PLANO, TX -- Frito-Lay North America has established a testing process to validate many of its products as gluten-free and will identify them on its packaging.
Some of the snack giant's products -- Lay's classic potato chips and Fritos original corn chips among them -- are already gluten-free. Foods will not be reformulated but tested to meet the requirement set by the Food and Drug Administration that a product must contain 20 parts per million before the manufacturer can make a "gluten-free" claim.
The PepsiCo snack division developed the validation process, which tests ingredients and finished products, with input from the Food Allergy Research and Resource Program and the Celiac Disease Foundation.
Products that qualify as gluten-free will be identified with a "GF" icon and statement on the back of the bag. Frito-Lay said changes to packaging will be phased in as products are qualified under the new testing process.
About 3 million Americans have celiac disease, a digestive disorder triggered by gluten, a protein found in wheat, barley and rye, and an estimated 21 million more have some level of gluten sensitivity.
A list of Frito-Lay's gluten-free products can viewed by clicking here.
