Auburn, WA—The Gluten-Free Certification Organization (GFCO) gave a live presentation at Spark Change: Spark Brand Success on March 3, explaining to Natural Products Expo Virtual attendees why gluten-free certification matters.

Gluten Intolerance Group (GIG), which runs GFCO, also ran a booth at the event to share information on its certification and food safety programs.

In a press release, GIG explained that gluten-free certification is relevant to a larger market segment than most people would expect—and for those with celiac disease, that information is the difference between being healthy and being sick. Even the slightest amount of gluten can set off celiac. GFCO holds companies and products accountable through audits, random product testing, and process surveillance, in order to best ensure that those who want or need gluten-free products can get what they expect.

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“Evaluating certifications can be a challenge even when you know what to look for, as many of the certification entities don’t publish their standards online,” shared Jeanne Reid, Marketing Manager at GIG, in the press release. “Employing the expertise of a trusted third-party gluten-free certification program holds a number of potential benefits for food manufacturers. It reduces the risk of improperly designating a product as gluten-free and gives a manufacturer the credibility, recognition, and support that their gluten-free product meets or exceeds FDA standards.”