New label to certify gluten-free goods

Quality Assurance International (QAI), a provider of organic certification services in the United States, and the non-profit group National Foundation for Celiac Awareness (NFCA) have worked together to launch a national certification program for gluten free foods.

Products that meet the certification requirements will be able to bear a licensed logo which comprises a black and white circle with a checkmark in the middle, which reads "This product is certified gluten-free".

The program requires frequent, sensitive testing to ensure compliance to 10ppm or less, a stringent on-site auditing and an independent application review process. The program uses feedback from consumers, manufacturers and retailers and also includes random product testing.

Prior to the launch of the new NFCA certification program, The Gluten-Free Certification Organization claims to have been the only company providing independent, third-party gluten-free verification in the world. Their program also ensures that certified products contain less than 10 ppm gluten.

In Australia and New Zealand, trade practice laws stipulate that foods bearing a 'gluten free' claim must not contain detectable gluten at any level. Current gluten testing technology, which can detect as little as 3ppm gluten, means that foods certified under the US 'gluten-free' programs would not meet local labelling regulations.