Interpretation of food labels

Interpreting food labels is an important skill for people who need to follow a gluten-free diet. It is really only mandatory to declare the presence of gluten on the label if the product contains an ingredient with gluten, i.e. wheat, rye, barley and their varieties and derivatives.

Naturally gluten-free foods that have not undergone any kind of transformation do not have to declare that they are gluten-free. For example, rice, quinoa, fruits, vegetables, legumes or meats, among others. This is because the consumer cannot be confused by indicating that they have special properties when the absence of gluten is only a common characteristic in all these foods. This situation does not imply that it is free of traces of gluten. It depends on the origin and the handling to which it has been subjected.

Meaning of the terms

The foods labeled, Gluten-free and Gluten-free refer to the fact that:

• They do not naturally contain gluten.

• They do not have a gluten-containing ingredient.

• Have not been contaminated during processing and handling.

• They have removed gluten from gluten-containing ingredients by purifying it or using substitutes so that if present it contains less than 20ppm in the food.

Foods: Low, or Very Low Gluten: May contain from 20ppm to 100ppm, an amount not permissible for coeliacs.

Foods with traces: It is not mandatory to indicate that a product contains traces of gluten, either in naturally gluten-free foods or in processed foods. Many companies place the legend: contains traces... or may contain traces... as a precaution for the consumer. For example, when the same plant produces both types of products (gluten and gluten-free), or they share the same production line and cannot guarantee 100% absence of contamination.

On the other hand, if a food explicitly states that it does not contain traces of gluten, it is safe because in addition to not containing an ingredient with this protein, it has not been exposed to contamination.

Aspects to take into account on labels

Read the list of ingredients: according to international regulations, gluten is one of the 14 allergens that must be declared. So, in most countries, ingredients containing gluten must be clearly labeled. The allergenic ingredient is usually highlighted in bold and sometimes has other derived names.

It is important to read the ingredient list carefully and be familiar with gluten-containing ingredients. Terms that may relate to gluten include cereals, cereal, flour, starch, modified starches (E plus 4 digits), starch, starch, fiber, thickeners, semolina, vegetable protein/protein, protein hydrolysate, malt, malt syrup, malt extract.

Look for the gluten-free claim: foods labeled Gluten-free / Gluten-free must meet certain requirements and standards. Looking for this statement on the label is an easy way to identify foods suitable for the gluten-free diet.

Beware of ambiguous wo