Products labeled “gluten-free” in your local grocery stores are now required to have no detectable levels of the protein found in wheat and other grains.
As of Tuesday, a rule enacted by the Food and Drug Administration requires all products marked “gluten-free” to contain less than 20 parts per million.
Doctor Jeffrey Goldstein, Gastroenterologist at Rochester General Hospital, says the FDA move will protect his patients with celiac disease, who can experience life threatening illness if they consume gluten.
“In the long run, it's going to be another safe guard to help keep these patients with celiac disease under better control,” says Goldstein.
The only treatment for the disease is a diet that excludes gluten, found in wheat, barley, rye, and other grains.
“The diseased state is definitely significant. And then patients can suffer from symptoms including diarrhea, abdominal pain, weight loss, bloating, et cetera,” explains Goldstein.
The FDA will test for gluten in packaged foods voluntarily labeled “gluten-free” during routine inspections. Up until now, there was no regulation for products with the “gluten-free” label.