Coeliac in your country
What “gluten-free” means, and what to do with a “may contain” line, depends on the country. In the EU, the UK and Switzerland gluten-free means no more than 20 mg of gluten per kg, in the US any unavoidable gluten must stay below 20 ppm, and in Australia and New Zealand a gluten free food must contain no detectable gluten at all. Pick your country below for its law, oats, labels, symbols and help with costs.
Last verified 26 October 2026, against the official law texts, regulators and association pages listed under Sources.
Which country are you in?
| Country | What “gluten-free” means | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | No more than 20 mg/kg (20 ppm) | For “may contain” we follow Coeliac UK; prescriptions for people diagnosed |
| Ireland | No more than 20 mg/kg (EU rule) | “May contain” is voluntary and no rule for us; tax relief on gluten-free foods |
| United States | Below 20 ppm (21 CFR 101.91) | Allergen labels name wheat, but not barley or rye |
| Canada | No gluten protein; Health Canada applies 20 ppm | Barley, oats, rye, triticale and wheat must be named on labels |
| Australia | No detectable gluten | Oats can never be labelled gluten free |
| New Zealand | No detectable gluten (same Code as Australia) | Oats can never be labelled gluten free, imported oats included |
| Europe (EU) | No more than 20 mg/kg in every member state | Same label rule everywhere; each country decides how restaurants give allergen information |
| Germany | “Glutenfrei”: no more than 20 mg/kg | Allergen information is mandatory in restaurants too |
| Austria | “Glutenfrei”: no more than 20 mg/kg | Official checks of gluten-free dishes in restaurants and bakeries |
| Italy | “Senza glutine”: no more than 20 mg/kg | Free gluten-free products within monthly limits |
| Switzerland | “Glutenfrei”: no more than 20 mg/kg (own law) | A “may contain” note is compulsory when gluten could exceed 200 mg/kg |
Why do gluten-free rules change at the border?
Coeliac disease is the same everywhere, and so are the names gluten hides behind; we keep those in our hidden gluten ingredients list. What changes is the law: the number behind “gluten-free”, whether oats can carry the label, which grains a label must name, and what a “may contain” line means.
Oats show it best. Specially produced gluten-free oats may carry the label in the EU, the UK, Switzerland, the US and Canada, but in Australia and New Zealand oats can never be labelled gluten free.
How do we treat “may contain” in each country?
In the EU, including Ireland, Germany, Austria and Italy, a “may contain” line is voluntary and no rule for us: the ingredient list and a gluten-free label decide. Outside the EU, each country’s own rules apply, and each page explains them. In the UK, for example, we follow Coeliac UK, and Swiss law makes the note compulsory when cross-contact could exceed 200 mg of gluten per kg.
How do we check these pages?
Every fact on these pages comes from the official law text, the regulator or the national coeliac association’s own pages, linked under Sources on each page with the date we read it. Read what we promise for how we work.
For places to eat, browse the HTGF Atlas directory of gluten-free places by country.
Frequently asked questions
Where is gluten-free labelling strictest?
In Australia and New Zealand, where a food labelled gluten free must contain no detectable gluten, no oats and no malted gluten cereals.
Is gluten-free the same in the UK and the EU?
The number is the same: no more than 20 mg of gluten per kg. The UK kept the EU regulation in its own law and has not amended it since the end of 2020.
Can oats be labelled gluten-free everywhere?
No. Specially produced gluten-free oats may carry the label in the EU, the UK, Switzerland, the US and Canada, but in Australia and New Zealand oats can never be labelled gluten free.
Is Switzerland in the EU for food labels?
No. Switzerland has its own law with the same 20 mg/kg limit for “glutenfrei”, but a “may contain” note there is compulsory when cross-contact could exceed 200 mg of gluten per kg.
Sources
Every fact on this page comes from these pages. We read each of them on 26 October 2026.
- AGES, Schwerpunktaktion A-702-26 (report dated 11 August 2026), read 26 October 2026
- Bekanntmachung der Kommission 2022/C 355/01, Anhang I Nr. 3.7 Allergene, read 26 October 2026
- BMLEH (Bundesministerium), Allergenkennzeichnung (page dated 01.10.2025), read 26 October 2026
- CFIA: Food allergies, for consumers, read 26 October 2026
- Coeliac New Zealand: Position statement on oats and coeliac disease (February 2025), read 26 October 2026
- Coeliac UK: Gluten free checklist (May 2024, PDF), read 26 October 2026
- Coeliac UK: Prescriptions, read 26 October 2026
- Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 828/2014, read 26 October 2026
- Commission Notice 2022/C 355/01 (food safety management systems), Annex I point 3.7 Allergens, read 26 October 2026
- Comunicazione della Commissione 2022/C 355/01, allegato I punto 3.7 Allergeni, read 26 October 2026
- DurchfĂĽhrungsverordnung (EU) Nr. 828/2014, read 26 October 2026
- eCFR: 21 CFR 101.91, gluten-free labeling of food, read 26 October 2026
- EU Publications Office: Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011, read 26 October 2026
- EU Publications Office: Regulation (EU) No 828/2014, read 26 October 2026
- FDA: Food allergies, read 26 October 2026
- FDA: Questions and answers on the gluten-free food labeling final rule, read 26 October 2026
- Federal Register of Legislation: Food Standards Code, Schedule 4 (compilation of 30 April 2026), read 26 October 2026
- Health Canada: Gluten-free labelling of products with specially produced gluten-free oats, read 26 October 2026
- Health Canada: Position on gluten-free labelling (June 2012), read 26 October 2026
- Justice Laws: Food and Drug Regulations, section B.24.018, read 26 October 2026
- Legge 4 luglio 2005, n. 123, art. 4 (Normattiva), read 26 October 2026
- legislation.gov.uk: Regulation (EU) No 828/2014 as kept in UK law, Annex, read 26 October 2026
- Regolamento di esecuzione (UE) n. 828/2014, read 26 October 2026
- Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011, consolidated text 01.01.2018, read 26 October 2026
- Revenue: Additional diet expenses for coeliacs and diabetics, read 26 October 2026
- Verordnung des EDI betreffend die Information ĂĽber Lebensmittel (LIV), SR 817.022.16, Stand 1. Juli 2025, read 26 October 2026
Reviewed against the HTGF methodology: every claim sourced, every listing tiered and dated. This article is practical guidance, not medical advice.
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