Jump to content
This site uses cookies. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. More Info... ×
  • Welcome to Celiac.com!

    You have found your celiac tribe! Join us and ask questions in our forum, share your story, and connect with others.




  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A1):



    Celiac.com Sponsor (A1-M):


  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Our Content
    eNewsletter
    Donate

New 20ppm Codex Alimentarius


Lan

Recommended Posts

Lan Rookie

New 20ppm Codex Alimentarius

I have been reading that the New Codex Alimentarius was finally approved this year and the limit for the "Gluten Free" Label was changed from 200 ppm to 20 ppm. Is there any way to tell if what you are buying "Gluten Free" is 20 ppm or 200 ppm?


Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):



Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):



kbtoyssni Contributor

When this labeling takes effect, a product must test below 20ppm to have a gluten free label. You will not be able to label a product that's above 20ppm but below 200ppm gluten free. So this change is much better for us!

If you're talking about what amount of gluten a product that's currently labeled gluten-free contains, who knows. It's up to the company to decide what the criteria are.

Lan Rookie
When this labeling takes effect

I guess I was really wondering how I will know when the new labeling will take effect?

munchkinette Collaborator

Is this something that has been approved by the FDA? I just did a google search and couldn't find that. Who actually approved what?

home-based-mom Contributor
Is this something that has been approved by the FDA? I just did a google search and couldn't find that. Who actually approved what?

I don't think it has been finalized yet. I think everyone is just assuming that's what the FDA is going to do. Basically it will mean that products will be like Rice Dream milk - labeled "gluten free" but not really "gluten free."

gfp Enthusiast
I don't think it has been finalized yet. I think everyone is just assuming that's what the FDA is going to do. Basically it will mean that products will be like Rice Dream milk - labeled "gluten free" but not really "gluten free."

Actually it's a little worse than this...

To sum up the several pages:

If a product is naturally gluten free it cannot be labelled gluten free unless:

It has a substance usually containing gluten but rendered "gluten free below 20ppm" added.

I fully realise this does not make sense ... please don't blame the messenger. Read the document and decide for yourself.

btw CODEX is a FAO/WHO standard who's adoption by any nation or state is completely optional.

However the gluten part's biggest contributers are the US and Canada represented by the wheat farmers and food producers.

kbtoyssni Contributor
To sum up the several pages:

If a product is naturally gluten free it cannot be labelled gluten free unless:

It has a substance usually containing gluten but rendered "gluten free below 20ppm" added.

I fully realise this does not make sense ... please don't blame the messenger. Read the document and decide for yourself.

I think this is how it is in the UK. So something like fruit and veggies would not be labeled gluten-free, but something with wheat starch could be if it's less than 20ppm. I don't mind that fruits and veggies won't be labeled, but what about things like cheese or chicken? I don't usually think of them as gluten containing, but we all know that it's possible to have gluten in them. Will plain chicken breast be labeled? Do I need to read the label, see if there's gluten in it, then check for a gluten-free logo? Am I still going to have to do research on the possibility of CC - i.e. if plain chicken doesn't have any other ingredients but is manufactured right next to wheat flour? (Silly example, but I've got chicken on the brain!)


Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):



Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):



gfp Enthusiast
I think this is how it is in the UK. So something like fruit and veggies would not be labeled gluten-free, but something with wheat starch could be if it's less than 20ppm. I don't mind that fruits and veggies won't be labeled, but what about things like cheese or chicken? I don't usually think of them as gluten containing, but we all know that it's possible to have gluten in them. Will plain chicken breast be labeled? Do I need to read the label, see if there's gluten in it, then check for a gluten-free logo? Am I still going to have to do research on the possibility of CC - i.e. if plain chicken doesn't have any other ingredients but is manufactured right next to wheat flour? (Silly example, but I've got chicken on the brain!)

Nope you are spot on ...

Sainsburys plain cooked chicken breasts contain gluten ??? (really)

And your spot on .... its not the apples and oranges nor pasta and bread but things that regularly do have gluten ... cooked ham for instance. Its literally thousands of products from stick cubes to grated cheese and rice krispies.

In each case the Gluten Free label is pointless, the CUK directory worse than pointless and the small print all that helps but this itself is written in oft obscure language ...

To be honest, regardless of celiac disease isn't it about time boiled ham was cooked ham? Roast chicken was roast chicken? and roast chicken with herbs and garlic ... exactly that!

I really fail to see how hard it is that foods are labelled as their title. If this is "Roast Chicken with preservatives, gluten binder and injected water" then that should be the label...

Why do we have the "no added preservatives" .... surely this should be the case and all other foods should be labelled as "ham with preservatives" ???

gfp Enthusiast
Open Original Shared Link
Gwen B Rookie
Nope you are spot on ...

Sainsburys plain cooked chicken breasts contain gluten ??? (really)

And your spot on .... its not the apples and oranges nor pasta and bread but things that regularly do have gluten ... cooked ham for instance. Its literally thousands of products from stick cubes to grated cheese and rice krispies.

In each case the Gluten Free label is pointless, the CUK directory worse than pointless and the small print all that helps but this itself is written in oft obscure language ...

To be honest, regardless of celiac disease isn't it about time boiled ham was cooked ham? Roast chicken was roast chicken? and roast chicken with herbs and garlic ... exactly that!

I really fail to see how hard it is that foods are labelled as their title. If this is "Roast Chicken with preservatives, gluten binder and injected water" then that should be the label...

