Why People With Celiac Disease Should Submit Comments to the FDA About Gluten Labeling

In January 2026, the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) issued a Request for Information about labeling and preventing cross-contact of gluten in packaged foods. They are looking for public comment on their website to allow the public to help shape future labeling laws in the United States.

Right now a food can be labeled “gluten-free” if it meets the existing definition of less than 20 parts per million gluten and meets other FDA requirements. (Read my blog: Things You Never Knew About Going Gluten Free for more information about reading labels). The FDA is currently lookin at whether the gluten-free label definition should change to show the risk from cross contact from grains like oats which are naturally gluten-free, but often contain gluten from cross contact.

Why Your Comments Matter

You live with this disease you deal with the daily challenges of reading labels and the fear of getting sick from cross contact. Sharing your real-life experience with the FDA will let them know how important better labeling is to you, and what an impact it will make on your life.

How This Could Improve Safety

Right now food labels in the U.S. are not required to declare gluten as an allergen, even though gluten causes life-long harm for people with celiac disease.

The FDA is considering:

• How to clearly disclose gluten-containing grains and ingredients. (Federal Register)

• How to require or encourage labeling about cross-contact risks, not just gluten free claims. (Federal Register)

• Whether labels should include more detailed information about certain grains and ingredients like oats due to high cross-contact risk.

If changes are made in future rules, they could lead to:

• More ingredient transparency

• Fewer unexpected gluten exposures

• More confidence and ease when you are shopping for packaged food

These changes could reduce accidental gluten ingestion and improve the health of people with celiac disease and gluten intolerance.

How and Where to Submit Your Comment

You can submit your comment to the FDA through the Regulations.gov website or by mail.

Submit Online

Go to the federal docket for this Request for Information:https://www.regulations.gov and search FDA-2023-P-3942 Share your personal experience of how labeling has affected your daily life and health living with celiac disease.

By Mail

You can also mail your comment to:

Dockets Management Staff (HFA-305)

Food and Drug Administration

5630 Fishers Lane, Room 1061

Rockville, MD 20852

Be sure to include: Docket No. FDA-2023-P-3942 in your comment.

Tips for Writing Your Comment

• Share your diagnosis of celiac disease or other medical issue the requires you to go gluten-free.

• Talk about specific labeling challenges you have faced

• Provide examples of hidden gluten or cross-contact problems you have seen

• How unclear labels have affected your health

• Let them know what you would like to see changed, and how that would help you

Additional Support

You can also amplify your voice by completing a brief survey that the Celiac Disease Foundation is compiling to present to the FDA. Click to go to the survey