For Immediate Release

Five Percent of Tested Foods Making Gluten-Free Claims are not Gluten-Free Study Finds

Three years of testing data from Gluten Free Watchdog Published

Thompson T, Simpson, S. A comparison of gluten levels in labeled gluten-free and certified gluten-free foods sold in the United States. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition advance online publication, 1 October 2014; doi:10.1038/ejcn.2014.211

http://celiacdiseasecenter.columbia.edu/sites/default/files/2-2014-A-comparison-of-gluten-levels-in-labeled-gluten-free-and-certified-gluten-free-foods-sold-in-the-United-States.pdf

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October 1, 2014 Under the Food and Drug Administration’s gluten-free labeling rule, food labeled gluten-free must contain less than 20 parts per million of gluten. In a study published today (advance online publication) by the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, approximately 95 percent of the 158 labeled gluten-free free food products tested by Gluten Free Watchdog tested less than 20 ppm gluten with approximately 87 percent testing below 5 ppm gluten. There are some foods, both certified gluten-free and not certified gluten-free that tested at or above 20 ppm gluten. Approximately five percent of foods labeled gluten-free but not certified tested at or above 20 ppm gluten. Approximately four percent of foods certified gluten-free tested at or above 20 ppm gluten. There also were some certified gluten-free products that tested below 20 ppm gluten but tested above the gluten levels set by the certifying organization. While most of the products tested in this assessment contained less than 20 ppm gluten, “there remains room for improvement” says Tricia Thompson, study author and founder of Gluten Free Watchdog. “One hundred percent of products labeled gluten-free should test below 20 ppm gluten” she added. “It is very important that those that require a gluten-free diet are confident that the foods labeled gluten-free are indeed gluten-free,” says Suzanne Simpson, study author and dietitian at the Celiac Disease Center at Columbia University.

For more information contact:

Tricia Thompson, MS, RD (corresponding author)

Email: tricia_s_thompson@hotmail.com

Link to supplementary data table http://www.nature.com/ejcn/journal/v69/n2/extref/ejcn2014211x1.pdf