There has been some confusion lately about the Codex standard for gluten-free food, including how much gluten this standard allows.

At least one US-based manufacturer of gluten-free food mistakenly has believed that under Codex standards a food made from “naturally” gluten free ingredients (e.g., corn, rice) could be labeled gluten free if it contained less than 200 parts per million of gluten. In 2001, when this company first started making gluten-free food, this was the case for food containing “rendered” gluten-free ingredients (e.g., wheat starch). It was not the case for food made solely from naturally gluten-free ingredients.

The draft revised Codex standard in place in 2001 stipulated that food made from naturally gluten-free ingredients could contain no more than 20 parts per million of gluten.

In 2001, when this company first started making gluten-free food, this was the case for food containing “rendered” gluten-free ingredients (e.g., wheat starch). It was not the case for food made solely from naturally gluten-free ingredients.

The draft revised Codex standard in place in 2001 stipulated that food made from naturally gluten-free ingredients could contain no more than 20 parts per million of gluten.

What exactly are Codex standards?
Codex standards are developed by the Codex Alimentarius Commission—a joint program of the World Health Organization and Food and Agriculture Organization. One major purpose of this Commission is to develop international standards for food. Close to 200 countries are represented at Codex, including the United States. Codex standards are not legally binding. However, a member country may decide to adopt a Codex standard as their national standard.

In the United States we have not adopted the Codex standard for gluten-free food as our national standard. Instead, the Food and Drug Administration is in the process of finalizing a rule for the labeling of food as gluten free. The FDA’s draft rule, while not the same as the Codex standard, is fairly similar.

How much gluten is allowed under current Codex standards?
The Codex standard for gluten-free foods was first adopted in 1979. Since this time it has undergone several transformations and has been in “draft revised” form for several years. In 2008 a new official standard was finally adopted.

The new official Codex standard is now called, “The Codex Standard for Foods for Special Dietary Use for Persons Intolerant to Gluten.” This standard includes “gluten-free foods” and “foods specially processed to reduce gluten to a level above 20 up to 100 mg/kg.” Milligrams per kilogram is equivalent to parts per million.

Under these standards, gluten-free foods are foods that…

1. do not contain wheat, rye, barley, oats, or crossbred varieties of these grains, and the food as sold to the consumer contains a gluten level not exceeding 20 parts per million of gluten or…

2) contain ingredients from wheat, rye, barley, oats, or their crossbred varieties that have been specially processed to remove gluten, and the food as sold to the consumer contains a gluten level not exceeding 20 parts per million of gluten.

The method for determination of gluten listed in the standard is the R5 ELISA which is discussed in the blog, Ensuring Your Food Is Gluten-Free.

To read the Codex standard in its entirety, please go to www.codexalimentarius.net

Click on official standards and scroll down until you find the standard for gluten-free foods.

Copyright © Tricia Thompson, MS, RD

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Confusion over Codex standards for gluten