There is a big push on to require gluten labeling on packaged food in the United States. Three federal bills shine a spotlight on the need to disclose gluten-containing grains, such as rye and barley, to reduce accidental gluten exposures.
“I am extremely encouraged by this newest momentum for gluten labeling,” says Jules Shepherd, the CEO and entrepreneur behind gfJules, which produces certified gluten-free flours and mixes. “Seeing that long-standing issue before Congress, with the FDA also taking interest in gluten labeling and cross-contact, represents a significant shift,” she says.
The lack of transparency about gluten has long been a source of frustration for consumers navigating celiac disease, cereal grain allergies, and other medically required gluten-free diets. Wheat is the only gluten-containing grain required to be labeled as a major allergen under rules enforced by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Now, lawmakers are introducing possible legislative solutions in Congress. The new bills are the Celiac Safety Act of 2026, the FASTER Act of 2026, and the Food Labeling Modernization Act of 2026.
Each bill reflects differing views on how to fill the labeling gap. But it is clear that consumers who must eat gluten-free are hungry for change.
This was evident when the nonprofit Beyond Celiac and the Bari family of Celiac Journey undertook a labeling survey of the celiac community in March 2026. Ninety-nine percent of nearly 2,000 respondents supported labeling barley and rye as gluten sources. A strong majority also want to see oats to be labeled for gluten content.
“We are encouraged by the interest in labeling gluten-containing grains on food products and are optimistic that one of the bills will pass,” says Dr. Debra Silberg. She is Beyond Celiac’s chief scientific officer.
Gluten Goes Beyond Wheat
For consumers who must avoid gluten, barley and rye (which also contain gluten) can be as troubling as wheat. Many gluten-free patients also avoid oat (which is naturally gluten-free) because of its high risk for cross-contamination in the field and during processing.
“For decades, people with celiac disease have had to explain why wheat being labeled is simply not enough,” says Shepherd.
Because wheat is included on labels, but barley and rye are not, the lack of disclosure can cause unnecessary confusion, notes Marilyn Geller. She is CEO of the Celiac Disease Foundation, which helped bring forward the Celiac Safety Act. For example, Geller notes that because barley does not have to be labeled, a consumer would need to know that an ingredient like malt is typically derived from barley.
“People want to be able to quickly identify whether a product contains gluten-containing grains without needing specialized knowledge or risking accidental exposure,” Geller says.
The Gluten Labeling Bills
Each of the bills aims to increase transparency by altering the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (or FALCPA) labeling law. However, there are differences in how each proposes to achieve that goal.
The proposed legislation includes:
- Celiac Safety Act of 2026 (HR 9048): Would require any product to list “gluten-containing grains,” defined as wheat, barley, rye or any crossbred hybrids (such as triticale) as major allergens. Introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives in May 2026 by Representatives Emanuel Cleaver and Betty McCollum.
- FASTER Act of 2026 (HR 9988): In the list of major allergens, wheat would be replaced by the term “gluten-containing grain.” That would be defined as wheat, barley, rye and oats, and any crossbred hybrids (such as triticale). Introduced in the House in July 2026 by Rep. Anna Paulina Luna.
- Food Labeling Modernization Act of 2026 (HR 8385/S 5166): Would add the term “or gluten-containing grain” alongside major allergens, but does not classify the gluten grains as an allergen. This broad bill addresses several rules for food packaging and nutrition disclosure. Introduced in the House April 2026 by Representatives Frank Pallone Jr. and Rosa DeLauro. Senators Richard Blumenthal and Cory Booker introduced a companion bill in the Senate in July 2026.
While not food-related, efforts for gluten ingredient transparency are also on the table with the Allergen Disclosure in Non-Food Articles (ADINA) Act. The bill (HR 3821) would require labeling for gluten and the top 9 food allergens for medications. It was reintroduced by Rep. Kelly Morrison in the House in June 2025.
Advocacy to Action
The new labeling bills are the result of years of advocacy by the gluten-free community.
The Celiac Disease Foundation (CDF) has been instrumental in the development of the Celiac Safety Act of 2026. “We believe this change would reduce accidental gluten exposure for people with celiac disease, improve their quality of life and increase consumer confidence,” Geller says.
Shepherd, who has celiac disease, views the Celiac Safety Act of 2026 as a reasonable solution. “I see mandatory disclosure of gluten-containing grains as a relatively straightforward change with a very significant consumer benefit,” she says.
As a food manufacturer, Shepherd says building on an existing allergen labeling model while providing 18 months to implement changes makes sense. Although adding barley and rye would require label changes, she says it shouldn’t change how a manufacturer manages ingredients.
The FASTER (Food Allergy Safety, Treatment, Education, and Research) Act of 2026 is personal for Congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna, who introduced the bill and is gluten intolerant. “It’s terrifying when labels aren’t clear because that can have serious medical consequences,” Luna says.
Jax Bari, 13, knows that reality, having suffered bad reactions to accidental gluten exposures. The Philadelphia teen and his family are lobbying hard to move the FASTER Act of 2026 forward.
“The FASTER Act of 2026 will better protect 3.3 million Americans with celiac disease including 729,000 children like Jax,” says his dad Jon Bari.
