To: The United States House of Representatives and The United States Senate
Remove Gluten from FDA GRAS List
Because the number of people who have been diagnosed with either gluten sensitivity or celiac disease is rising, it is time for two actions. 1. Remove gluten from the generally regarded as safe (GRAS) list of the FDA and 2. Require manufacturers to list gluten as an ingredient on their labels.
Why is this important?
Within the last several years my son was diagnosed with celiac disease and I was diagnosed with gluten sensitivity. A decade ago gluten intolerance was at a rate was 1/2500 world wide. Now it is 1/133. In Finland gluten intolerance has doubled in the past thirty years with the elderly population rates growing faster than regular population. Celiac disease is under-diagnosed. Only 5% of an estimated 1/100 patients have been tested. Gluten sensitivity is in about 5% 1/20 of the population. It is time to question the safety of gluten and to require product manufacturers to list gluten as an ingredient.