Changes to gluten-free rules
Do you make a ‘gluten free’ claim about any of your food items? If so, you need to be aware that the labelling rules are changing from January 1st 2012.
From this date, two claims will be allowed :
– ‘very low gluten’ – gluten levels below 100ppm (parts per million) as served to the customer.
– ‘gluten free’ – gluten levels below 20ppm (parts per million) as served to the customer.
These claims will have to be substantiated by product testing at a laboratory. Cross-contamination from gluten containing ingredients and products on your premises will also need to be reviewed using HACCP principles to ensure that procedures are in place and are adequate to maintain these low levels.
If you cannot substantiate these claims or cannot ensure that your procedures and practices protect these gluten levels, you will not be able to make a gluten claim.
If you have taken all reasonable steps to reduce cross-contamination through a HACCP exercise, you will be able to say that the product has been ‘made with gluten-free ingredients’ and the customer will then make a choice whether to eat the product.
How can Safer Food Scores help you to prepare for these changes?
• We can help you decide whether or not your products are likely to comply with the new rules, before you carry out expensive product testing.
• We can assist you with a review of your HACCP system and the procedures and practices to ensure that all reasonable steps have been taken to reduce cross-contamination.
• We can advise on testing and the interpretation of the results.
• We can advise on product recipe adaptations to reduce gluten levels.
• We can advise what claims and labelling can be put on products to ensure that you comply with the rules.
Please contact us for more information.
Any guidance given in our articles is not official and Safer Food Scores can take no responsibility if the information is used to form part of any legal or regulatory compliance for your business. However, please do get in touch if you are interested in our support services and would like to benefit from official guidance relating to your particular circumstances, email [javascript protected email address]
