Help Shape the Future of Gluten Labeling
A community-led response to the FDA’s Request for Information.
What is this?
On January 22, 2026, the FDA issued a Request for Information on gluten labeling and the prevention of gluten cross-contact in packaged foods. The agency described this as a first step toward improving transparency in ingredient disclosures for health conditions such as celiac disease.You can read the full FDA news release here.This is a rare window for us to influence federal policy. We are a husband-and-wife team collecting anonymous experiences to submit a "human-centered" public comment to the FDA before the March 23, 2026 deadline.Labels shouldn't be a guessing game. We want to tell the FDA what it’s really like to shop, what you trust, and how FDA labels (or the lack thereof) change your decisions.This is not scientific research and is not affiliated with any organization.
Who we are
We are Stephen Simalchik and Ariel Stess. We live in Illinois. Ariel has been navigating Celiac disease since 2015. Stephen works in healthcare operations and program design, and Ariel is a writer and professor at Northwestern.This is a personal project fueled by our own kitchen-table conversations. Our goal is simply to document real experiences honestly and help the FDA better understand what navigating gluten labeling actually looks like in practice.For questions or concerns:
[email protected]
Your privacy
This is 100% Anonymous (no names/emails are collected).Your stories will be summarized into themes for our public letter in response to the FDA's Request for Comment.Results will be shared on this page for transparency.This is not scientific research and is not intended to produce representative data. By completing this survey, you consent to having your anonymized responses included in a public submission to the FDA.
Participate
This survey is intended for individuals who have celiac disease, gluten intolerance, or gluten sensitivity, and for those who shop or cook for someone who does.Got 2-3 minutes? Help us try to make the gluten-free world a little safer.