Gluten Intolerance Group

What Gluten Intolerance Group does

The Gluten Intolerance Group (GIG), legally "The Gluten Intolerance Group of North America," is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1974 (EIN 91-1458226) headquartered in Olympia, Washington, with additional offices in Lacey, WA and Sebastian, FL, plus remote employees across the United States. GIG serves individuals living gluten-free — including those medically diagnosed with celiac disease or gluten sensitivity and those choosing gluten-free lifestyles — through three integrated pillars: consumer education and community support, product certification via the Gluten-Free Certification Organization (GFCO), and food service validation via the Gluten-Free Food Service (GFFS) program. The organization runs over 90 adult and youth support groups worldwide, a youth program (Generation GF), educational toolkits for parents/teachers/school nurses/dietitians/college students, downloadable meal plans, and the "At the Table" podcast hosted by COO Channon Quinn.

GIG's commercial engine is built on two certification programs plus a lower-tier awareness program. GFCO certifies products under an 80-point standard requiring 10ppm of gluten or less — twice as strict as the FDA's 20ppm threshold — and has certified over 65,000 products from 1,300+ brands across six continents. GFFS validates restaurants, hospitals, senior living facilities, and college campuses as "Safe Spots" through education, training, and auditing, while Chef to Plate serves as an awareness-tier partnership with broader food establishments. GIG does not operate as a technology company; its "platform" is the trust mark, auditing infrastructure, and community network rather than software.

The revenue model combines licensing/certification fees from GFCO and GFFS with tax-deductible donations and a free consumer membership tier. The organization maintains GuideStar Platinum status and recognition as one of America's Best Charities, and in November 2021 spun off GIG Cares as a separate nonprofit to address food insecurity through the Cutting Costs program (originally partnered earlier in 2021). Strategic media and event relationships include New Hope Network (Natural Products Expo West panel), NASN (school nurse education), and Sterling Kilgore (media/PR).

Name

Gluten Intolerance Group

Legal name

The Gluten Intolerance Group of North America

Website

https://gluten.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1974

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Gluten Intolerance Group is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1974 that provides education, community support, and gluten-free food safety certification (GFCO, GFFS, Chef to Plate) to consumers, food manufacturers, restaurants, hospitals, and schools.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Food Safety Certification

akta.pro primary industry

Gluten-Free & Allergen-Free Certification Services (AFALAMAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Dietary/Functional Claim Substantiation (e.g., high-protein, low-sugar, keto, low-FODMAP) (AFALAHAE)

Keywords

• Gluten-free certification
• Food safety certification
• Celiac disease support
• Nonprofit health education
• Food service validation

Headquarters

HQ city

Auburn

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Gluten-Free Certification (GFCO): GIG operates the Gluten-Free Certification Organization (GFCO) which certifies products bearing the Certified Gluten-Free mark. GFCO rigorously tests and certifies products (65,000+ and counting) through an 80-point standard verified via auditing, ensuring products contain 10ppm of gluten or less.
2. GFFS Validation Program: GIG's Gluten-Free Food Service (GFFS) program works with restaurants, hospitals, senior living facilities, and college campuses to ensure safe gluten-free food preparation. The program includes education, training, and review processes for establishments seeking Safe Spot validation.
3. Chef to Plate Awareness Program: A partnership program with food establishments that offer gluten-free menu options. Provides restaurants with listing on GIG's website, social media exposure, and recognition within GIG's community in exchange for meeting minimum gluten-free standards.
4. Donations and Membership: GIG is a registered 501(c)(3) organization. Membership is free, with the organization supported through donations. EIN 91-1458226. All donations are tax deductible.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Gluten Intolerance Group (GIG) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that operates the Gluten-Free Certification Organization (GFCO), which certifies products to contain 10ppm or less of gluten via an 80-point audited standard (over 65,000 products across 1,300+ brands). It also runs the Gluten-Free Food Service (GFFS) program validating restaurants, hospitals, senior living facilities, and college campuses as Gluten-Free Safe Spots, plus the Chef to Plate awareness program for food establishments offering gluten-free menu options.

Product overview

Gluten Intolerance Group (GIG) operates a portfolio of certification programs and community support services centered on gluten-free living. The core offerings include GFCO, a product certification program ensuring foods contain 10ppm gluten or less; GFFS, a food service validation program for restaurants and institutions; and Chef to Plate, a restaurant awareness program. These are complemented by community programs including Generation GF (youth support), GIG Support Groups (peer networks), educational toolkits, and the At the Table podcast. GIG Cares, a separate nonprofit, addresses food insecurity through the Cutting Costs program.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• GFCO (Gluten-Free Certification Organization): Certification program that ensures products contain 10ppm of gluten or less, with criteria twice as strict as FDA standards. Certifies over 65,000 products.
• GFFS (Gluten-Free Food Service)
• GIG Cares
• Generation GF
• Chef to Plate

