Gluten Intolerance Group Focuses on Making Life Easier for Living Gluten-free in 2021

AUBURN, Wash. (February 17, 2022)—The Gluten Intolerance Group (GIG), one of the largest nonprofit gluten-free advocacy organizations, is preparing for another strong year after executing a host of initiatives in 2021 designed to meet GIG’s mission to make life easier for everyone living gluten-free. This included supporting GIG’s business and nonprofit partners, who play a role in driving GIG’s mission forward.

GIG’s accomplishments throughout 2021 included:

Certifying 2,045 products from 171 brands: A wide variety of products were certified, such as pastas, salsas, snacks, condiments, baked goods and ingredients, trail mixes, desserts, fruit bars and supplements. Gluten-Free Certification Organization (GFCO)-certified brands go through strict audits to ensure final products contain 10 parts per million (ppm) or less of gluten – a standard twice as stringent as that of the FDA. View a complete list of certified products here: https://gfco.org/demand-for-gluten-free-certification-continues-to-rise/

Designation of seven UHS hospitals as Validated Gluten Free Safe Spots: GIG’s Gluten-Free Food Service (GFFS) designated seven hospitals owned and operated by a subsidiary of Universal Health Services, Inc. (UHS) as Validated Gluten Free Safe Spots. UHS is one of the largest and most respected providers of hospital and healthcare services in the nation with nearly 90,000 employees dedicated to improving people’s lives and transforming the delivery of healthcare.

Launch of the GFFS Coaching Program: The Coaching Program provides onsite guidance to restaurants going through the GFFS Gluten Free Safe Spots Validation program. GFFS Coaches are knowledgeable individuals in the gluten-free community committed to helping their local restaurants better serve patrons who are living gluten-free. Becoming a Safe Spot gives gluten-free diners reassurance that they have chosen restaurants that follow safe processes and procedures when claiming to offer gluten-free meals.

Partnership with GIG Cares: GIG partnered with GIG Cares, a new, separate nonprofit organization whose mission is to fight food insecurity, while promoting gluten-free education and advocacy. GIG Cares is expanding the work of Cutting Costs for Celiacs, a charity GIG partnered with in early 2021, which previously served Wisconsin by promoting affordable gluten-free eating initiatives.

Participation at key industry events: With the re-opening of business and trade events, GIG executives, experts and thought leaders attended and spoke at events, both in-person and virtual conferences. These included events such as Natural Products Expo East, Retail Dietitians Business Alliance (RDBA) Virtual Experience, National Association of School Nurses Annual Conference, and Nourished Festival.

Support for gluten-free children and families through the Generation GF program: In July, Generation GF, a program designed for gluten-free kids, teens and young adults, presented the Generation GF Teen Summit at the Hilton Disney Springs in Orlando. Teens who attended connected with others experiencing the same dietary restrictions, shared their own journey and participated in discussions with experts in the gluten-free community. Generation GF also runs gluten-free summer camps, a mentorship program and more.

“GIG’s record accomplishments from 2021 are serving as a foundation for the amazing work in progress during 2022,” said Jeanne Reid, GIG’s marketing manager. “We look forward to continuing to initiate programs that expand GIG’s mission to make life easier for everyone living gluten-free in the year ahead.”

For more information on GIG and its programing, visit www.gluten.org

About the Gluten Intolerance Group (GIG)

The Gluten Intolerance Group (GIG) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit association funded by private donations, sponsorship opportunities and food safety programs. It relies on tax-deductible contributions to support its many innovative industry, service, social and awareness programs. GIG has been a highly respected leader in the gluten-free community since it was founded in 1974. In addition to more than 80 local support groups across the United States, GIG has increased its presence internationally to 50 countries. GIG’s mission is to make life easier for everyone living gluten-free and does this through consumer support, education and its food safety programs. The Gluten-Free Certification Organization (GFCO), a program of GIG, is a leader in the verification of quality, integrity and purity of gluten-free products. The Gluten-Free Food Service (GFFS) program is a proven model of established best practices for foodservice facilities offering gluten-free options. GIG is committed to ongoing food safety research to assure customers and consumers the highest level of excellence in its gluten-free programs and services. For information, visit www.gluten.org.

Media Contact: Joe Garber, Sterling Kilgore, jgarber@sterlingkilgore.com, 630-964-8500 x229

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