One year ago, food manufacturers were given until August 5, 2014 to ensure that any products labeled as gluten free contained less than 20 parts per million of gluten, meaning these products would be free of wheat, rye and barley, an amount safe for most sufferers of celiac disease.
Up until now, products could be labeled gluten free without being regulated, and manufacturers could decide independently what that meant. Until this rule came into place, wheat was required to be labeled, though rye and barley were not. The rule also ensures that products cannot be labeled as gluten free if they were cross-contaminated by other products from the same facility.
