HospitalityNEWSA publication of South Dakota Retailers Association

September 2013

—Condensed From U.S. Food and Drug Administration Resources (www.fda.gov)

The Food and Drug Adminis-tration (FDA) has issued a final rule that defines what character-istics a food has to have to bear a label that proclaims it “gluten-free.” The rule also holds foods labeled “without gluten,” “free of gluten,” and “no gluten” to the same standard.

What is gluten?Gluten means the proteins that

occur naturally in wheat, rye, barley, and crossbreeds of these grains.

Who does the rule benefit?It benefits people with celiac disease, an inherited chronic inflammatory

auto-immune disorder that is estimated to affect up to 3 million Americans. For people who have celiac disease, consumption of gluten results in the de-struction of the lining of the small intestine and the risk of other serious health conditions. The definition also benefits the food industry by establishing a level playing field among manufacturers of products labeled “gluten-free.”

How does FDA define “gluten-free?”In addition to limiting the unavoidable presence of gluten to less than 20

ppm, FDA will allow manufacturers to label a food “gluten-free” if the food does not contain any of the following:qan ingredient that is any type of wheat, rye, barley, or crossbreeds of these grainsqan ingredient derived from these grains and that has not been processed to remove glutenqan ingredient derived from these grains and that has been processed to remove gluten, if it results in the food containing 20 or more parts per million (ppm) glutenFoods such as bottled spring water, fruits and vegetables, and eggs can also

be labeled “gluten-free” if they inherently don’t have any gluten.

What is the compliance date?The regulation was published Aug. 5, 2013 in the Federal Register, and

manufacturers have one year from the publication date to bring their labels into compliance.

FDA Issues Gluten-Free Food Labeling Rule

Restaurants and food manufacturers who market food or beverage items as “gluten free,” must meet all requirements of a new, regulatory definition of that term, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said in a final rule issued Aug. 3.

According to the FDA’s final rule, which was published in the Federal Register Aug. 5, restaurants serving food or bever-ages termed “gluten-free,” “free of gluten,” “without gluten” or “no gluten,” are making a food-labeling claim that should be con-sistent with the new regulatory definition for gluten-free.

The new federal definition, effective Sept. 4 with a compliance date of Aug. 5, 2014, would standardize the meaning of “gluten-free” claims across the food industry, the FDA said. In order to use the term “gluten-free” on labels, the food items must meet all of the requirements of the definition, including that they must contain less than 20 parts per million of gluten.

GLUTEN-FREE, continued on next page

Join thousands of restaurants and chefs nationwide who are part of a national fundraising event this month to help make sure no child in America grows up hungry. To find out how you can participate, visit www.dineoutfornokidhungry.org

B2 SDRA HOSPITALITY NEWS • SEPTEMBER 2013

SILVER SPONSORSSouth Dakota Chefs Association

Cashway Foods-Cash Wa Distributing Co.Food Services of America

BRONZE SPONSORSEcolab Inc., St. Paul, MN

Sysco North Dakota & Sysco LincolnUS Foods

WR Restaurants Management

SUPPORTING SPONSORSAlpine Inn, Hill City

Casa Del Rey, Sioux FallsChef Don Smith, Sioux Falls

Coborn’s, MitchellDr. Lee Frantz

Hy-Vee Food StoresMercer Cutlery

Mitchell Technical InstituteSouth Dakota Beef Industry Council

TargetWellmark Blue Cross Blue Shield

Wrangler Inn / Premier Management Co., Mobridge

GLUTEN-FREE, continued

What products are covered by the final rule?The final rule applies to all FDA-regulated foods, includ-

ing dietary supplements. The rule excludes those foods whose labeling is regulated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB). Generally, USDA regulates the labeling of meats, poultry, and certain egg products (FDA regulates the labeling of shell eggs). TTB regulates the labeling of most alcoholic beverages, including all distilled spirits, wines that contain 7 percent or more alcohol by volume, and malted beverages that are made with both malted barley and hops.

Does the final rule apply to gluten-free claims made for foods served in restaurants, including cafeterias and buffets?

With respect to restaurants, FDA guidance suggests that any use of an FDA-defined food labeling claim (such as “fat free” or “low cholesterol”) on restaurant menus should be consistent with the respective regulatory definitions. This same approach would be followed with respect to “gluten-free” claims made in restaurants and other retail food service establishments.

