FDA imposing tough regs on gluten-free products
Gluten-free food has become popular and profitable -- but sometimes products labeled "gluten free" -- aren't.
Now, the Food and Drug Administration is preparing strict new standards - and that's a relief for people who are allergic to gluten.
CBS News correspondent Elaine Quijano reported Jennifer Shannon is a careful shopper, double-checking labels to make sure the food she is buying is gluten-free.
Shannon told CBS News, "If a company is going to sell me a product based on the fact that it's gluten-free, I think they should be held accountable for it."
Shannon has celiac disease, an allergy to gluten, which is a protein found in common grains like wheat, rye and barley. About three million Americans now suffer from this disease, which can have a wide array of symptoms, such as bloating, constipation, problems digesting food, numbing feeling in the extremities, and for some sufferers a rash.
Right now, the gluten-free label on the products is not regulated -- something the FDA is looking to change by establishing a tough new standard for labeling foods as gluten-free.
Gluten-free products have gone mainstream and are big business, ringing up $2.6 billion in sales - up 30 percent in the last five years. Kelloggs' new gluten-free Rice Krispies is now a top seller.
Some celebrities are even advocating a gluten-free diet for health benefits alone. But not all doctors are on board.
Dr. Peter Green, director of the Celiac Disease Center at Columbia University Medical Center, told CBS News, "A gluten-free diet is not necessarily a healthy diet. People who are on a gluten free diet for an extended period can become iron-deficient and B Vitamin deficient."
But for celiac patients like Jennifer Shannon, a gluten-free diet is the only treatment she has.
Shannon said, "Gluten-free food is the only medicine for celiac. It's the only thing available and it's a cure essentially. It's how you heal yourself through eating and so knowledge of what's in the food you're eating is very important."
The new standard, "Early Show" co-anchor Erica Hill noted, matches the one already in place in Europe. It's expected to take effect early next year.
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But we need the FDA to do something now. It is a scary deal out there when companies want to jump on the band wagon to make a buck without considering the risk it is bringing to the celiac population.
Just yesterday Dominos posted they have a glutenfree pizza - BUT not suitable for celiacs. They posted a disclaimer about it prepared in a common kitchen on a line that makes regular gluten pizzas, plus another post about "customers with gluten sensitivities should exercise judgement in comsuming this pizza." I ask how does this help those of us with the glutenfree label? Or trying to stay glutenfree safe in our society? This disclaimer didn't come accross when they were tweeting to celebrities that they have a glutenfree pizza either.
On the other hand Chuck E Cheese released their new innovative way to make a glutenfree pizza safetly without the chance of cross contamination - now that's exciting news!
I seriously hope the FDA reacts soon to help those with dietary needs to be glutenfree and the correct usage of the wording for glutenfree. Many of us react with a crumb, I seem to react with less than 5ppm and I do hope the FDA results are well below the 20ppm! It would be a major victory for us.
-noglutenhere
It is nice to see that the FDA is taking the gluten-free labeling law seriously and imposing strict standards.
Kimberly Bouldin
Gluten-Free is Life
The diet truly has become a fad. I'm almost embarrassed to admit I have celiac disease these days. I feel like it's a joke. I was diagnosed with a small bowel biopsy and permeability tests almost 24 years ago. Thing of it is, I was really sick. I was hospitalized for a couple of weeks with malnutrition. I firmly believe it's being over diagnosed these days. Mostly people diagnose themselves or find a some sort of a quack who will tell them that is their problem when all the real testing comes up negative.
My best advice is to get diagnosed by a real doctor who knows what he/she is doing. Stay away from the chiropractors!
As far as the strict labeling goes...It's no big deal to have your tTg and aga Igg and Iga tested for dietary compliance. If you actually have the disease that is. My levels are excellent....all without strict regulations! Whatever they come up with, I'll be fine with it!
And No CBS..it isn't an allergy. It's an autoimmune disease.
We need to wake up and realize that our nation is getting more and more sick with a myriad of illnesses and diseases, and it can all be traced back to what "food" we are eating...heavily processed and genitically modified foods, just to name two! I would really like to see someone from CBS start researching and reporting on this very important subject.
Thank you
-glutenista