Abilyn's ice cream cakes gluten free?

[dcubed]

There is an ice cream cake manufacturer called Abilyn's that labels their cakes "gluten free", here and front and center on the box label: https://www.abilyns.com/every-day-celebrations.

However in the nutrition section they note that the equipment they use also processes wheat: https://www.abilyns.com/cookies-cream

I emailed them asking about this and their response:

"Thank you for reaching out and for your interest in our products.  We claim our ingredients as gluten free and acknowledge that the production facility we use does process other products containing wheat.   That said, our ice cream cakes (gluten and nut free) are the only item produced on the production line (used to produce our ice cream cakes) on the days our product is run.  The lines are thoroughly cleaned prior to our run and, as stated, only our ice cream cakes are produced on that line on that day.

Our products are produced in a facility that is SQF (Safe Quality Food) certified, a certification which requires strict adherence to thorough cleaning and sanitation processes.  That said, as we proclaim on our packaging, other items containing wheat and peanuts are produced in the facility and on the line where our ice cream cakes are produced.  

So to your question about the possibility of cross contamination, certainly a risk exists, but as you can see, there are a lot of procedures in place to minimize this risk.  I hope this helps."

I followed up asking if they test their cakes to less than 20ppm, which I believe is required to use the gluten free label. I have not heard back from them.

Can a food be officially gluten free and also be manufactured on a line that processes wheat? I bought one of their cakes based on the gluten-free label but then didn't eat due to the wheat cross-contamination risk.

[trents]

It's all in the definition of "gluten free." The FDA allows food products to be labeled "gluten free" as long as they contain no more than 20ppm of gluten. Food companies that label their products "certified gluten free" have met a stricter standard of 10ppm. The history of the numbers is that at some point in the last 20-25 years the FDA determined that 20 ppm was the threshold of safety for those suffering from celiac disease and non celiac gluten sensitivity (NCGS). Since then we have come to realize that 20ppm may be fine for a lot of celiacs but there are some who are more sensitive and still get a gluten reaction from that amount.

As far as the ice cream sandwich product you reference, it sounds like the company behind it has been very upfront about their use of the label "gluten free" and the potential risks involved for more sensitive celiacs for consuming this product. You won't know if it's safe for you until you try it.

[RMJ]

The FDA regulations are very strange in that manufacturers do NOT have to test foods to label them gluten free.

See item 2 under “Compliance.”

FDA gluten free labeling FAQs

[trents]

That's good information, RMJ. So, my paraphrase of that would be that the food companies may use the "gluten free" label without proof that they meet the 20ppm standard unless the FDA chooses to test their product and finds otherwise. And this isn't likely to happen unless there are consumer complaints that suggest the standard isn't being met. And that, "Certified Gluten Free" means the food company has engaged one of the certifying bodies to have their product tested. 

Edited September 28, 2021 by trents

[dcubed]

Very interesting indeed. And even if the FDA chose to test odds are very high that the cakes would pass, as the company seems to go as far as they can to mitigate cross-contamination.

Nevertheless I don't like that the gluten-free label is not actually verified through FDA (or even internal) testing. I know many sensitive celiacs can instantly detect a reaction to gluten, but I am in this nebulous realm where I never know if symptoms are gluten related or not (and what the source of the gluten was). As such, I would never be able to complain to the FDA about potential gluten content in a product. 



 

[Scott Adams]

Although companies are not required to test products they label "gluten-free," they are responsible if such items go above 20ppm, and it can result in a very expensive product recall should this happen. I've not heard of a company that didn't test their products regularly if they use "gluten-free" on their label, but I suppose it's possible, especially if their product is naturally gluten-free with very little risk of cross contamination (for example a salsa made in a gluten-free facility, where their spice suppliers guarantee they are GF).

The FDA generally only responds to complaints, but does do random testing sometimes, but can't test every food that makes various health claims, which would be impossible for them to do. This older article shows that most companies using this on their labels were in compliance when they did random testing:

 

[RMJ]

Even those who achieve gluten free certification from GFCO don’t have to test every single lot of finished product, although they must have an excellent record in order to reduce the testing frequency.

GFCO manual 2021 - see Testing section 6 page 20