The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released a report on a precise definition of what a "gluten free" label means, USA Today reported.

The standardized definition is expected to help the three million Americans with celiac disease and the many more who maintain a gluten free diet. The FDA has been working to put a definition to the term since 2007.

For any label to proclaim "gluten free," the item must contain no more than 20 parts per million of gluten.

Consumers of anti-gluten products "can be assured that those claims have meaning," said Michael Taylor, the FDA's deputy commissioner for foods and veterinary medicine.

Gluten is naturally found in wheat, rye and barley and those with celiac disease cannot digest the protein composite. If a person with celiac were to consume gluten, their body would produce antibodies that would attack the lining of their small intestine, leading to health problems such as nutritional deficiencies, osteoporosis, growth retardation, infertility, miscarriages, short stature and intestinal cancers.

"If I pick up a product and it says 'gluten-free' I don't know what that means because there's no federal standard." said Andrea Levario, executive director of the American Celiac Disease Alliance in Alexandria, Va. and a mother whose son with celiac.

According to Taylor, food-packaging companies have one year to adopt the new labeling rules. Levario said this is crucial for celiac patients because a gluten-free diet is the only treatment.

"While a diabetic needs insulin to survive, a celiac must have gluten-free food," Levario said. "Without clear ingredient information and a definitive labeling standard, celiac consumers are playing Russian roulette when it comes to making safe food choices."

Gluten-free products have become a popular item in the grocery market over the past few years, accounting for $4.2 billion in 2012. Packaged Facts, the marketing firm which estimated that number, said the market for such products will reach $6.6 billion by 2017.

"We are thrilled by the FDA's decision to regulate gluten-free labeling," said T.J. McIntyre, vice president of Boulder Brands, which makes Glutino gluten-free products. "This is bigger than products or brands, this is a consumer safety issue."