Hidden Sources of Gluten
Source: The Whole Life Nutrition Cookbook
by: Alissa Segersten and Tom Malterre
by: Alissa Segersten and Tom Malterre
- Baking Powder: Some brands of baking powder contain gluten. Look for a brand that says "gluten-free" or make your own. Here is the recipe: l/4 cup baking soda + 1/2 cup cream of tartar + 1/2 cup arrowroot powder. Place ingredients into a glass jar with a lid and shake gently. Store jar in a cool, dry place.
- Beer: Beer and ale are fermented and contain gluten from the wheat and barley from which they are made. Distilled liquors do not contain gluten because the gluten pep tides cannot survive the distillation process.
- Bread: Bread made with flours such as whole wheat flour, white flour, unbleached flour, all purpose flour, spelt flour, kamut flour, barley flour, and rye flour all contain gluten as well as any sprouted breads containing the , sprouted grain flours of wheat, spelt, kamut, barley, and rye.
- Brown Rice Syrup: Some brands use barley although Lundberg Brown Rice syrup is gluten-free.
- Candy: Wheat flour or starch may be used to prevent sticking during the shaping and handling of candy. Gluten may also be an ingredient in candy.
- Caramel Color: In the United States caramel color is made from com, although caramel color may contain gluten in the form of wheat starch or malt syrup if it was foreign made.
- Cereal: Breakfast cereals are often made from wheat, spelt, kamut, barley, and rye. Many cereals, commercial and natural brands, contain malt flavoring, malt syrup, or barley malt. Be sure to read labels.
- Citric Acid: Citric acid can be fermented from wheat, com, molasses, or beets. While com is the only source used by US manufacturers, about 25% of the citric acid used in food and drinks in the US is imported by from other countries that may use wheat.
- Coffee: Some flavored coffee drinks use wheat as a flavor carrier, though pure coffee is gluten-free.
- Dairy Products: Some dairy products contain modified food starch which may contain gluten. Products such as yogurt, cottage cheese, and sour cream may contain this starch. In addition malted milk, chocolate milk, and cheese spreads may contain gluten.
- Dextrin: In the US dextrin is usually made from com or tapioca, but it can be made from wheat.
- Egg Substitutes: These products are not entirely made of eggs and therefore can contain many additional ingredients, including wheat.
- Emergen-C: Some flavors of Alcer Emergen-C vitamin C drink mixes may contain wheat.
- Flavorings: Natural flavorings are usually gluten-free, though some flavorings for meat may contain wheat.
- Flour: Make sure all flours say Gluten-Free. Even rice flour can be cross¬ contaminated with gluten when produced in a mill that is not certified gluten-free.
- Grains: The cereal grains wheat, spelt, kamut, barley, bulgur wheat, and rye all contain gluten. Gluten-free grains include amaranth, buckwheat, com, millet, rice and quinoa.
- Malt: Malt may be made from barley and therefore could contain gluten.
- Maltodextrin: In the U.S. maltodextrin cannot contain gluten unless it is declared on the ingredient label. It is usually made from com, rice, or potato in the U.S. Foreign-made food products containing maltodextrin may contain gluten.
- Meat: Fillers are used in many processed meats including sausages, luncheon meats, and hot dogs and need to be avoided on a gluten-free diet. Also be sure to avoid self-basting turkeys.
- Miso: Miso usually contains barley, although some varieties use brown rice. Miso made with brown rice can still contain gluten in the koji, which can contain either barley or wheat. Look for a miso that uses rice koji and is labeled "gluten-free."
- Modified Food Starch: This is usually made from com in the U.S. although it can be made from other ingredients, including wheat, if foreign-made. The contents of the starch should be declared on the label, though these rules do not apply to the pharmaceutical industry where gluten may be used.
- Non-Dairy Milk: Some non-dairy milk brands can contain a very small amount of barley malt to which the gluten-sensitive individual can react to. In addition, some brands may also contain wheat. Look for a brand that is labeled "gluten-free."
- Oatmeal: Oats are naturally gluten-free although most oats sold in the U.S. may be contaminated with gluten during harvesting, processing, or packaging. Look for Certified Gluten-Free Oats.
- Packaged Dessert Mixes: Pudding mixes, cake mixes, frosting mixes, and cake decorations all usually contain gluten. Look for the word gluten-free on the label.
- Pastas: Pasta is usually made from semolina flour, or wheat flour which contains gluten. Look for pastas that are made from rice, com, or quinoa. In addition, look for any pasta labeled as "gluten-free."
- Seasonings: Packaged seasoning mixes made from a combination of spices and herbs usually contain wheat flour as a carrier and it mayor may not be declared on the label.
- Soups and Soup Mixes: Many packaged or canned soups can contain gluten in the form of wheat as a thickener. Bouillon cubes usually contain gluten in the form of wheat being used as a binder.
- Soy Sauce: Soy sauce contains wheat. Look for wheat-free Tamari and use it to replace soy sauce.
- Vegetable Starch: Vegetable starch or vegetable protein on the ingredient label could mean com, peanuts, rice, com, soy, or wheat.
- Vinegar: Distilled vinegar made from grains is safe to eat because gluten cannot survive the distillation process, though malt vinegar contains gluten and is not safe to eat. Wine vinegars, brown rice vinegars, and apple cider vinegar are all gluten-free and are safe to consume.
- Yeast: Nutritional yeast or brewer's yeast is a by-product of the brewing industry and mayor may not contain gluten. You may want to call the manufacturer. Baking yeast used to make bread rise is gluten-free. However, up to 75% of gluten-sensitive people may be yeast sensitive as well.