People with coeliac disease suffer from a permanent intolerance to gluten. Wheat (i.e. all Triticum species, such as durum wheat, spelt, and khorasan wheat), rye and barley have been identified as grains that are scientifically reported to contain gluten. The gluten present in those grains can cause adverse health effects to people intolerant to gluten and therefore its consumption should be avoided by such people.

Information on the absence or reduced presence of gluten in food should help people intolerant to gluten to identify and choose a varied diet when eating inside or outside the home.

Certain foods have been specially produced, prepared and/or processed to reduce the gluten content of one or more gluten-containing ingredients or to substitute the gluten-containing ingredients with other ingredients naturally free of gluten. Other foods are made exclusively from ingredients that are naturally free of gluten.

The removal of gluten from gluten-containing grains presents considerable technical difficulties and economic constraints and therefore the manufacture of totally gluten-free food when using such grains is difficult. Consequently, many foods especially processed to reduce the gluten content of one or more gluten-containing ingredients on the market may contain low residual amounts of gluten.

Most people with intolerance to gluten can include oats in their diet without adverse effect on their health. This is an issue of ongoing study and investigation by the scientific community. However, a major concern is the contamination of oats with wheat, rye or barley that can occur during grain harvesting, transport, storage and processing. Therefore, the risk of gluten contamination in products containing oats should be taken into consideration with regard to the relevant information provided on those food products by food business operators.

Different people with intolerance to gluten may tolerate variable small amounts of gluten within a restricted range. In order to enable individuals to find on the market a variety of foodstuffs appropriate for their needs and for their level of sensitivity, a choice of products should be possible with different low levels of gluten within such a restricted range. It is important, however, that the different products are properly labelled in order to ensure their correct use by people intolerant to gluten with the support of information campaigns fostered in the Member States.

It should be possible for a food which is specially produced, prepared and/or processed to reduce the gluten content of one or more gluten-containing ingredients or to substitute the gluten-containing ingredients with other ingredients naturally free of gluten to bear terms indicating either the absence (‘gluten-free’) or reduced presence (‘very low gluten’) of gluten in accordance with the provisions laid down in this Regulation. It should also be possible for this food to bear a statement informing consumers that it is specifically formulated for people intolerant to gluten.

It should also be possible for a food containing ingredients naturally free of gluten to bear terms indicating the absence of gluten, in accordance with the provisions laid down in this Regulation and provided that the general conditions on fair information practices set out in Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 are complied with. In particular, food information should not be misleading by suggesting that the food possesses special characteristics when in fact all similar foods possess such characteristics.

The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health,