The FDA has not ruled on gluten standards for hydrolyzed or fermented foods yet, and current TTB regulations on the matter are considered interim until the FDA makes its final ruling.
I've heard from Pedro at New Planet Beer--who is currently working tirelessly to influence the FDA to rule that de-glutenized beers cannot be labeled or advertised as gluten-free or otherwise "safe"--that neither the FDA or the TTB are receiving consumer complaints of adverse reactions to beers like Omission, which (duh) is because no one knows to complain to them.
So I am reaching out in every direction I know to ask that if you are like me and react to Omission or beers like it, please contact the FDA and report it. If we all band together we can hopefully prevent the FDA from letting them fraudulently label their beers as gluten-free, and hopefully even prevent them from having their distributors encourage the fraudulent marketing of their beer as "gluten-free" to restaurants and retailers.
To contact the FDA, please see here: http://www.fda.gov/Safety/ReportaProblem/ConsumerComplaintCoordinators/default.htm
Or fill out and mail or fax this form:
http://www.fda.gov/downloads/AboutFDA/ReportsManualsForms/Forms/UCM349464.pdf
You may think that the FDA ruling is irrelevant, that people who get sick from Omission just won't drink it and will drink something else instead. But many retailers are reluctant to carry GF beer and Omission has the money and distributor network necessary to get priority at many restaurants and retail establishments. If they can call themselves gluten-free, they're taking shelf space away from truly gluten-free beers and preventing these breweries from growing and thriving, thus reducing consumer access to real gluten-free beer.
Aside from buying and asking for real gluten-free beer, such as New Planet, Harvester, Steadfast, Bard's, Green's, and New Grist, reporting your reactions to the FDA is one of the best things you can do to support the future of gluten-free beer in America.
I've heard from Pedro at New Planet Beer--who is currently working tirelessly to influence the FDA to rule that de-glutenized beers cannot be labeled or advertised as gluten-free or otherwise "safe"--that neither the FDA or the TTB are receiving consumer complaints of adverse reactions to beers like Omission, which (duh) is because no one knows to complain to them.
So I am reaching out in every direction I know to ask that if you are like me and react to Omission or beers like it, please contact the FDA and report it. If we all band together we can hopefully prevent the FDA from letting them fraudulently label their beers as gluten-free, and hopefully even prevent them from having their distributors encourage the fraudulent marketing of their beer as "gluten-free" to restaurants and retailers.
To contact the FDA, please see here: http://www.fda.gov/Safety/ReportaProblem/ConsumerComplaintCoordinators/default.htm
Or fill out and mail or fax this form:
http://www.fda.gov/downloads/AboutFDA/ReportsManualsForms/Forms/UCM349464.pdf
You may think that the FDA ruling is irrelevant, that people who get sick from Omission just won't drink it and will drink something else instead. But many retailers are reluctant to carry GF beer and Omission has the money and distributor network necessary to get priority at many restaurants and retail establishments. If they can call themselves gluten-free, they're taking shelf space away from truly gluten-free beers and preventing these breweries from growing and thriving, thus reducing consumer access to real gluten-free beer.
Aside from buying and asking for real gluten-free beer, such as New Planet, Harvester, Steadfast, Bard's, Green's, and New Grist, reporting your reactions to the FDA is one of the best things you can do to support the future of gluten-free beer in America.
