Things are getting easier for the wheat free and/or gluten free shopper. The Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act (FALCPA) list allergens on the labels of all products manufacturered after January 1, 2006. Since wheat is one of the "required" allergens, wheat free shoppers will have a much easier task, as soon as all the items packaged before 2006 disappear from the shelves. "Defensive shopping" will be relative simple, since the list of allergens is almost certainly shorter than the list of ingredients and is written in more readable type. The gluten free shopper will follow a two step process: (1) Check the allergens list and immediately reject any items that contains wheat. (2) If (and only if) the item is wheat free, read the entire ingredients list looking for any indications of barley, rye, malt, or oats. Reading some ingredients lists is better than the current situation of having to read every label every time. The Food and Drug Administration is tasked with writing guidelines for manufacturers who elect to label their products gluten-free and finding an appropriate way to inform consumers about cross-contamination issues. This information is due in 2008. Need more information? I recommend the American Celiac Disease Alliance. Here is the link to their FALCPA fact sheet.