The Food and Drink Federation (FDF) has updated its guidance around gluten labelling.
The updated UK best practice guidance, called Gluten Labelling Guidance: Best Practice for Prepacked Foods which Include or Exclude Cereals Containing Gluten, provides advice to food business operators on how to label food products that include cereals containing gluten, and which claims can be made relating to the absence or reduced presence of gluten (for example, gluten free).
The Gluten Free Industry Association (GFIA) now joins Coeliac UK, Anaphylaxis Campaign and the British Retail Consortium (BRC) as supporting partners of the guidance. The document has been developed to illustrate examples of different labelling situations, with special consideration given to oats and wheat species. It provides information about the distinction between coeliac disease and cereal allergy, advice on precautionary allergen labelling, and a flow diagram for making gluten absence claims. It also includes an overview of the relevant EU and UK legislation and guidance.
Heather Hancock, Chairman of the Food Standards Agency, explained: “The Food Standards Agency welcomes the FDF’s work to achieve greater consistency in how the presence of cereals containing gluten and gluten free claims are labelled on prepacked foods. Having a trusted consistent approach will make it easier for people with coeliac disease or with allergies to these cereals to find and understand the labelling information they need. And that means they can make safer food choices. I am very pleased to see further progress in this important area of public health and consumer protection.”
