New Zealand Food Safety has been inundated with inquiries from food businesses seeking clarification on the procedures for verifying the gluten-free status of foods sold in their cafes or retail outlets.
Operators have reported instances where verifiers have demanded analytical testing of every batch of food or have outright denied the "gluten-free" claim due to using gluten products in their kitchen, despite having controls to mitigate cross-contamination risks.
To address these concerns, Food Safety has provided guidance to assist verifiers in understanding the complexities surrounding businesses producing gluten-free products. Formal guidance will follow in the Food Safety Academy.
Gluten, a protein found in grains like wheat, rye, barley, oats, and spelt, is a key component of many foods. However, for individuals intolerant to gluten, its consumption can lead to serious health issues. It triggers an immune response, causing intestinal damage and nutrient absorption problems. This underscores the importance of adhering to the regulations and requirements for labelling foods as 'gluten-free '.
The regulation of "gluten-free" claims falls under Standard 1.2.7: Nutrition, Health and Related Claims of the Australia and New Zealand Food Standards Code. According to Schedule 4-3 of the Code, for a product to be labelled "gluten-free," it must not contain detectable gluten, oats or oat products, or malted cereals containing gluten.
Given the detection limit, the term "detectable gluten" is generally interpreted as less than 3 ppm. Additionally, businesses making such claims must ensure stringent measures to prevent cross-contamination between gluten-free foods and gluten-containing ones throughout various stages of food handling.
New Zealand Food Safety advises against mandating a specific number of nutrient analysis tests for gluten presence or imposing restrictions on processing gluten-containing products in the same kitchen. Instead, businesses should implement robust measures to prevent cross-contact between gluten-free and gluten-containing items during all food-related activities.
For further inquiries regarding nutrition content or health claims, businesses are encouraged to contact health.claims@mpi.govt.nz.
Read more about Gluten Free here.
