How Our Safety Scores Work

Why Celiac Safety Scores Matter

Celiac disease affects approximately 1 in 100 people worldwide, according to the Celiac Disease Foundation. For those with celiac disease, even trace amounts of gluten — as little as 10 milligrams per day — can trigger immune responses that damage the small intestine. The U.S. FDA defines "gluten-free" as containing fewer than 20 parts per million (ppm) of gluten, a standard also adopted by Codex Alimentarius internationally.

A restaurant labeling a dish "gluten-free" on the menu does not guarantee celiac safety. Cross-contamination during food preparation — through shared fryers, cutting boards, cookware, or airborne flour — can render otherwise safe ingredients dangerous. This is why Sansglu goes beyond "has gluten-free options" and specifically evaluates cross-contamination protocols, staff training, and kitchen practices.

Our Approach: Evidence First, Always

Sansglu grounds every safety assessment in sources we can point to. Each score traces back to specific evidence about how a kitchen actually runs, never to a guess. We would rather tell you we are not sure than imply a place is safe when we cannot back it up.

We never present something we have not confirmed as a verified fact. When a safety feature is only suggested by reviews or secondary signals, we label it "reported," not "verified," until it is confirmed by the restaurant itself or an established celiac community source.

Database Scope

Sansglu maintains one of the largest structured databases of gluten-free restaurant safety information worldwide:

• •32,000+ restaurants analyzed for celiac safety across 6 continents
• •1,700+ published restaurants that meet our quality and data sufficiency standards
• •120+ regions including US states, Canadian provinces, and international territories
• •4,000+ cities with gluten-free dining coverage, from major metros to small towns

Data Sources & Authority Chain

Safety scores are calculated by combining multiple authoritative data sources. Each source is weighted based on its reliability and proximity to ground truth:

Safety Score Tiers

Every restaurant in our database receives a Celiac Safety Score from 0 to 100. This score reflects how safe a restaurant is for someone with celiac disease — not merely whether they offer items labeled "gluten-free."

What Factors Affect the Score

The safety score evaluates specific factors relevant to celiac safety, each grounded in recommendations from celiac disease organizations:

• •Dedicated GF kitchen or preparation area — The strongest indicator of celiac safety. Restaurants with separate kitchens or designated GF prep zones eliminate the primary vector of cross-contamination.
• •Cross-contamination protocols — Documented practices such as separate fryers, dedicated cookware, ingredient segregation, and cleaning procedures between GF and regular food preparation.
• •Staff training and awareness — Evidence that staff understand celiac disease vs. gluten preference, can explain preparation procedures, and take allergen requests seriously.
• •Celiac community recognition — Listing in established celiac community databases or positive reviews from celiac diners who report safe dining experiences.
• •Menu transparency — Clear allergen labeling, distinct GF menu sections, and willingness to modify dishes for safety rather than just removing obvious gluten sources.

Dedicated Gluten-Free Restaurants

Restaurants flagged as "Dedicated GF" in Sansglu are establishments where the entire kitchen is gluten-free — no wheat, barley, or rye enters the premises. This classification requires strong evidence from the restaurant's own website, celiac community databases, or multiple consistent community reports. Dedicated GF restaurants inherently eliminate cross-contamination risk and are the safest option for people with celiac disease. Our database includes over 3,700 dedicated gluten-free establishments worldwide.

Data Freshness & Update Frequency

Restaurant data is continuously updated as new information becomes available. Our update pipeline includes:

• •Nightly publication runs — New restaurants are reviewed against our safety standards, scored, and published each night.
• •Hourly page revalidation — Published restaurant pages are refreshed at least every hour to reflect the latest data.
• •Community-triggered updates — Safety reports from users prompt immediate re-evaluation of affected restaurant scores.
• •Search engine notification — Newly published and updated pages are submitted to Google and Bing so the latest data shows up in search quickly.

Limitations & Transparency

We believe transparency about our limitations is as important as confidence in our strengths:

• •Restaurant practices can change at any time — a safe restaurant today may change chefs, suppliers, or protocols tomorrow.
• •Our data reflects publicly available information and community reports, not firsthand kitchen inspections.
• •Coverage varies by region — major metropolitan areas typically have more data points than rural locations.
• •Reading menus and reviews can surface strong signals, but it cannot physically inspect a kitchen. Anything we have not confirmed firsthand is labeled "reported," not "verified."

Medical Context

Sansglu's scoring methodology is informed by guidance from established celiac disease organizations:

• •The American College of Gastroenterology (ACG) clinical guidelines recommend a strict gluten-free diet as the primary treatment for celiac disease, emphasizing that even small amounts of gluten can cause intestinal damage.
• •The U.S. FDA defines "gluten-free" as containing less than 20 parts per million (ppm) of gluten, the internationally recognized threshold for celiac safety.
• •The Celiac Disease Foundation reports that approximately 1 in 100 people worldwide are affected by celiac disease, with most remaining undiagnosed.
• •Beyond Celiac and other patient advocacy organizations emphasize that dining out is consistently identified as one of the greatest challenges for people managing celiac disease.