When Are "gluten-free" Claims Allowed In Canada?

In recent years, there has been a sudden increase in the popularity of a "gluten-free" diet. Since then, the trend has grown steadily and food products are increasingly being advertised and labelled as "gluten-free". However, it's not a free-for-all; Canada has very specific regulatory requirements for advertising claims with regard to food under the Food and Drugs Act and the Food and Drug Regulations. Specifically, a "gluten-free" claim attracts a suite of enhanced requirements set out under Division 24 of the Food and Drug Regulations.

First, to be labelled "gluten-free", a food product must not contain:

• any gluten protein from the grain of any of the following cereals or from the grain of a hybridized strain that is created from at least one of the following cereals: barley, oats, rye, triticale, wheat or