The National Foundation for Celiac Awareness (NFCA) plans to launch a new gluten-free certification program later this year in partnership with Quality Assurance International (QAI), a company that has specialized in organic food testing and certification.
NFCA and QAI intend to release more details of their planned program later this month or in early May, and expect that the program will be completed and "poised for its first applicants" in June, according to NFCA. The two organizations will test the program's protocols initially with beta customers.
In launching its new gluten-free certification program, NFCA joins two other organizations -- the Gluten Intolerance Group (GIG) and the Celiac Sprue Association (CSA) -- which already have gluten-free certification programs in place.
Since GIG and CSA each have different standards for their certification programs (CSA's GF standards tend to be more stringent), it will be interesting to see the rules that NFCA adopts as part of its own new program.
Regardless, tighter standards for gluten-free food -- even if they're voluntary on the part of manufacturers -- should only help those of us who eat gluten-free.
