Allergen Labels

The Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act of 2004 requires that food labels identify the food source names of all major allergens present. There are eight major food allergens recognized in the United States, these include; milk, eggs, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat and soybeans. Food allergens may be listed one of two ways: In parentheses following the name of the ingredient or immediately after or next to the list of ingredients in a: "contains" statement.

Gluten-Free Labels

In addition to required allergen labeling, some manufacturers voluntarily provide additional claims such as gluten free. Gluten is derived from wheat, rye, barley, triticale, malt, brewer's yeast and wheat starch. When a product includes the terms "Gluten-free", "Free of gluten", "No gluten", or "Without gluten" this means that there must be less than 20 parts per million (ppm) of gluten present in the product. Products Below are examples of gluten free labels that are certified by third party organizations. Third party certifying agencies have the right to require stricter standards than the FDA. Click on a label to be taken to the organization's website, where you can find detailed certification standards.

According to the FDA "Manufacturers may include the logo of a gluten-free certification program on their food labels, provided that its use is truthful and not misleading. FDA does not endorse, accredit, or recommend any particular third-party gluten-free certification program. However, the agency expects that the criteria of any gluten-free certification program whose logo appears on a food label meet, at a minimum, FDA’s criteria defining the term gluten-free, if the logo suggests the food is gluten-free (Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, Office of Regulatory Affairs)." Other non-certified gluten-free labels shown below. To help determine if a logo is from a third-party organization look for the trademark ™ or registered ® symbol within the logo. This does not verify the claims, but it does provide consumers a standard logo with which to look up organizational information. The logos below are not linked to third-party organizations and therefore can only be verified through contacting the producers and asking them to provide evidence for their claim.

Food Allergy Advisory Labeling

A food allergy advisory label is a voluntary label used by some manufacturers to indicate the potential presence of unintended allergens. These allergens could be the result of cross-contact because of shared equipment or processing lines. An advisory label might state: "may contain [allergen]" or "produced in a facility that also uses [allergen]. For more information, visit Food Allergies: What You Need to Know.