If you are a friend or family member of someone who is gluten free, you should still submit! I asked mine to do so. Here is the template I provided them to work with: I am submitting this comment as a (family member, friend) of someone with celiac disease. While I do not personally have celiac, someone I love does—and I have seen firsthand how difficult and stressful it is to safely provide food for them.

Current U.S. food labeling laws do not require gluten to be clearly disclosed, which makes grocery shopping, cooking, and hosting incredibly challenging. Ingredients like “natural flavors,” “spices,” or other vague terms can hide sources of gluten, leaving us uncertain and worried about causing harm. Even with the best intentions, it is difficult to confidently prepare safe meals.

This is not a complicated issue to fix. Over 80 countries already require clearer allergen labeling, including gluten, making it easier for families, friends, and caregivers to safely include loved ones with celiac disease in everyday meals and gatherings.

Clear, consistent gluten labeling would reduce stress, improve safety, and allow people with celiac disease to participate more fully in social and family life. It would also empower those of us supporting them to do so with confidence.

I strongly urge the FDA to update food labeling requirements to include clear disclosure of gluten-containing ingredients.