Pursuant to a rule effective August 5, 2014, all food labeled "gluten-free" must comply with FDA requirements for gluten-free labeling. The labeling rule—officially published in August 2013—established a uniform definition requiring foods marked with voluntary claims of "gluten-free" to contain less than 20 parts per million ("ppm") gluten. Food manufacturers were given one year to bring their package labels into compliance with the rule, which is intended to help inform consumers with celiac disease and gluten intolerance about gluten-free claims. Although the rule does not specifically require manufacturers to test for the presence of gluten, FDA has suggested that inspectors review a company's quality procedures to determine whether they are meeting the less-than-20 ppm requirement.
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