Certified gluten-free
The Gluten-Free Certification Organization’s mark: the product was certified to GFCO’s standard, which sets a limit of 10 parts per million of gluten.
How to read it
The Gluten-Free Certification Organization is a program of the Gluten Intolerance Group of North America. It runs an independent, third-party certification program, and says it does not enforce federal rules and is not required for labeling a product gluten-free. It issued its first certification in 2005.
Also searched as: crossed grain, GF symbol, gluten free symbol.
Differences by country or standard
GFCO set its limit at 10 parts per million of gluten, which it describes as twice as strict as the 20 ppm threshold of the World Health Organization, Codex and the US Food and Drug Administration.
A claim without a mark
In the United States, “gluten-free” on a label is a voluntary claim that makers can use if they meet the FDA’s requirements, defined in a final rule of 2 August 2013. A certification mark is a separate, private check.
Read next
- Next in Certification marksCE markThe CE mark is the manufacturer’s declaration that a product meets the EU laws that apply to it, which lets it be sold anywhere in the European Economic Area.
- The same shape in African flagsFlag of BurundiA white diagonal cross divides the flag into red triangles at top and bottom and green ones at the sides, with a white disc in the centre holding three red six-pointed stars. The Presidency of Burundi says the red recalls the sacrifices made to defend the nation and win independence, the green hope and prosperity, the white peace and unity, and that the three stars traditionally stand for the national motto, “Unity, Work, Progress”.
More certification marks
The same shape elsewhere
Browse symbols drawn with circles or crosses.
Sources
- About the Gluten-Free Certification Organization, Gluten-Free Certification Organization
- Gluten-Free Labeling of Foods, U.S. Food and Drug Administration
Researched, edited and approved by Rory Hansen before publishing. Last reviewed September 25, 2026. How we research
Added .