GFCO Client Platform Updates

GFCO is dedicated to enhancing our systems and elevating our service to our clients. We acknowledge that maintaining a current record of your approved Products and Ingredients through our traditional GFCO Excel spreadsheet templates has presented its challenges. The asynchronous nature of email-based file exchanges has introduced delays and held the potential for outdated auditing information, while also posing a threat to data security by transmitting data via email.

In response to this, we are thrilled to announce the launch of GFCO Compass — a proprietary application designed to streamline and secure the submission and management of Product and Ingredient information. With GFCO Compass, clients gain control over their user profiles, product details, ingredient lists, certification documents, and accompanying supportive materials. In January 2024, we will begin our transition into the Compass system. We would also like to draw your attention to some important modifications in the use of the platform that may influence your procedures:

1. Exclusive Certification Contract Access: To maintain stringent quality control, only holders of a GFCO Certification Contract can access the Compass system. This ensures that those directly accountable for meeting ingredient testing requirements are the ones managing this critical information. Companies operating under a Licensing Agreement will need to collaborate with the GFCO-contracted facility to ensure their data is accurately represented in the system.
2. Enhanced Ingredient-Product Traceability: Our previous Excel-based system had no way to track the ingredients used in each Product, and the legacy GFCO database was unable to record this level of detail. With the introduction of Compass, you will now be able to associate specific ingredients with their respective products, thus optimizing product ingredient review and oversight.

We are excited about the opportunity to introduce GFCO Compass to our clients in the upcoming year, confident that it will signify a new chapter in certification management efficiency and effectiveness.

GFCO Product Finder

Consumers enjoy using our Product Finder to help them look for certified gluten-free products they can trust, and the appearance of your products on this list is a valuable benefit of your certification. All certified products that are available for sale to any other person or entity, via retail, wholesale, business-to-business, direct-to-consumer, or any other form of purchase, are expected to carry the GFCO certification mark and to appear on our Product Finder. Clients will always have the ability to opt out of this public directory for unfinished materials (work-in-progress) being transferred between plants, promotional/sample products, or finished product lines/brands that have not yet been publicly launched. Please check your current certificate to ensure that all your Products are correctly listed, and named in a way that makes them easy for consumers to find. Submit any needed updates to your client service representative, or gfco.clientsupport@gluten.org. 

MoCRA 2022

For our Personal Care product manufacturers, the effective date for the U.S. Modernization of Cosmetics Regulation Act (MoCRA) is December 29, 2023. There are no gluten-related regulations in this new act, but it does require the following from manufacturers who make products such as makeup, nail polishes, shaving cream, grooming products, perfumes, face and body cleansers, haircare products, moisturizers, and skincare products:

• Facility registration with biennial renewal
• Listing all cosmetic products and their ingredients with the FDA
• Adverse event reporting and record-keeping

There are also additional labeling requirements and requirements for the FDA to establish GMPs for the cosmetics industry, as well as a list of “fragrance allergens” and rules for declaring these on packaging. You can learn more about MoCRA on the FDA website.

The Cost of Gluten-Free Recalls

A recent article in the journal Nutrients looked at the impact of gluten-free product recalls on consumer trust. This study, done at the University of Guelph, solicited 1175 survey responses from supporters of Celiac Canada, 70% of whom indicated they had been personally affected by gluten contamination-related recalls.

When asked “What strategies do you feel would be more effective in restoring your consumer trust after a gluten-related recall of a gluten-free product?”, sixty-four percent of respondents chose the response “Disclosure on the source of the problem and possible mitigation strategies”. In response to this same question, 58% percent of respondents chose “Communication strategies (e.g., an apology)”, and 53% chose “Compensation (e.g., a monetary compensation or coupon)” This study seems to indicate that transparency and the steps taken to make sure the problem does not recur are the most important part of a recall response for consumers.

You can read the original publication, including additional interesting findings, here.

We've extended the deadline, and December sponsorship opportunities are waiting for you. Don't miss these key dates:

Dec 1 - Pie Day

Dec 8 - Chanukah Foods

Dec 16 - Cake/Cheesecake Day

Dec 20 - Oatmeal Day

Dec 28 – Chocolate Candy



Find other dates and learn about the campaign here.

Act now and secure your spot by contacting us at gig.marketing@gluten.org. Let's make this holiday season unforgettable together!