Products and services

• GFCO (Gluten-Free Certification Organization) A product certification program that ensures food products contain 10ppm of gluten or less, verified through an 80-point standard and auditing process. The program has certified over 65,000 products from 1,300+ brands across six continents, serving food manufacturers seeking the GFCO Certified Gluten-Free mark.
• GFFS (Gluten-Free Food Service) Validation Program A food service validation program that certifies restaurants, hospitals, senior living facilities, and college campuses to safely prepare and serve gluten-free food. Validated establishments are designated as 'Safe Spots' and listed in GFFS's online directory.
• Chef to Plate A partnership program with food establishments that offer gluten-free menu options and meet GIG's minimum expectations for serving gluten-free food. Provides restaurants with listing on gluten.org, social media exposure, and recognition within GIG's community in exchange for meeting minimum gluten-free standards. Revitalized in 2024 with stricter standards under GFFS.
• GIG Cares An independent nonprofit organization tackling food insecurity in the gluten-free community, offering the Cutting Costs food assistance program that ships monthly boxes of gluten-free food to families in need, along with gluten-free education and advocacy.

Quantifiable outcome

• 65,000+ certified products globally with 10ppm or less gluten
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• GIG CarescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 November 2021GIG Cares was formed as a separate nonprofit organization in November 2021. Its mission is to fight food insecurity while promoting gluten-free education and advocacy. GIG Cares expands the work of Cutting Costs for Celiacs, a charity GIG partnered with earlier in 2021.
• Cutting Costs for CeliacscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2021Partnership with Cutting Costs for Celiacs, a nonprofit that helps families below the poverty line afford gluten-free food. The partnership enables expansion of the vision of Lexie Van Den Heuvel, founder of Cutting Costs for Celiacs in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin.
• New Hope NetworkminorGTM or Marketing PartnerGIG hosted a panel at Natural Products Expo West on consumer trends and growth opportunities in the gluten-free market, moderated by New Hope Network. Panel included representatives from GIG, GIG Cares, SPINS, Healthy Edge Retail Group, Tribe 9 Foods, and UNFI.
• National Association of School Nurses (NASN)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerGIG's education coordinator presented at NASN's virtual conference in 2021 on recognizing gluten sensitivity in school-age children, providing educational outreach to school nurses.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Celiac Disease Foundation: A leading US nonprofit focused on celiac disease advocacy, research, and patient support. Closely comparable to GIG in mission (gluten-free community education) and audience (celiac/gluten-sensitive consumers), though it places more emphasis on research funding.
• National Celiac Association: US nonprofit supporting individuals with celiac disease and gluten sensitivities through education, support groups, and awareness. Directly comparable to GIG in scope and mission; both run support-group networks and educational programming for the gluten-free community.
• Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE): The largest US nonprofit focused on food allergy advocacy, research, and education. Comparable as an adjacent allergen-focused nonprofit serving consumers with dietary restrictions; relevant peer for cross-allergen program expansion thinking.
• Allergen Control Group: Specialized certification body focused on allergen-free product and food-service validation. Directly comparable to GFCO/GFFS as a competing allergen-focused certification provider for manufacturers and food-service operators.
• Beyond Celiac: US nonprofit driving celiac disease research, diagnosis, and patient empowerment. Directly comparable as a peer advocacy/education nonprofit serving the same gluten-free consumer community, though with a research-forward orientation rather than certification.

Regional players

• Associazione Italiana Celiachia (AIC): Italian celiac association that administers the widely recognized "Spiga Sbarrata" gluten-free certification across Italy and Europe. Comparable in mission and certification authority to GIG/GFCO, but operates as the national authority in Italy.
• Coeliac UK: The UK's leading charity for people with celiac disease, providing certification (Crossed Grain symbol), support, and research funding. Highly comparable as a gluten-free certification nonprofit, but primarily serves the UK market.

Broad incumbents

• NSF International: Major global certification body offering food safety, gluten-free, and allergen-related testing and certification programs. Comparable to GIG/GFCO as a competing certification provider, but operates as a broad incumbent across many categories rather than specializing in gluten-free.

Others

• AOAC International: Standards-developing organization that sets analytical methods and performance standards used by food testing and certification programs globally. Relevant as an ecosystem participant whose standards underpin GIG/GFCO's 80-point certification audit.
• Eurofins Scientific: Global food testing laboratory network providing allergen and gluten analytical services used by manufacturers and certification programs. Comparable as an enabling/testing infrastructure provider supporting the broader gluten-free certification ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/GlutenDotOrg
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCV4rXd3R-9LMyWn6v579Fow
• Facebookfacebook.com/GlutenIntoleranceGroup
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/gluten-intolerance-group-of-north-america
• Instagraminstagram.com/glutendotorg
• Pinterestpinterest.com/glutendotorg
• TikTokpinterest.com/glutendotorg

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Gluten Intolerance Group