The Celiac Safety Act Has Been Introduced in Congress
The Celiac Disease Foundation has advocated for mandatory labeling of gluten-containing grains since the NIH Consensus Development Conference on Celiac Disease in 2004, where the scientific and medical community established the framework for celiac disease diagnosis and management in the United States. Today, that advocacy has reached Congress.
On May 28, 2026, Representatives Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO) and Betty McCollum (D-MN) introduced the Celiac Safety Act (H.R.9048) in the U.S. House of Representatives. If passed, this bill would expand the list of major food allergens to cover all gluten-containing grains, not just wheat, requiring clear labeling on all food products that contain these grains.
For the roughly three million Americans living with celiac disease, this would be transformative.
Why this matters
Currently, of all the gluten-containing grains, only wheat is considered a major allergen and required to be listed on food labels in the United States. Because of this, Americans with celiac disease are often left searching ingredient lists for hidden sources of barley and rye, which can be confusing and unclear. The Celiac Safety Act would change that, making it substantially easier for people with celiac disease to identify whether a food is safe to eat.
The United States is one of the only developed nations where this gap exists. Australia, New Zealand, Canada, the United Kingdom, and all 27 member states of the European Union already require manufacturers to list gluten as a major allergen. This bill would finally bring the United States in line with the rest of the world.
Our role in making this happen
The Celiac Safety Act reflects years of sustained advocacy by the Celiac Disease Foundation. The Foundation worked directly with Representative Cleaver’s office to identify the legislative path forward, providing the policy expertise and scientific grounding that shaped this bill. Mandatory labeling of barley and rye on par with wheat has been a cornerstone of the Foundation’s domestic advocacy agenda, and today that work has reached Congress. We are deeply grateful to Representative Cleaver and his team for their commitment and collaboration, and to Congresswoman McCollum, co-chair of the House Celiac Disease Caucus, for her leadership in co-introducing this legislation. We also thank the American Gastroenterological Association and the Society for the Study of Celiac Disease for their endorsement.
Part of a larger strategy
The introduction of the Celiac Safety Act does not stand alone. This same month, the Celiac Disease Foundation helped advance landmark international guidelines at the Codex Committee on Food Labelling, the global body whose standards directly influence U.S. regulatory policy, establishing for the first time a science-based reference dose for gluten in precautionary allergen labeling. The Foundation served as a member of the U.S. delegation and has been driving this effort for years. Domestic legislation and international standards are two sides of the same fight, and the Foundation is advancing both simultaneously.
Our statement
“Gluten-containing grains trigger a serious autoimmune response in celiac disease patients, yet current labeling laws fail to recognize that risk with the same clarity afforded to other ingredients listed as major allergens. Recategorizing gluten-containing grains as a major food allergen would strengthen transparency, reduce preventable medical harm, and help millions of Americans make safe food choices with confidence. The Celiac Disease Foundation applauds Representatives Cleaver and McCollum for introducing the Celiac Safety Act, and we urge members of Congress to pass this important legislation,” said Marilyn G. Geller, CEO of the Celiac Disease Foundation.
What you can do right now
The Celiac Safety Act needs Congressional support to become law. Please contact your representatives today and urge them to co-sponsor this legislation. It takes less than a minute and it matters enormously.
The Celiac Safety Act is endorsed by the Celiac Disease Foundation, the American Gastroenterological Association, and the Society for the Study of Celiac Disease. You can learn more about the Celiac Safety Act here.
If your organization would like to endorse this bill, please reach out to us at advocacy@celiac.org.