<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>>

Health Canada has a specific Food and Drug Regulation for the labeling
of "gluten-free" foods . Regulation B.24.018  states  "No person shall
label, package, sell or advertise a food in a manner likely to create an
impression that it is gluten-free unless the food does not contain
wheat, including spelt and kamut, or oats, barley, rye or triticale or
any part thereof". The Bureau of Food Safety and Consumer Protection of
the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has a "Fair Labelling
Practices Program" that monitors label claims. The "Gluten-Free" claim
is being monitored, including random testing for gluten using the enzyme
immunoassay for gliadin. The CFIA uses a kit that tests to a level of 20
ppm. Products labelled gluten-free must fall under the 20 ppm level.

The Codex Alimentarius is an international group formed in 1962 by the
World Health Organization and Food and Agriculture Organization of the
United Nations.Over 160 countries including Canada and the USA are
members of the Codex. The Codex committee on Nutrition and Foods for
Special Dietary Use is currently reviewing the standard for gluten-
free.There is considerable debate about what the acceptable level should
be. Currently there are Draft Revised Standards for Gluten-Free Foods.
These include the following:

Foods Gluten-Free By Nature ( e.g., rice, corn, tapioca, flax, amaranth,
quinoa, millet, buckwheat, etc.) may not contain more than 20 ppm gluten
(ie. 10 ppm gliadin = 1mg gliadin per 100 grams of food)

Foods Rendered Gluten-Free ( foods made from ingredients that contain
gluten such as wheat, rye and barley- e.g., wheat starch) may not
contain more than 200 ppm gluten ( ie. 100 ppm gliadin = 10 mg gliadin
per 100 grams of food).

To put this into perpective, one slice of white bread has been reported
to contain 1500mg gliadin = 15,000 ppm gliadin. The Draft standard also
contains a statement that the total  intake of prolamins should not
exceed 10mg gliadin/day.

It should be noted that Canada and the USA  DO NOT permit the use of
wheat starch in foods labelled "gluten-free".

Shelley Case, B. Sc. RD
Consulting Dietitian
Case Nutrition Consulting
Author: Gluten Free Diet: A Comprehensive Resource Guide
www.glutenfreediet.ca
<http://www.glutenfreediet.ca> EMail: [log in to unmask]