Ingredients and Labeling
3/10
The publishers at Gluten-Free Living now have a website with a "Labeling" section that will help you accurately read ingredient labels. They also have an "Ingredients" section that discusses many different ingredients and what their research has shown about them. Also go to "Confusing Ingredients" on this website for more information on certain ingredients.
Recommendations and more:
- Educate yourself on ingredients and what is, isn't or might not be gluten free by looking at the above websites, and the lists below.
- Read all ingredient labels thoroughly every time.
- Wheat and rye will be listed somewhere (look carefully) if they are in
the product.
- Barley may still be a hidden ingredient in such things as malt, natural
flavors & brown rice syrup.
- Don't rely just on information given or not given concerning allergens
at the end of the ingredient listing. They are still very inconsistent at this time.
- When possible, choose a product that is produced in a gluten-free dedicated
facility.
- Don't consume products with regular oats as an ingredient (they need to be "pure" oats).
- You can feel safe with products labeled with the GIG GFCO seal or the CSA Seal of Recognition.
- Pharmaceuticals, alcoholic beverages, and USDA (meats, eggs and dairy) products are not required to list gluten at this point. If in doubt, contact the manufacturer directly.
- Labeling on products from other countries may not follow the American protocol, so beware.
- The labels "Gluten Free", "Without Gluten Ingredients" etc. on products are not regulated as yet, and may still have unacceptable levels of gluten. You should still read the ingredient lists on every product.
The publication Living Without had an article discussing the confusing gluten labeling in our country in March 2010 titled A Closer Look at Gluten-Free Labeling.
RJ's Note: There is not a complete consensus yet among experts of what ingredients are and are not gluten-free. I include the following abbreviated information because it is the guidelines I follow. Each person must make their own decisions. Always keep in mind that in addition, each individual may have their own intolerances/allergies to some of these ingredients.
The folloiwng is a summary of what is reported in the ingredient section on the Gluten-Free Living website.
Grains & grain-like plants: corn, rice (in all forms), amaranth, buckwheat (kasha), Montina, millet, quinoa, tef, sorghum
soy
annatto, glucose syrup, lecithin
starch, food starch
vinegar - except malt vinegar. The Enabling.org site also discusses vinegar.
citric, lactic and malic acids
dextrose and lactose
caramel color
mono and dyglycerides, silicon dioxide
maltodextrin
Baking products: arrowroot, cornstarch, guar and xanthan gums, oat gum, manioc (tapioca flour) potato starch flour, potato
starch, vanilla
spices (pure) - both with or without silicon dioxide that is used to prevent caking
wheat
rye
barley
malt (usually made from barley), malt flavoring, malt syrup, malt extract, and malt vinegar
kamut, triticale, spelt, durum, farina, eindorn, semolina, bulgar
cake flour, matzo, matzah
couscous
wheat starch, modified wheat starch, hydrolyzed wheat protein
The following ingredients might contain gluten. Remember that wheat will be declared if an ingredient has any in it, but barley may not be. See the Gluten-Free Living website for an explanation as to why these are questionable.
natural flavorings (barley is commonly used, and doesn't have to be declared, but almost always is).
brown rice syrup
oats (mainly due to cross-contamination issues). Three sources are now available for pure oats.
dextrin
seasonings and seasoning mixes
processed cheese, flavored yogurts
alcoholic beverages At this time the manufacturers are not required to list ingredients.
pharmaceuticals At this time the manufacturers of medications are not required to specify gluten in the ingredients.
soy sauce - Most brands have wheat as a major ingredient, although there a few that don't. (See Condiments)
modified food starch
cheeses
flavored meat products
To learn more about Gluten-Free Living and how to subscribe to this
excellent publication, go to www.glutenfreeliving.com.
One of the topics on the Gluten Free diet.com blog is
about vitamin D, including how much you need and how to get it. It is written by Tricia Thompson, RD. Vitamin D article.
