Case Study

Certified Paleo Standards

Pendergrass, K. Eyer, K. (2023). Certiﬁed Paleo Standards 2023. The Paleo Foundation.

Karen Pendergrass ¹

September, 29, 2023

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Certified Paleo Standards

Karen Pendergrass ¹ iD

Kimberly Eyer ² iD

September, 29, 2023

Abstract

Certified Paleo is a certification program that verifies the compliance of food and supplements with the paleo diet. The paleo diet is based on the idea of eating foods that our ancestors from the Paleolithic era would have consumed, such as meats, fish, vegetables, and fruits, and avoiding dairy, legumes, and grains. The certification program provides a standardized way of defining paleo-compliant foods, ensuring that consumers can trust the products they buy to align with their dietary choices.

Standardizing the paleo diet is necessary because there is no official governing body that defines what the paleo diet is, and this can lead to confusion and inconsistent interpretations. The Certified Paleo Standards help to establish a clear set of criteria for what is and is not considered paleo, making it easier for consumers to follow the diet and for food and supplement companies to produce compliant products.

KEYWORDS

Diet tolerability, Paleo Diet, Certified Paleo Standards, Dairy, Legumes, Grains, Pseudograins

Introduction

In an evolving food landscape that has seen drastic changes over the past 10,000 years, the Paleo Diet seeks to emulate the presumed dietary habits of early humans—prior to the advent of agriculture. This diet predominantly includes meat, seafood, fruits, nuts, seeds, roots, and tubers. However, it eschews dairy, grains, and heavily processed foods. Given the theoretical nature of the Paleo Diet and the room for interpretational diversity, a standardized definition has been elusive. This has led to frequent debates within the Paleo community over specific food items and processing methods.

To address this gap, The Paleo Foundation has developed the Certified Paleo Standards. These standards are rigorously curated to align with the fundamental principles of the Paleo Diet while incorporating adaptations suitable for contemporary lifestyles. A significant emphasis in developing these standards has been to increase the diet’s tolerability, which is a pivotal factor for its acceptance and long-term adherence. Studies indicate that palatability, availability, affordability, and convenience are the main determinants for sustained dietary compliance, especially for those who are medically required to follow such diets.

Products that earn the Certified Paleo designation are strategically positioned to augment the diet’s tolerability. By meeting the stringent criteria outlined in the Certified Paleo Standards, these products not only comply with the foundational elements of the Paleo Diet but also enhance its practicability. They serve to diversify food choices, making it easier for individuals to adopt and maintain the diet, thereby aligning with The Paleo Foundation’s mission to improve the long-term success and tolerability of the Paleo Diet.

Findings

1. Certification Standards

The “Certified Paleo” Requirements for Grain-Free, Legume-Free, Dairy-Free, Artificial Coloring, Artificial Preservatives, Artificial Sweeteners and Artificial Flavor Enhancers-Free Products are outlined herein. These standards apply to all products certified by The Paleo Foundation for the Certified Paleo Program. Only certified Products following these standards are explicitly given the rights to use Certified Paleo logos, trademarks, certification marks, or other design marks hereinafter referred to as “Certified Paleo label”.

1.1 Applicability. The Certified Paleo label was developed and trademarked by The Paleo Foundation to identify food products that meet the standards of the Paleo diet. The Certified Paleo Label is a certification mark registered with the U.S. Trademark and Patent Office, and its use is only permitted by those who have entered into a contractual agreement with The Paleo Foundation. The Certified Paleo Label was designed to establish an easily identifiable mark indicating that a product has met the strictures of a paleo diet template. Certified Paleo requirements may be amended periodically based on current research.

1.2 Certified Paleo Guidelines

1.2.1 Promotional Materials. The Certified Paleo label is allowed to be used on the packaging, promotional materials, point-of-purchase materials, websites, sales literature, banners, company stationery, and other advertising materials. Use of the Certified Paleo label must comply with the guidelines as outlined in this document. If a company wishes to present the logos in a manner other than as described in Statement of Use Guidelines, The Paleo Foundation must approve the request and give permission in writing to the Producer.

1.2.2 Display. Producers may display the Certified Paleo label only on certified products.

1.2.3 Agreement. Producers must have a contractual agreement with The Paleo Foundation to use the Certified Paleo label.

1.2.4 Stationary. Producers may only use the trademark on company stationery if the entire product line has been audited and Certified Paleo.

1.2.5 Logo Placement. Producers may display the Certified Paleo label on their entire website if the entire product line has been audited and Certified Paleo. If the entire product line was not certified, the Certified Paleo label may appear on a page containing the audited and certified products only.

