Gluten free Certification

Gluten-Free Certification Program

The Gluten-Free Certification Program (GFCP) is designed for retailers, manufacturers, food service providers and farmers obliged to conform to various government regulations and/or the Codex Alimentarius gluten-free science based guidelines. Delivered by third-party ISO/IEC 17021-1 IDA accredited certifying bodies, GFCP is a non-prescriptive HACCP-based standard that is endorsed by the leading North American celiac organizations and administered by the Allergen Control Group.

Gluten-Free Certification Organization

The Gluten-Free Certification Organization (GFCO) certifies many thousands of products. It is a voluntary program developed in 2005 by the Gluten Intolerance Group (GIG) of North America, a non-profit association funded by private donations. Targeting retailers, manufacturers and farmers, GFCO uses quality assessment and control measures to assure consumers that their food is safe. Certification involves risk assessments, plant audits and equipment and product testing, at the plant and at the point of consumer purchase. Finished products bearing the GFCO logo must contain 10 ppm or less of gluten.

Benefits of Certification

Our gluten-free program provides credible, verified and science-based gluten-free certification with a label consumers can trust. The program demonstrates compliance to FDA gluten-free labeling guidelines and provides additional assurance to consumers through facility inspection and testing.

Why Gluten-Free Certification for Your Organization

Gluten-free certification is a process designed to protect consumers with celiac disease and other gluten-related disorders by confirming that a food, drink or supplement meets strict standards for gluten-free safety. It assures consumers that there is third-party oversight confirming the legitimacy of the manufacturer’s gluten-free processes and claims. There are several certifying owners that offer gluten-free certification, and each has its own criteria to ensure safety for consumers.

In the grocery store, certification seals hopefully make it easier to identify safe and trusted products. Products that have been certified gluten-free will typically bear a symbol on the label, so customers with celiac disease and other gluten-related disorders can quickly and easily recognize the symbol and know that the product has earned approval.

GITCHIA Endorses Gluten-Free Certification Program

GITCHIA endorses the Gluten-Free Certification Program ,a food safety-based gluten management system for manufacturers, which was created by the Allergen Control Group. GITCHIA has brought this system to the UK. As the food industry becomes increasingly globalized, GITCHIA believes that international certifications such as this Gluten-Free Certification will play a critical role in ensuring that our gluten-free food supply is truly safe and trusted.

The GFCP is a management system and facility-based certification. This means that the program does not rely solely on product testing to ensure safety, but examines the entire practices and production process of the facility – from ingredient sourcing to employee training, cleaning practices, cross-contact controls, operational management and, finally, an effective end-to-end testing plan.

The GFCP approves only those facilities that continually meet strict, good manufacturing practices for gluten-free production. Certification audits are conducted annually by trained and approved, independent International Standard for Organization (ISO) and third-party accredited auditing companies. Products manufactured in facilities that have earned GFCP certification may bear a clear and easy-to-recognize certification trademark from the GFCP and endorsed by GITCHIA, on their packaging.

By having qualified third-party professionals involved in each major step of the certification process, the GFCP supports a system of checks and balances eliminating any potential for conflict of interest between the manufacturer’s relationship with and the program, its certifying bodies and/or GITCHIA.