Celiac Community Voices
Community members’ experiences are helping to fuel the efforts for improved gluten labeling on packaged food.
In January 2026, the FDA issued a request seeking public comment on individuals’ experiences with gluten cross-contact, reactions and labeling issues. Geller is hopeful the more than 6,000 comments “underscore why congressional action is needed to create a clear, consistent national standard.”
The FDA credited a citizen petition filed in September 2023 by Jon Bari (on behalf of Jax) for its efforts to gather gluten information. Jax has long advocated for barley, rye and oats to be declared as major food allergens, along with wheat, on U.S. food labels.
The petition, however, drew criticism from the North American Millers’ Association (NAMA) in comments to the FDA. NAMA especially took issue with the petition’s suggested changes to gluten labeling for oats. It said the petition’s requests overall “would disrupt the agricultural supply chain and sow uncertainty for the industry and consumers regarding current gluten-free processes and regulation.”
In response to the FDA’s comment request, the Baris’ Celiac Journey website collaborated with Beyond Celiac on the labeling survey. The survey found that about half of children and adults with celiac disease experience symptoms from accidental gluten exposure for at least four days.
The data “make clear that current labeling practices for barley, rye, and oats present a significant, ongoing risk of unintended gluten exposure,” says Jon Bari.
Voluntary Gluten-Free Claim
While these bills propose required allergen labeling when gluten-containing grains are present in packaged food, they don’t specify any threshold or “safe level” of gluten as an ingredient.
However, a voluntary gluten-free claim still exists. The gluten-free claim, which manufacturers can currently include on their labels, must abide by the standard set by the FDA in 2013. Under it, food labeled as gluten-free must contain less than 20 parts per million (ppm) of gluten.
“A voluntary gluten-free claim tells the consumer that the finished product meets FDA’s established gluten-free standard of less than 20 ppm gluten,” Shepherd explains.
In contrast, a mandatory ingredient disclosure, as proposed in the 2026 bills, tells a consumer that a gluten-containing grain was intentionally used. “The distinction created here is that mandatory ingredient disclosure and any voluntary ‘gluten-free’ claim solve two different problems,” Shepherd says.
The baking entrepreneur was instrumental in successfully convincing the FDA about the need for the gluten-free standard during the 1 in 133 Gluten Free Labeling Summit of 2011. (For that summit, she notably baked an 11-foot gluten-free cake that weighed in at a ton.)
The gluten-free standard of less than 20 ppm regularly comes into play with determining the safety of oats for those avoiding gluten. Products with oat as an ingredient can be certified as gluten-free in the United States if they contain less than 20 ppm of gluten.
Oats are naturally a gluten-free grain. However, there is a high risk of cross-contact between oats and grains such as wheat, barley and rye during growing, harvesting and processing.
“That fact is a legitimate food safety and labeling concern, and consumers deserve reliable information about it,” Shepherd says.
Oats Trigger Debate
The inclusion of oats in its definition of gluten-containing grains is a major difference between the FASTER Act of 2026 and the Celiac Safety Act.
Oats are often avoided by consumers following gluten-free diets because of uncertainty about cross-contact. In the survey, about 89 percent of survey respondents said labeling oats would be meaningful.
In addition, FASTER Act of 2026 supporters point to labeling rules that specify oats in other countries. For example, in the European Union oat is included in the list of “cereals containing gluten”. In Canada, wheat and triticale are regulated allergens, while oat is mentioned among the gluten sources.
Jon Bari notes that his work on the FASTER Act drew in part from the United Kingdom’s guidance on food labeling, which includes oat as a gluten-containing cereal.
Beyond Celiac’s Silberg notes that U.K. labels specify “oats” or “gluten-free oats”. To be classified as gluten-free oats, they must contain below 20 ppm of gluten. The nonprofit would support distinguishing between oats and gluten-free oats if labeling oats becomes a requirement, she says.
“Oats can be an important component of a healthy gluten-free diet as long as they are verified gluten-free,” Silberg says.
Current U.S. FDA regulations define gluten-containing grains as wheat, rye, barley, and their crossbred hybrids. The international commission Codex Alimentarius standard for packaged food labeling also defines “cereals containing gluten” as wheat, rye and barley.
The Celiac Safety Act does not include oats as a gluten-containing grain because it follows the established framework. The Celiac Disease Foundation says including oats under the gluten umbrella would unnecessarily limit food options for people with celiac disease who can tolerate oats.
“We support clear labeling that distinguishes oats with cross-contact risk from oats that meet the FDA standard for gluten-free,” the CDF states.
How to Help
The gluten labeling bills share a common goal to ensure disclosure on packaged food to help consumers make more informed choices.
Now the proposed legislation needs the community’s help. While advocates work to build bipartisan support, you can contact your lawmakers to ask them to support the bills.
In addition to contacting lawmakers, Shepherd stresses the importance of providing comment to the FDA if another opportunity arises to do so.
“The community needs to turn this moment of visibility into sustained constituent pressure,” Shepherd says. “We’ve waited too long for these safety measures to be put in place, and it seems like this may be our moment.”
Related Reading:
Gluten-Free or Not? 10 That Can Stump Even the Most Informed
‘What Am I Doing Wrong?’ When Celiac Symptoms Persist
