label doesn't address cross contamination that might occur during manufacturing and processing, so gluten-free dieters are not wrong to be concerned.
But the problem isn't with the natural flavorings.
The problem is the same as for all other foods.
The only thing a label can guarantee is that gluten or dairy wasn't added by that particular manufacturer.
Barley Hides in Natural Flavors, Natural Flavorings, Flavors, or Flavorings
The FDA regulates food product labels that don't fall under the category of meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy. While the FALCPA guarantees clear wheat and dairy labeling, rye and barley do not fall under that protection.
Rye is generally stated on the label whenever it is used, but barley is not.
Barley is a natural grain, so current FDA labeling requirements do allow manufacturers to place barley extract or a barley derivative under general labels like:
- natural flavor
- natural flavorings
- and malt
- yeast extract
- or Brewyer's yeast
Using barley for natural flavoring isn't a common practice here in the U.S., but it does happen.
I once got severely glutened by a can of tomatoes that contained onions. The only clue on the can was natural flavors. However, it was also a store brand, so it could have been cross contaminated instead.
Most manufacturers in the U.S. use corn-based flavorings because they are cheaper, but this is not always true. If there's a product that you use regularly, it's safer to contact the manufacturer and ask them about the source of the flavoring.
Artificial flavors and flavorings do not carry this loophole. Artificial flavors do not contain gluten. Like natural flavorings, they are almost always made from corn.
Companies that Will Not Hide Gluten on the Label
To make this easier for you:
Before the labeling law went into effect, many major-brand food companies openly declared that they would not hide gluten on their labels.
This move was completely voluntary and included the following companies:
Arrowhead Mills
Aunt Nelly's
Balance
Baskin Robbins
Ben & Jerry
Bertoli
Betty Crocker
Blue Bunny
Breyers
Campbells
Cascadian Farms
Celestial Seasonings
ConAgra
Country Crock
Edy's
General Mills
Good Humor
Green Giant
Haagen Daz
Hellman's
Hershey
Hormel
Hungry Jack
Jiffy
Knorr
Kozy Shack
Kraft
Lawry's
Libby's
Lipton
Martha White
Maxwell House
McCormick
Nabisco
Nestle
Old El Paso
Ortega
Pillsbury
Popsicle
Post
Progresso
Ragu
Russell Stover
Seneca Foods
Skippy
Smucker
Stokely's
Sunny Delight
T Marzetti
Tyson
Unilever
Wishbone
Yoplait
Zatarain's
If barley is used in their natural flavor and natural flavorings, they will clearly state that on the label directly following the natural flavoring term.
However, these companies do not test their products for cross contamination, nor investigate the ingredients they purchase from other companies.
With the new FDA labeling law requiring products to contain less than 20 ppm before they can state "gluten free" on the label, representatives of the above companies now claim that their company doesn't add gluten ingredients to the product.
They will no longer claim that their products are gluten free.
They can't guarantee that all of the ingredients they use are completely gluten free, but that's always been the case.
Many of these companies package gluten-free appearing products in the same facility that they process their other products that do contain gluten, and sometimes, even on the same equipment.
While these particular major brands have strict cleaning protocols they expect their employees to use, such as thoroughly cleaning the machine in between runs and tossing or selling off the first two batches of the product, some people react to even that level of gluten.
The safest practice is to check with the manufacturer to see if their natural flavorings listed on the label are made from barley, corn, or another safe ingredient.
While malt is generally made from barley, corn malt is occasionally used.
To verify ingredients, always call the manufacturer at the phone number listed on the label and ask about their vague terms and cleaning practices. If they don't answer your questions to your satisfaction, don't eat their product.
Beware of Store Brands
A gluten-free diet can be more expensive, but switching to store brands carries a level of risk that major food brands do not have.
While canned goods are usually safe from repacking contamination, as the manufacturer simply switches out the label on the machine, beware of foods that need to be repackaged entirely in order to carry the store's label.
Many stores buy damaged pallets of goods and then have them repackaged in non-gluten-safe facilities with their personal label.
We repackaged these types of products a lot when I was a supervisor in a developmentally challenged workshop several years ago. We simply switched out the label or totally repacked them.
This is also why a lot of Great Value products (Walmart's store brand) will often carry a warning label that the product might contain wheat, even for frozen bagged vegetables.
It is not a cover-your-ass statement like many people on a gluten-free diet think. The potential for cross contamination is real.
I almost always react to Great Value products.
Grains Not Marked Gluten Free are Also Higher Risk
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| Grains not labeled "gluten free" are often contaminated with gluten |
There is a large push within the gluten-free community for newbies on a gluten-free diet to eat lots of whole grains and beans.
However, that advice isn't always wise.
A few years ago, Tricia Thompson and a couple of her colleagues pulled several so-called naturally gluten-free grains, seeds, and flours straight off the supermarket shelves and had them scientifically tested for gluten.
Their published study, "Gluten contamination of grains, seeds, and flours in the United States: a pilot study," discovered something alarming.
Out of 22 grains and flours on the market that were NOT labeled "gluten free," 7 tested at over 20 ppm. That was 1/3 of all of the samples they tested.
Of the grains that failed the test, the findings ranged from 25 ppm to a whopping 2,925 ppm of gluten.
These were grains that those with celiac disease or non-celiac gluten sensitivity use almost every day, thinking that they were compliant to their gluten-free diet.
It was no one's fault, as the grains were not being sold as gluten-free grains. People were just using them as if they were because it was thought that these grains were naturally gluten free.
Since the FDA wanted to make it illegal for grain manufacturers to mark their products "gluten free," Tricia Thompson wanted to make sure that they actually were gluten free, and discovered that a large amount of grains are not naturally gluten free.
They are severely contaminated with gluten.
The study proved that the celiac community needed gluten-free grains to be clearly marked as such.
Today's recommendation is to only use grains that are clearly marked "gluten free" on the label.
Anything else is risky.
But keep in mind, that even the gluten-free designation only means that the grains contain 19 ppm, or less. They still might not be as gluten free as you need them to be, unless certified to be gluten free, because of the way that grains are grown in the fields, harvested, stored, transported, and manufactured.
Watch Your Reaction to Beans
I rarely hear anyone within the gluten-free community talk about the potential for beans and other legumes to carry stray grains and other forms of contamination, but the threat is very real.
I absolutely refuse to eat lentils anymore because the bag almost always contains grains of wheat.
Beans are often rotated with wheat or barley in the field, are harvested with the same equipment as wheat and barley, and stored in bins that contained wheat or barley the previous year.
So, if you're having problems and don't know why, watch your reaction to beans. If you are super sensitive, you might have to switch to those that are certified to be gluten free.
Reading Labels is a Juggling Game
When you have to be gluten free or gluten and dairy free, reading labels can be quite a juggling game.
Processing aids don't have to be declared on the label, and fragrances are considered proprietary trade secrets, so the manufacturer doesn't have to tell you if their scented product contains gluten.
Nor, can they know for sure, even though they tell you their product is gluten free, since scents and perfumes are purchased from other companies.
Food can be contaminated from field to packaging or even at home if your home isn't 100-percent gluten free, so it often is simply a trial-and-error process.
Not encouraging, I know, and going by symptoms only is certainly not an accurate method since the majority of those who have celiac disease don't have symptoms after ingesting gluten, but reading labels and talking to manufacturers is the only method we super sensitives have to stay safe.
thank you! so much for all of this info .very helpful.
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome! Glad you found the post useful.
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