The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has published new regulations in regards to the definition of “gluten free” for companies voluntarily labeling their products. These new regulations will protect Americans who have celiac disease by providing a standard definition for all companies to go by. About 3 million Americans suffer from the condition, an autoimmune disease that can be managed by consuming a gluten-free diet.

“Adherence to a gluten-free diet is the key to treating celiac disease, which can be very disruptive to everyday life,” says FDA Commissioner Margaret A. Hamburg, M.D. “The FDA’s new ‘gluten-free’ definition will help people with this condition make food choices with confidence and allow them to better manage their health.”

The new federal definition standardizes the meaning of “gluten-free” claims in the food industry. It requires food to meet all requirements of the definition, including that the food must contain less than 20 parts per million gluten, before a “gluten-free” label can be added to a product. The new regulations also require foods labeled with claims of “no gluten,” “free of gluten” and “without gluten” to also follow these new requirements.

The FDA believes many foods already labeled as “gluten free” will be able to meet the new federal standards without making changes. However, food manufacturers are being given a year after publishing of the new regulations to bring their labels into compliance with the new standards.

“We encourage the food industry to come into compliance with the new definition as soon as possible and help us make it as easy as possible for people with celiac disease to identify foods that meet the federal definition of ‘gluten-free,'” said Michael R. Taylor, the FDA’s deputy commissioner for foods and veterinary medicine.

Gluten refers to proteins that occur naturally in wheat, rye, barley, cross-hybrids of the grains. Those with celiac disease experience a production of antibodies that attack and damage the lining of the small intestine when they consume foods containing gluten. This damage limits the ability to absorb nutrients and puts a person at risk of some serious health conditions, including nutritional deficiencies, osteoporosis, growth retardation, infertility, miscarriage, short stature and intestinal cancer.

The FDA was directed by the Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act  (FALCPA) to issue the new regulations in an effort to help those with celiac disease maintain a gluten-free diet.

The new regulations were published August 2 in the Federal Register.