Nutrixe
Standing in front of a shelf, two “gluten-free” products aren’t always equal — and some perfectly safe products carry no logo at all. Here’s how to read a label in Europe, and the traps that even attentive readers miss.
What European law actually says
Since the 2014 European regulation, only two claims are legally defined:
| Claim | Threshold | Who it’s for |
|---|---|---|
| “Gluten-free” | ≤ 20 mg/kg (20 ppm) | Safe for people with coeliac disease |
| “Very low gluten content” | ≤ 100 mg/kg | Products made from processed cereals — not recommended for coeliacs |
The 20 ppm threshold isn’t “a little gluten tolerated out of kindness” — it’s the level below which studies find no observable damage in coeliac patients under a normal diet. A product at or below 20 ppm is therefore considered safe for the vast majority of people with coeliac disease.
The crossed grain symbol: a logo, a license
The well-known crossed grain symbol in a circle (ELS, Encircled Licensed Symbol) isn’t decorative — it’s a trademark owned by the European coeliac associations (AOECS), usable only under license, backed by audits and lab testing. In France, the AFDIAG manages the license.
Worth remembering:
- Crossed grain symbol = verified by a coeliac association. This is the highest level of confidence you’ll find on a shelf.
- “Gluten-free” without the logo is legal too: the wording alone already commits the manufacturer to the 20 ppm threshold. Many safe products simply haven’t paid for the logo license.
- A brand’s own homemade logo (a fanciful crossed-grain graphic designed in-house) commits nothing but the designer’s creativity. Check for the regulatory wording instead.
The classic traps
- “May contain traces of gluten”: this warning is voluntary and unregulated. A “gluten-free” product carrying a traces warning still complies with the 20 ppm limit; a product with no warning at all isn’t necessarily any safer. Counterintuitive, but that’s how it works.
- Barley malt: malt syrup, malt flavoring, malt extract — it turns up in breakfast cereals, sauces, and confectionery that “don’t contain wheat.” Barley is gluten.
- Oats: allowed in EU “gluten-free” products if specifically grown and processed without contamination — but some coeliacs also react to avenin. Our listings flag establishments that use oats.
- Soy sauce: the classic recipe contains wheat. Only certified gluten-free tamari is exempt.
- Deglutenated wheat starch: allowed in EU gluten-free products (its gluten has been removed), but problematic for people with a wheat allergy — not the same condition.
What about abroad?
The 20 ppm threshold is broadly agreed upon in Europe, the United States and Canada, but not everywhere: in Australia and New Zealand, “gluten-free” means no detectable gluten (and no oats or malted gluten cereals), and Argentina caps it at 10 mg/kg. The logos differ too: the official “Sin TACC” mark in Argentina, national association logos elsewhere. The universal habit to build: look for the regulatory gluten-free wording in the local language — and when eating out, rely on verified addresses rather than blind trust. That’s exactly what the Nutrixe map does, country by country.
This information does not replace medical advice. If in doubt about a product, AFDIAG and national associations publish continuously updated lists of verified products.
Sources
- Coeliac UK, How to read food labels, coeliac.org.uk, accessed October 2026. Cereals containing gluten must be emphasised in the ingredients list; “may contain” statements are voluntary and must not be misleading.
- Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 828/2014 of 30 July 2014 on the requirements for the provision of information to consumers on the absence or reduced presence of gluten in food, Official Journal of the European Union, L 228. “Gluten-free”: no more than 20 mg/kg; “very low gluten”: no more than 100 mg/kg; oats allowed if specially produced to avoid contamination.
- Codex Alimentarius, Standard for foods for special dietary use for persons intolerant to gluten, CXS 118-1979, revised 2008. The international 20 mg/kg threshold for gluten-free food.
- Akobeng A. K., Thomas A. G. Systematic review: tolerable amount of gluten for people with coeliac disease. Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics, 2008;27(11):1044-1052. A daily gluten intake under 10 mg is unlikely to cause significant histological damage.
- Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 October 2011 on the provision of food information to consumers, Official Journal of the European Union, L 304. Annex II: barley, wheat, rye, oats and their derivatives (malt included) must be declared; Article 36: “may contain” statements are voluntary information.
- Al-Toma A. et al. European Society for the Study of Coeliac Disease (ESsCD) guideline for coeliac disease and other gluten-related disorders. United European Gastroenterology Journal, 2019;7(5):583-613. Uncontaminated oats are tolerated by the vast majority of people with coeliac disease; a small percentage react.
- FSANZ, Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code – Schedule 4 – Nutrition, health and related claims, Federal Register of Legislation, compilation of 29 October 2024 (claims governed by Standard 1.2.7). “Gluten free”: no detectable gluten, no oats or oat products, no malted gluten-containing cereals.
- Código Alimentario Argentino, art. 1383 (Resolución Conjunta 131/2011 y 414/2011, modificada por la Resolución Conjunta 32/2023), argentina.gob.ar. “Libre de gluten”: no more than 10 mg/kg.