Why do we have the "no added preservatives" .... surely this should be the case and all other foods should be labelled as "ham with preservatives" ???

I totally agree. When will the marketing execs realise that 1% of the population is a sizeable market segment, who are not buying these products and therefore the food companies are loosing money? :blink:

Lan Rookie
Open Original Shared Link

That is the old Codex - www.codexalimentarius.net is very slow about updating their website.

This just was finalized, if the information is correct, in July 2008.

Lan Rookie

The New 20 ppm Codex Alimentarius Gluten Standard

This is the draft which was accepted without modification on July 1, 2008.

Open Original Shared Link

This is the whole codex for 2008 (not just Gluten!) You can down load.

Open Original Shared Link

You can read more about it...

Open Original Shared Link

FDA Set to Adopt New Gluten-Free Labeling Standards In-Line with New Codex Alimentarius Standards

https://www.celiac.com/articles/21617/1/-FD...ards/Page1.html

The new standard allows food that would not normally contain gluten to still bear a label that says..

"This food is by its nature gluten-free."

"gluten-free" would only be allowed on food with a finished product that was no more than 20 ppm (20 ppm or less).

Food with more than 20 ppm could NOT carry a "gluten-free" label.

Food from above 20 ppm - 100 ppm could carry a different label, like "reduced gluten" or "gluten modified" but may NOT carry a gluten-free label.

This is good news in the Philippines who is now adopting this standard.

gfp Enthusiast
That is the old Codex - www.codexalimentarius.net is very slow about updating their website.

This just was finalized, if the information is correct, in July 2008.

They are very slow .... (website and updating the actual codex) :D

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.


  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):



  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      130,801
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748

    johnyrad23
    Newest Member
    johnyrad23
    Joined

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):


  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.3k
    • Total Posts
      1m

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):





  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):



  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • trents
      Welcome to the forum, @Izelle! Normally, the diagnosis of celiac disease involves two stages.  The first stage involves a simple blood test that looks for antibodies that are pretty specific to celiac disease. Celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder that attacks the lining of the small bowel which produces antibodies that can be detected in the blood with tests specifically designed for this purpose. There are a number of these tests that can be run. Some are more specific for celiac disease and thus more reliable than others. The two most common antibody tests ordered by physicians when diagnosing celiac disease are the "total IGA" and the "tTG-IGA" test. At least these two should always be ordered. Here is a an article outlining the subject matter of celiac antibody tests:  If the tTG-IGA levels are 10x normal then it is becoming common practice in some countries to grant a celiac diagnosis on the bloodwork alone. The second stage involves an endoscopy with biopsy of the small bowel lining to look for the damage to the small bowel lining typically caused by celiac disease's inflammatory process over time. This is usually done in response to one or more positives from the blood antibody testing and constitutes confirmation of the antibody testing to eliminate the possibility of false positives. 
    • Izelle
      Hi there, Please can you tell me exactly how this disease is diagnosed? I am also from South Africa Regards Izelle
    • Waterdance
      Thank you for saying that. That doctor diagnosed me with IBS with no follow-up so the relationship is already concluded. If I pursue diagnosis further I'll request someone else. 
    • Rejoicephd
      Hey everyone. Thanks again for your suggestions. I wanted to give an update and ask for some follow-up suggestions from you all.  So I did go through all of my food items and stopped eating things that were “gluten free” and switched over to the “certified gluten free” ones (the ones with the g symbol). I also stayed away from restaurants except once and there I ordered something raw vegan and gluten free hoping for the best. I also stayed away from oats and soy and dairy. I've also been increasing my vitamin B complex. I've been doing this for about 12 days and while I know that's not that long, I'm still getting sick. Sometimes having diarrhea. Sometimes getting headaches and having necklaces. Sometimes waking up feeling horrible brain fog. I did go to my GI doc and they did a blood test and found my TtG-IgA was in the negative range (and a lower number than I'd had before). I also had normal levels of CRP. My stool showed no elevation of calprotectin and no pathogens. My GI doc said the symptoms could be related to a gluten exposure or to IBS. I'm keeping a food diary to see if I can narrow down whats going on. I know I have good days and bad days and Im trying to isolate what makes a good day versus a bad day. Generally so far it looks like if it eat something super cautious like raw vegetables that I chopped myself into a salad and almonds, im fine but if I eat something more complex including, say, chicken and rice (even if packaged and certified gluten free or made by me with gluten free ingredients), it may not go so well. I may end up with either a headache, neck tension, brain fog, and/or diarrhea that day or the morning after. Any other thoughts or suggestions? I am planning to start tracking my foods again but I wanted to do it in more detail this time (maybe down to the ingredient level) so are there any common ingredients that celiacs have issues with that you all know of that I should track? I've got dairy, oats, soy, eggs, corn, peas, lentils on my “watch list”. Other things I should add? I'm hoping if I track for another two weeks I can maybe pin down some sensitivities. Appreciate the help and tips. Thank you so much!!
    • trents
      "My GI doctor ruled out gluten celiac entirely because I didn't have skin rash." Are you serious? The overwhelming majority of people with confirmed celiac disease do not have the rash. It's called dermatitis herpetiformis. It is found in only about 10-15% of those with celiac disease: https://www.celiac.ca/gluten-related-disorders/dermatitis-herpetiformis/ If your GI doc is operating on that piece of misinformation, I would start looking for a new GI doc because I wouldn't trust him/her in general. 
×
×
  • Create New...