About 1 in 133 people in America have Celiac Disease, an autoimmune disorder in which the small intestine reacts negatively to the protein gluten, found in wheat, rye, and barley. Even the slightest amount of gluten ingestion can cause deadly results for celiacs. America simply does not have strong enough laws in place to prevent gluten ingestion for these celiacs.

In 2004, a law called the Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act was passed by the FDA, requiring the prescence of all major food allergens to be stated on the label. But this law is very basic, and not explicit enough. The passage concerning the labeling of manufactured gluten-free products (Section 206) is barely a paragraph long. It does not address important concerns, such as how much gluten is needed to be present in a food product to be included on a label. Also, there are no regulations whatsoever for cross-contamination regulations in restaurants that sport a gluten-free menu.

 Image credit to: Andrea McCarthy, http://rockinglutenfree.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/rsz_20130504_095710.jpg