Has anyone heard about the new levels of gluten allowed in manufactured foods? I heard something on the radio about how companies making breads and cakes and stuff for coeliacs were now only going to be allowed to have a very small amount of gluten in their products - but I thought if it said gluten- free that was what it meant!! How can it be gluten free if it actually has gluten in it?.....

Hi Anne -
I was have just found a press release I was sent about the new gluten level - from the Foods Standards Agency - I am copying it in below.
The problem for manufacturers - I know as I have a friend who has been looking at starting to make and sell gluten-free cakes - is that it is really difficult to guarantee that not even the tiniest speck of gluten gets into your product by mistake - it could be brought in on someone's hands, be stuck to some packaging - even if you do not include any gluten-containing products in your recipe. I guess it is the same for dairy or any other sort of allergen. So the 20 parts per million (which is a really, really tiny amount) is sort of a margin for error for the manufacturers to cover them for something which might be outside their control.
This is what the Food Standards Agency said:

'New food labelling and composition rules aimed at helping people who are
intolerant to gluten were published yesterday, 21 January 2009.

'Under the new EU regulations, only foods that contain less than 20 parts of
gluten in a million will be allowed to use the term ‘gluten-free’ on their
packaging. Recent evidence has shown that this extremely low level offers
better protection for those with an intolerance to gluten. Previously, a
food labelled ‘gluten-free’ could have contained up to ten times more than
this.

'In addition, some foods made using cereals that have been specially
processed to remove most of the gluten, but which contain less than 100
parts in a million, will be able to make the claim ‘very low gluten’. These
include substitutes of certain staple foods such as bread.

'The introduction of just two types of labelling will reduce consumer
confusion in this area and help coeliacs to make safe and informed choices
about the types of food they eat.

Hope that is some help.

I recently bought a 'GLUTEN FREE' apple dutch cake loaf, trusting that it meant what it said. Taking it to account that it was sold at a well known alternative food speciality shop, sold at the gluten free range shelf & the product label proudly said gluten free so in desperate need for a good pastry, I bought and ate it. Only to feel ill later then in fear I read the ingredients.....RYE flour it said. They did not even use a tiny portion of it but instead used it as their MAIN source of flour. Do they not realise the difference between WHEAT & GLUTEN intolerance? Why can't the labels actually mean what they say? These intentional misguidance may help them with their marketing and earn them some money but for the consumers, this could be DEADLY!!!!

I was wondering whether the stricter laws about labelling gluten free foods would put off food businesses from selling products - just as it is getting easier to find gluten free food in cafes, restaurants etc.

I spoke to Trading Standards today and asked them if restaurants would be stopped from being allowed to label their food as gluten free if they make gluten containing products also. They said no, the business needs to know about the ingredients to use and about cross contamination. I don't think enough information is given to businesses about this.

Sunshine - if your friend has any questions about making and selling gluten free cakes feel free to email me as I used to do this.

Hi Iced Gem -
Thanks - I'll pass your offer on to my friend.
There is really very little guidance for caterers on allergy here although the Food Standards Agency does try and has some jolly good info on their site. The trouble is that there are no legal requirements for caterers to take care of food allergics so the only reason they may do so is if they happen to be nice concerned people, or if they are worried about someone have an anaphylactic reaction in their restaurant!
However, I saw a Twitter post the other day saying that in Massachussetts in the US they had now brought in a legal requirement for all restaurant staff to undertake at least some basic allergy training. Roll it on in the UK....