Food Labelling And Ingredients: Canada Vs. Usa

[Mourning Dove]

I recently came back from a vacation in the USA and I noticed that some products have labeling that actually says "gluten-free"....like margarine! I was so surprised by this honest labeling! If only this were the standard! Imagine how easy grocery shopping would be!

In all of my shopping in Canada, I have to go to a health-food store to see that phrase, with the exception of Chapman's ice cream. (Hurray for Chapmans!)

Now I'm wondering if there are differences between US foods and their Canadian counterparts. Could this be why it seems that am I seeing more "gluten-free" labeling in the USA? Do we just grow so much wheat here that nearly everything is contaminated? It remains a mystery to me why Canadian icing sugar is contaminated while US icing sugar is safe...is anyone able to enlighten me on this one?

Can someone direct me to a listing of foods that are safe in one country and not in the other?

Any insights would be much appreciated.

[psawyer]

Canada has very strict rules about what can be labeled, or represented as, "gluten free." They cover what the product may contain, but also prohibit the use of the label on any product which is inherently gluten-free, such as margarine.

The US currently does not have a definition that is backed by law or regulation. Proposed regulations are being discussed, but are not in force. In the US, "gluten free" means whatever the company making the product wants it to mean.

[Mourning Dove]

Canada has very strict rules about what can be labeled, or represented as, "gluten free." They cover what the product may contain, but also prohibit the use of the label on any product which is inherently gluten-free, such as margarine.

The US currently does not have a definition that is backed by law or regulation. Proposed regulations are being discussed, but are not in force. In the US, "gluten free" means whatever the company making the product wants it to mean.

If that's how Canada dictates how things are to be labelled, well, I'm not comfortable with that. Everything is so inconsistent...Ice cream can be gluten free...or not. Sorbet could be gluten-free...or not. Tomato sauce could be gluten free...or not. There's no particular purpose for there to be gluten in it, but there often is...and why? why? I'm so frustrated by this lack of consistency! Never the less, I thank you for this information.

Thanks for the heads up on the US labeling. I'll be extra cautious from now on.

[psawyer]

The rule in Canada is that if a product does not normally contain gluten, then you can not label your version of that product "gluten-free." That would be considered misleading, as it might imply that some similar products contain gluten.

As a result, fruits and vegetables, meats, milk, butter, margarine, and cheese, among other things, can not be labeled "gluten-free." It does not mean that they contain gluten, just that the producer cannot make a claim that they are gluten-free for marketing purposes.