The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced Wednesday that it is taking a “first step” toward potential changes to gluten disclosures on food ingredient labels.
The agency’s request for information seeks input about rye, barley and oats, which it considers “non-wheat gluten containing grains” due to their cross-contamination with grains that have gluten.
In particular, the FDA asked for information about “labeling issues or concerns” with identifying those ingredients on packaged foods, and about adverse reactions to those ingredients.
The agency said that it hopes to improve “transparency” in the disclosure of ingredients that could affect those with celiac disease or other health conditions.
“People with celiac disease or gluten sensitives have had to tiptoe around food, and are often forced to guess about their food options,” FDA Commissioner Marty Makary said in a statement. “We encourage all stakeholders to share their experiences and data.”
The request was issued Tuesday and will be available for comments through the federal government’s online rulemaking portal for 60 days.
