Some Gluten-Free Products Exceed Standards... Gluten Detected Up to 175 Times Higher

Consumer Agency, Test Results of 30 Gluten-Free Products

Products Non-Compliant with Gluten-Free Labeling Standards.

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Chun-han] It has been revealed that some products labeled as 'gluten-free' (무글루텐) distributed and sold in the market did not properly comply with labeling standards, with gluten detected above the standard levels.

On the 2nd, the Korea Consumer Agency announced that after testing 30 gluten-free products distributed online, gluten was detected in 5 products at levels up to 175 times higher than the labeling standards.

Gluten is an insoluble protein found in grains such as wheat and barley, commonly used in making bread and cakes. While it provides a chewy texture, gluten-free products have been increasing as gluten is known to cause allergies or digestive disorders.

According to the "Enforcement Rules of the Act on Labeling and Advertising of Foods, etc.," only products with gluten content of 20mg/kg or less can be labeled as gluten-free. However, in the 5 gluten-free labeled products detected this time, gluten was found ranging from 21.9mg/kg to 3500mg/kg. Among these, the manufacturers of 4 products have deleted the gluten-free label from their sales pages and announced plans to improve quality.

Based on this investigation, the Consumer Agency requested the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety to establish an official testing method for gluten content and to strengthen management and supervision.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.