So many gluten-free signs and symbols. So little clarity.

Every time you stand in a store aisle with a packaged food product in your hand, you may find yourself wondering, “Is it REALLY gluten-free?”

How do you know if the gluten-free symbol on a product’s packaging means it is safely gluten-free?

Not all gluten-free statements and symbols mean the same thing. To make things even more confusing, many of them look the same or similar, too.

The GFCO Mark is Different for a Reason

As a non-profit consumer support organization first, we don’t cut corners when it comes to the food that you eat. Your safety is our priority — that is why we hold our certification requirements to the highest standard in gluten-free product safety.

When you see a GFCO mark on certified gluten-free products, it means the manufacturer successfully completed a rigorous, 80-step, science-based process. This includes:

1. Individual ingredient testing that’s at or below 10ppm of gluten, a stricter threshold than the FDA regulation.
2. Manufacturer team training on gluten-free manufacturing best practices.
3. Yearly on-site facility audits by GFCO auditors.
4. Documented compliance of certification criteria.
5. Ongoing testing and test results must be submitted to GFCO on a regular basis.
6. Providing GFCO with updated ingredient lists when substitutions are made (at which point certification status is re-evaluated).

When a brand is GFCO-certified, they must maintain their certification by adhering to our standards each time they are audited. No brand gets an automatic renewal of their certification, and no brand can buy the right to use the GFCO mark.

As your favorite brands continue the process of switching to the new GFCO mark, here’s what to look for: