Breaking Legislative News ALERT: New Bill Requires that Products Disclose Gluten-Containing Grains on Labels
August 4, 2021. Congressman Pallone and Senator Blumenthal yesterday reintroduced an important Bill into the House and the Senate: The Food Labeling Modernization Act of 2021 (FLMA). The FLMA is a comprehensive effort to address numerous food labeling issues and includes amending FALPCA (Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act) to require that food product packaging must disclose gluten-containing grains.
Yes, you read that right—
Adding gluten-containing grains to FALCPA is included in the Bill.
What it means if the Bill passes
This Bill amends FALPCA*: If an FDA-regulated food product includes a gluten-containing grain, this must be disclosed in the ingredients list or separate Contains statement – just like for wheat and the other major allergens. This would be required regardless of whether the food was labeled gluten-free.
*The Bill does not add gluten to the list of major food allergens. It adds gluten to labeling requirements applicable to the major food allergen.
THIS. IS. HUGE.
Let this sink in a minute.
This means that you would no longer have to wonder if gluten is in the foods you eat because it must be disclosed on product packaging.
For products that are not labeled “gluten-free,” no longer would you have to spend time:
- Scrutinizing ingredients lists for possible sources of barley or rye (declaration of wheat is already required).
- Contacting manufacturers asking whether an ingredient contains gluten.
The Bill gives you, the consumer, information you need to make informed choices.
If this Bill passes, it would be law that
ALL gluten-containing grains MUST be declared.
Labels might look like this…
What you can do to help
Contact your members of Congress and urge them to support the Food Labeling Modernization Act (H.R. 4917/S.2594).
What else is in this Bill: Gluten labeling reform is only one of many issues addressed in this Bill. The Bill is a comprehensive update to align numerous labeling regulations with the latest nutrition science and advance national public health priorities through food labeling policies. For more information see the fact sheet from CSPI.
THANK YOU to the Center for Science in the Public Interest for their hard work driving this Bill forward and adding gluten-containing grains to FALCPA, all the national support groups, namely the National Celiac Association, Beyond Celiac, Gluten Intolerance Group, and Celiac Disease Foundation who along with Gluten Free Watchdog came together to provide input to CSPI on adding gluten labeling to this Bill, and Kaki Schmidt who continues to drive our collaborative efforts towards improved labeling and enforcement.
Please call your representatives and senators NOW
in support of this Bill and please spread the word!
THANK YOU!
The joint press release from Senator Blumenthal and Congressman Pallone is available HERE.
Comments (4)
wondering about products made in a facility or equipment shared with gluten containing grains.
FALCPA applies to ingredients only. It does not include cross contact.
thank you for being here and helping to change packaging information. I had been using a spice/herb product called Garden Gourmet that is packaged in clear tubes. The manufacturer is now McCormick’s. The clear tubes have WHITE writing on them to display ingredients for all their products including Two garlic tubes. White on white on clear tubing means you can’t read the ingredients! Worse is that Garden Gourmet was bought out by McCormicks, they decided to ADD WHEY to their ingredients in these tubes (even though they are supposed to be pure herb products) to act as “lubricant”. They have no allergy report on this packaging to report anything but the herbs. The worst part of this, is for many celiac’s milk allergies are just as bad for us as wheat. I contacted the company in question and asked why the font on the tubes (other than the multicolored advertising) was white on a clear packing and no allergy alert. They claimed they didn’t “have to do” an allergy report. All it would take is changing the font of the text from WHITE to BlacK or RED. and an Allergy listing. It was frustrating to be told they “didn’t have to and who cares?” What do we do when companies refuse feedback to make food safer for us?
Mary, do you have product photos you can send me of the ingredients list? Thank you!