View Rule

FDA was required by statute to establish criteria for the voluntary labeling of food as "gluten-free” to assist consumers with celiac disease who must avoid gluten in their diet.  In 2013, FDA issued a final rule on gluten-free” labeling that established criteria for when food may be labeled "gluten-free.” The final rule included methods that FDA would use for testing for the presence of gluten, which are appropriate for many food types, but not for fermented and hydrolyzed foods.   FDA then issued a proposed rule entitled "Gluten-Free Labeling of Fermented or Hydrolyzed Foods” to propose requirements for maintenance of certain records that provide alternative means for the agency to verify that manufacturers of fermented and hydrolyzed foods have complied with the federal criteria for foods voluntarily labeled "gluten-free.”