Will products labeled gluten free that are currently on grocery store shelves have to be removed if they do not comply with the final rule?

The compliance date for the foods labeled gluten-free to meet all requirements of the final rule is one year after date of publication. The compliance date allows the food industry sufficient time to make whatever changes are needed in the formulation or labeling of their foods bearing a gluten-free claim in order to legally market them in the United States. However, manufacturers are responsible for ensuring that their product labels are truthful and not misleading. There-fore, FDA anticipates that manufacturers are likely to choose to follow the requirements of the final rule as soon as pos-sible.

How long will it take for FDA-regulated foods that have an “old” gluten-free claim on the label to be cycled off grocery store shelves?

The length of time will vary depending on inventory, prod-uct shelf life, consumer popularity of the product, and other variables. However, as stated, FDA anticipates that manufac-turers are likely to follow the requirements of the final rule as soon as possible. We note that many foods currently labeled as “gluten-free” may already be able to meet the new federal definition. n

2013 South Dakota ProStart Sponsors

SDRA member benefit: SDRA restaurant members are also members of the Na-tional Restaurant Association (NRA). NRA has tremen-dous information and resources on their website, so be sure to take advantage of it. Visit www.restaurant.org.

1. Visit our website at www.sdra.org/EducationEvents2. On the left side of the page, select Food Service Training or Alcohol Training3. Click on the Training Schedule & Registration Form link4. Print the registration form, fill it out and mail it to SDRA with a check or credit card number - OR - call us at 800.658.5545 to register and pay with a credit card

6 TRAINING OPTIONS

REGISTRATION IS

EASY

AVAILABLE DATES (September-December, 2013)

South Dakota Retailers Association2013 Foodservice Training Schedule

Take a 4- or 8-hour live class, or choose online training

National ServSafe Certification: • 8-hour class + test 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. / $90 for SDRA members • Online class + proctored test $120 for SDRA members

National ServSafe Recertification • 8-hour class + test (8:00 a.m.- 5:00 p.m.) $90 for SDRA members • Test only (at 8-hour class location) $90 for SDRA members • Online class + proctored test $120 for SDRA members

State Recertification: • 4-hour class (1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.) $50 for SDRA members

NOTE: A $20 fee will be charged to reschedule a foodservice class.

Aberdeen - Ramada Inn 2727 6th Ave.Tues., Nov. 12, 2013 - 4 hour StateWed., Nov. 13, 2013 - 8 hour National

Rapid City - Ramada Inn 1902 N. LaCrosseTues., Sept. 10, 2013 - 8 hour National Tues., Oct. 8, 2013 - 8 hour NationalTues., Oct. 15, 2013 - 4 hour StateTues., Dec. 3, 2013 - 8 hour National

Sioux Falls - South Dakota Achieve 4100 S. Western Ave. Wed., Sept. 25, 2013 – 8 hour NationalWed., Oct. 23, 2013 – 8 hour NationalWed., Oct. 30, 2013 – 4 hour StateWed., Nov. 20, 2013 – 8 hour NationalWed., Dec. 18, 2013 – 8 hour National

Watertown - Country Inn & Suites I-29 & Hwy 212Tues., Sept. 17, 2013 – 4 hour StateWed., Sept. 18, 2013 – 8 hour National

FOOD SERVICE TRAINING

Certification and recertification are valid for five years.

Why foodservice training: The State of South Dakota requires every food service establishment and mobile food service establishment to have at least one person on staff who has passed an eight-hour food service training and certification program. The requirement is part of the state food service code, which is designed to help ensure that customers receive food that has been properly stored, handled, prepared, and served.

SDRA HOSPITALITY NEWS • SEPTEMBER 2013 B3

What do you still need to know about health care reform? What deadlines are looming? Who has to comply, and what are the penalties for noncompliance? Get the answers to these questions and more, in this webinar presented by Wellmark Blue Cross Blue Shield, and hosted by SDRA.

Register online: www1.gotomeeting.com/register/213024608

How it works: You will receive a confirmation email and reminder emails prior to the webinar. These emails will provide you with a phone number and an online link. On the day of the webinar, you will be calling the phone number to listen to the presentation, and will watch the PowerPoint presentation online. There is no charge to register, but phone charges may apply.

Health Care Reform Webinar Wed., Sept. 25

Starting at 10 a.m. CT