FDA Proposes 'Gluten-Free' Labeling Requirements for Fermented, Hydrolyzed and Distilled Foods

New rules for gluten-free labeling have been proposed for producers of fermented, distilled or hydrolyzed foods and beverages, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), announced this week. According to an FDA media release, this would apply to products such as “yogurt, sauerkraut, pickles, cheese, green olives, vinegar, and FDA regulated beers.” This follows the FDA's 2013 gluten-free final rule which addressed concerns about the difficulty in interpreting results of available gluten testing methods for fermented and hydrolyzed foods. Once finalized, the proposed rule will require manufacturers to maintain records demonstrating that

• Such foods meet gluten-free labeling requirements before fermentation or hydrolysis.
• Their process has been adequately evaluated for potential gluten cross-contact.
• That they have implemented prevention measures for gluten cross-contact during manufacturing.

The rule also states that gluten-free compliance for distilled foods, such as distilled vinegars, will be evaluated by the FDA by “verifying the absence of protein (including gluten) using scientifically valid analytical methods.”

The FDA is accepting public comments; to electronically submit comments to the docket, visit www.regulations.gov and type docket number “FDA-2014-N-1021” in the search box. To submit comments to the docket by mail, use the following address; be sure to include docket number “FDA-2014-N-1021” on each page of your written comments:

Division of Dockets Management

HFA-305

Food and Drug Administration

5630 Fishers Lane, Room 1061

Rockville, MD 20852

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