The Association of European Coeliac Societies (AOECS) launches Gluten Free Alliance

AOECS is transforming its gluten free food safety scheme under the new name of the Gluten Free Alliance. The new concept builds on the heritage of the 40-year-old Crossed Grain Symbol, used for identifying safe gluten free pre-packed food products. The launch includes both new branding and an update to the food safety standard that is required for manufacturers to use the AOECS Crossed Grain Trademark on their packaging.

What is the Gluten Free Alliance?

The name Gluten Free Alliance recognises the collective effort of the national coeliac patient organisations (who make up the c.40 members of AOECS) and the food industry to bring safe gluten free food to those who need it. For people with coeliac disease avoiding gluten is the only recognised treatment for this life long condition, and is imperative for their well being.

“The ultimate goal for AOECS is to put safe gluten free food on every table. We know that consumers are 80% more likely to trust a product’s safety if it has one of our Crossed Grain Trademarks on it. We want to be the bridge between consumers demanding gluten free food and the food industry” Veronica Rubio, Secretary General at AOECS explains.

Why is a new concept released?

The new Gluten Free Alliance branding will help improve the strength and consistency of the use of the Crossed Grain Trademark around the world. It will increase awareness amongst consumers and food businesses and make it easier for multinational companies to engage with AOECS’s food safety schemes wherever they operate.

Enhancing the over 40-year-old trademark for gluten free packaged food.

One of the most visible modifications of the new Gluten Free Alliance brand system is improving the design of the on-pack version of the Crossed Grain Trademark. It will be easier for consumers to understand the trademark purpose and origin. There are currently over 23 thousand products labelled with the Crossed Grain Trademark.

The new design will be available for use from August. There will be a 3-year transition for existing licensees to switch to the new design.

New Branding, new Gluten Free Food Standard

The launch of the Gluten Free Alliance, incorporates an update to AOECS Standard for Gluten Free Food. This is a guiding document on how to meet the technical standard required to obtain a license so that manufacturers can apply the Crossed Grain Trademark to product packaging.

This will replace the existing version over a phased 6-month period. The new AOECS Gluten Free Food Standard becomes mandatory from 1st January 2023.

The revised version of the AOECS Standard is on our webpage www.aoecs.org