"gluten Free" Frozen Foods Concerns..

[zebaldwin]

At my school they have a few different frozen dinners that say "gluten free" on them but then they say that they were processed using machinery that also handle wheat....what the? How does that make sense? Should I not eat these. I am trying the diet and it's one of the only "meals" I can eat...

[psawyer]

You must make a personal decision on this. In the USA, the term "gluten-free" is not defined by a government rule. It means whatever the company wants it to mean, or whatever the plaintiff's lawyer can convince a jury it should mean.

In those places where there is a definition, including Canada, it deals only with intentional ingredients.

Disclosure of possible contamination from shared facilities or equipment is voluntary. If you don't see it, don't assume that the facility is dedicated unless that is explicitly stated.

"No gluten" is becoming more common on labels to mean that the product has no intentional gluten and that Good Manufacturing Practices are used to clean equipment between runs. "Gluten Free" invites lawsuits, unless the product is actually tested for gluten content. Testing is expensive and at best can only detect 5 parts per million of gluten.