It is getting easier and easier to eat gluten-free. Increasingly more producers cater to consumers on a gluten-free diet. As such a consumer, it is important to know what you are looking for on a nutrition label. But what products contain gluten-rich ingredients? And what are the things to keep an eye out for? So in short; what contains gluten?
Gluten
Gluten is a protein that naturally occurs in several grains and yeast. Would you like to know what gluten is, in more detail? Check out my article [What is Gluten?].
You can naturally find gluten in the following:
- Wheat
- Wheat varieties (like spelt, durum etc.)
- Barley
- Malt
- Rye
- Triticale
- Certain types of yeast.[1]Edwards, W. P. The Science Of Bakery Products. Cambridge: Royal Society of Chemistry, 2007. Print.
These grains and yeast are also used to make a variety of products. The majority of these products are food products but not all of them.
Products that often contain Gluten
Unless specifically mentioned otherwise, all products made above-listed ingredients contain gluten. This, however, does not mean that all other products are gluten-free.
Cross-Contamination
Some companies produce more than one product. They produce a wide variety of things, some contain gluten-containing ingredients, but some don’t. When producers want to make gluten-free products in a facility where gluten-containing ingredients are used, they need to keep the production lines strictly separated. If the ingredients are not kept apart, cross-contamination can happen. When a nutrition label says ‘may contain traces of …’, it is probably listed because there is a risk of cross-contamination.
Other Products
The risk of cross-contamination aside, gluten can also be found in a wide variety of other kinds of merchandises. You can, for instance, find it in:
- Food additives
- Supplements
- Beverages
- Pharmaceuticals
- Cosmetics
Types of Products that might contain Gluten.
Gluten can even be found in, for instance, Play-Dough or sacramental bread.
So keep in mind that when you have a severe reaction to gluten, you should always check if products are gluten-free when you plan to ingest them.
Nutrition Labels
Depending on the country you are shopping in, governments may not have rules on listing the presence of gluten in a product. This is important to keep in mind when you do some of your shopping online.When you tend to shop in your own county, as most people do, take some time and learn about what your government has decided, when it comes to gluten-containing products.
When you are worried about gluten in regard to what you are purchasing; check the label. In case the label is not clear, visit the website of the product’s producer. Company websites are usually good about informing you on whether or not a product might cause allergic reactions.[2]https://www.fda.gov/Food/GuidanceRegulation/GuidanceDocumentsRegulatoryInformation/Allergens/ucm362880.htm[3]https://ec.europa.eu/food/safety/labelling_nutrition/labelling_legislation_en
Gluten-Free Recipes
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This article was originally published on [Truthful Life].
References
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