It took the FDA long enough, but it looks like there might at long last be standards for calling foods gluten-free. The UK has had such labeling standards for years.
Why is this important? Well, if you're one of the 3 million Americans who has celiac disease, or have an intolerance to gluten, eating foods with even a small amount of gluten can cause a load of misery.
Gluten is comprised of proteins in wheat, barley, and rye. Gluten is what makes your pizza dough chewy and gives breads their structure. Seitan, a commonly used meat substitute in Asian cooking, is pretty much all gluten.
OK, you think, well how hard is it to avoid food with gluten? It's tougher than you think. Wheat is used in making soy sauce, "natural flavorings", many processed foods, and many vegetarian foods. Even if you don't have a gluten issue, try reading some labels looking for hidden gluten and see how common it is for yourself.
The proposed labeling standards are available online in a 95-page .pdf file.
The first few pages give a summary of the proposed standards and also gives you instructions for how to provide feedback on these standards--if you're so inclined to do so. You have 90 days to give Uncle Sam your $0.02 from the publishing date, which I believe is Jan. 23, 2007 if I read the documentation correctly.
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-- Posted by: aikihq at October 19, 2008 7:10 PM