FDA moves to require on-package gluten disclosure

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FDA moves to require on-package gluten disclosure

26 Jan 2026

Mari Rydings

Mari Rydings is a versatile content creator, editor and marketer with experience developing dynamic, results-driven materials for B2B and B2C audiences. As the editorial director for Avant Food Media, she leads the day-to-day editorial operations for the company’s print and digital magazines, newsletters and social media platforms. Outside of work, she loves reading, hiking, putting together jigsaw puzzles and spending time with her husband and their twin daughters.

SILVER SPRING, MD — On the heels of unveiling updated 2025-2030 US Dietary Guidelines for Americans, the FDA issued a Request for Information (RFI) focused on labeling and preventing cross-contact of gluten in packaged food. If successful, the action would require food manufacturers to disclose when products contain gluten or other food allergens.

The move is part of the Make America Healthy Again strategy to improve transparency for consumers by disclosing ingredients that impact certain health conditions — such as gluten for people with celiac disease — and other food-related allergies.

“People with celiac disease or gluten sensitivities have had to tiptoe around food and are often forced to guess about their food options,” said FDA Commissioner Marty Makary. “We encourage all stakeholders to share their experiences and data to help us develop policies that will better protect Americans and support healthy food choices.”

Currently, CPG companies are only required to disclose when products have one of nine major allergens: milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, soybeans and sesame.

Prior to issuing the RFI, the FDA reviewed data and reports by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, which the agency said revealed significant data gaps that prevented a full evaluation of the public health impact of “ingredients of interest,” specifically:

– Rye and barley, which contain gluten but are not currently required to be declared as allergens

– Oats, which are naturally gluten-free but frequently affected by gluten cross-contact

The FDA is requesting data and real-world experiences related to three primary areas:

– The prevalence of undisclosed rye or barley in foods

– The public health impact of exposure to rye and barley, including the severity of allergic reactions

– The frequency of gluten content in oats due to cross-contact

The comment period ends March 23.

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