The Gluten Intolerance Group (GIG) is rebranding its Gluten-Free Certification Organization (GFCO) mark to support its expanding presence in international markets. Companies will have until 2022 to completely adopt the new symbol on packaging.
GIG determined that a design change was required to meet international trademark regulations. The new design also will make the mark more easily identifiable to global consumers and will protect the value of its certification internationally.
Gluten-free products are increasingly popular. With increased demand for label transparency globally, this new mark should add even greater value to brands that are certified by GFCO. The design of the rebranded GFCO mark includes several identifiable features including:
- The words “Certified Gluten Free” leave no question as to what the new mark represents.
- The GFCO mark meets both the USDA requirements as well as international trademark registration requirements.
- The inclusion of the gfco.org website on the mark clearly identifies GFCO as the owner of the mark and directs consumers to the GFCO website where they can search for certified gluten-free products.
- Bilingual French-English and Spanish-English GFCO marks will be available in the coming months.
“The new GFCO mark is intentionally designed to stand out from other gluten-free symbols to ensure products secure consumer trust,” said Channon Quinn, COO of GIG.
There are other gluten-free certifying organizations, but GFCO claims to be the only one to hold companies and products accountable through audits, random product testing and process surveillance. All GFCO certification bodies are accredited to ISO 17065, ensuring they follow internationally established best practices for auditing and product certification.
To date, more than 60,000 products from 51 countries have earned GFCO certification. The certification program protects consumers with gluten-related disorders by confirming that a product meets strict standards for gluten-free safety.