⓵ Upright

⓶ Complete

⓷ Clearly Visible

2. Grain-Free

2.0.1 Grains. All Products must not contain Grains or Pseudograins. Disallowed Grains include, but are not limited to:

Name	Latin Name	Type
Amaranth	Amaranthus cruentus	Pseudograin
Barley	Hordeum vulgare	Grain
Buckwheat	Fagopyrum esculentum	Pseudograin
Bulgur	Triticum ssp.	Grain
Corn	Zea mays mays	Grain
Farro	Triticum spelta, Triticum dicoccum, Triticum monococcum	Grain
Farro / Einkorn	Triticum monococcum L	Grain
Farro / Emmer	Triticum turgidum dicoccum	Grain
Farro / Spelt	Triticum aestivum spelta	Grain
Millet	Panicum miliaceum, Pennisetum Glaucum, Setaria italica, eleusine coracana, digitaria exilis	Pseudograin
Freekeh / Farik	Triticum turgidum var. durum	Grain
Durum Wheat	Triticum durum or Triticum turgidum subsp. durum	Grain
Khorasan Wheat	Triticum turgidum turanicum	Grain
Oats	Avena sativa	Grain
Quinoa	Chenopodium quinoa	Pseudograin
Kañiwa	Chenopodium pallidicaule	Pseudograin
Rice	Oryza sativa, Oryza glaberrima	Grain
Rye	Secale cereale	Grain
Sorghum	Sorghum spp.	Grain
Teff	Eragrostis tef	Grain

3. Legume-Free

3.0.1 Legumes. Certified Paleo Products must not contain legumes. Arboreal Legumes and derivatives are an exception to this rule. Disallowed Legumes include but are not limited to:

Legumes

Beans, Lentils, Peas, Peanuts, Soy and Soy derivatives, Tempeh, Lupin

Dairy-Free

4.0.1 Dairy. Products must not contain dairy products to be eligible. For the purpose of this definition, eggs are not considered “dairy ” products. This includes but is not limited to:

Dairy

Cheeses, Milk, Milk Derivatives, Yogurts, Cream, Evaporated Milk, Caseinates

5. Artificial Ingredients

5.0.1 Artificial Ingredients. Products must not contain artificial ingredients. This includes but is not limited to:

Colorings	Preservatives	Artificial Sweeteners	Flavor Enhancers
Coloring Derived from coal, tar, or petroleum; FD&C Blue No.1 , No.2; FD&C Green No. 3, FD&C Red No. 40; FD&C Yellow No. 5, No. 6	BHA and BHT, TBHQ, Hexamine, Tetramine, Sodium Ethyl Para hydroxybenzoate, Potassium Ferrocyanide	Aspartame, Potassium Acesulphame, Cyclamates, Neotame, Alcohol Sugars (with the exception of Birch Xylitol), Neotame	Glutamates (such as MSG), Guanylates, Inosinates

6.0 Allowed Ingredients

6.0.1 Allowed ingredients. Allowed ingredients will be amended from time to time as necessary. These ingredients include, but are not limited to:

Meats	Seafood	Fruits
Herbivores must be grass-fed, forage-fed, and pastured. Omnivores should be pastured. Poultry must be cage-free.	Wild-Caught seafood, bivalves may be farmed.	All fruits are allowed. Dried Fruits, Fruit Juices, Berries.
Oils and Fats	Flour	Milks
Grass-fed and pastured tallow, lard, and ghee. All nut oils. Avocado Oil, Olive Oil, Coconut Oil, Medium-High Oleic Sunflower Oil, Cocoa mass, Cocoa butter, CBD oil	All nut flours are allowed. Sweet Potato flour, coconut flour, tapioca flour, cassava flour, arrowroot flour	All nut milks are allowed. Hemp Milk, Coconut Milk, Almond Milk, Cashew Milk.
Grasses	Anti-Caking Agents	Fermented Foods
Wheatgrass powder, wheatgrass juice, lemongrass, Cane Juice, bamboo.	Silicon Dioxide, talc, calcium silicate	Distilled White Vinegar, Sauerkraut, Kimchi, Kombucha, Coconut Kefirs
Nuts	Sweeteners	Teas and Coffee
All true nuts and seeds are allowed including sunflower seeds, chia seeds, and mustard seeds.	Honey, stevia, maple syrup, coconut sugar, coconut sap, coconut nectar, date sugar, fruit juice, birch xylitol.	All fruits are allowed. Dried Fruits, Fruit Juices, and Berries.
Vegetables	Roots and Tubers	Spices
All vegetables. Vegetable Juices, Sea vegetables, Seaweed, Algae, Agar	All roots and tubers, including White Potatoes.	All spices are allowed. Sea Salts, Smoked Salts, Salt blends.

6.0.2 Allowed Stabilizers and Natural Preservatives.

Allowed Stabilizers and Natural Preservatives

Xanthan Gum, Prebiotic Hydrocolloid Gums, guar um, agar, sunflower lecithin, tapioca starch, potato starch, arrowroot, egg-derived lecithin, lactic acid, citric acid, ascorbic acid, Tapioca Maltodextrin, Gum Arabic.

Discussion

The Certified Paleo Standards aim to codify the essential attributes of the Paleo Diet for the contemporary era. While the Paleo Diet seeks to mimic the pre-agricultural dietary habits, it has long suffered from a lack of standardization and definitional consensus. The standards address key considerations such as dietary tolerability, which is instrumental for long-term adherence.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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