Gluten Labelling Guidance

05 June 2019

Best Practice for prepacked foods which include or exclude cereals containing gluten.

“The Food Standards Agency welcomes the FDF’s work to achieve greater consistency in how the presence of cereals containing gluten and gluten-free claims are labelled on prepacked foods. Having a trusted consistent approach will make it easier for people with coeliac disease or with allergies to these cereals to find and understand the labelling information they need. And that means they can make safer food choices. I am very pleased to see further progress in this important area of public health and consumer protection."

Heather Hancock, Chairman of the Food Standards Agency

Topics

Sectors

  • Gluten Free
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Introduction

The introduction of the Food Information to Consumers (FIC) Regulation, which entered into force in December 2014, resulted in significant changes to the labelling of allergens on prepacked foods.

This UK best practice guidance aims to provide advice to food business operators, irrespective of size, on how to label food products that include cereals containing gluten through review of the relevant EU and UK legislation and guidance; alongside the claims that can be made relating to the absence or reduced presence of gluten (e.g. gluten-free).

This best practice guidance has been produced to illustrate examples of the usual and more challenging labelling situations of foods made with cereals containing gluten. Special consideration is also given to oats and wheat species.