The following grains and their derivatives are sources of gluten:
Varieties and derivatives of wheat such as:
Malt in various forms including: malted barley flour, malted milk or milkshakes, malt extract, malt syrup, malt flavoring, malt vinegar
There are many food items that may contain these sources of gluten, often in hidden or unexpected ways. Always read the labels of any food products you are buying if gluten-free is not specified on the label. See our Label Reading tips to learn more about what to watch out for.
Products labeled wheat-free are not necessarily gluten-free. They may still contain spelt (a form of wheat), rye, or barley-based ingredients that are not gluten-free (GF). To confirm if something is gluten-free, be sure to refer to the product’s ingredient list.
Common foods that contain gluten:
raviolis, dumplings, couscous, and gnocchi
ramen, udon, soba (those made with only a percentage of buckwheat flour) chow mein, and egg noodles. (Note: rice noodles and mung bean noodles are gluten free)
croissants, pita, naan, bagels, flatbreads, cornbread, potato bread, muffins, donuts, rolls
pretzels, goldfish, graham crackers
cakes, cookies, pie crusts, brownies
corn flakes and rice puffs often contain malt extract/flavoring, granola often made with regular oats, not gluten-free oats
pancakes, waffles, french toast, crepes, and biscuits.
Breading & Coating Mixes:
Sauces & Gravies (many use wheat flour as a thickener)
traditional soy sauce, cream sauces made with a roux
Beer (unless explicitly gluten-free) and any malt beverages (see “Distilled Beverages and Vinegars” below for more information on alcoholic beverages)
Anything else that uses “wheat flour” as an ingredient
Foods that may contain gluten (must be verified):
Energy bars/granola bars – some bars may contain wheat as an ingredient, and most use oats that are not gluten-free
French fries – be careful of batter containing wheat flour or cross-contamination from fryers
Potato chips – some potato chip seasonings may contain malt vinegar or wheat starch
Soup – pay special attention to cream-based soups, which have flour as a thickener. Many soups also contain barley
Multi-grain or “artisan” tortilla chips or tortillas that are not entirely corn-based may contain a wheat-based ingredient
Salad dressings and marinades – may contain malt vinegar, soy sauce, flour
Starch or dextrin if found on a meat or poultry product could be from any grain, including wheat
Brown rice syrup – may be made with barley enzymes
Meat substitutes made with seitan (wheat gluten) such as vegetarian burgers, vegetarian sausage, imitation bacon, imitation seafood (Note: tofu is gluten-free, but be cautious of soy sauce marinades and cross-contamination when eating out, especially when the tofu is fried)
Soy sauce (though tamari made without wheat is gluten-free)
Cheesecake filling - some recipes include wheat flour
Eggs served at restaurants – some restaurants put pancake batter in their scrambled eggs and omelets, but on their own, eggs are naturally gluten-free
Distilled beverages and vinegars
Most distilled alcoholic beverages and vinegars are gluten-free. These distilled products do not contain any harmful gluten peptides even if they are made from gluten-containing grains. Research indicates that the gluten peptide is too large to carry over in the distillation process, leaving the resulting liquid gluten-free.
Wines and hard liquor/distilled beverages are gluten-free. However, beers, ales, lagers, malt beverages and malt vinegars that are made from gluten-containing grains are not distilled and therefore are not gluten-free. There are several brands of gluten-free beers available in the United States and abroad.
Other items that must be verified:
lipstick, lipgloss, and lip balm because they are unintentionally ingested
herbal or nutritional supplements
drugs and over-the-counter medications (See Vitamins, Medications, and Supplements)
vitamins & mineral supplements (See Vitamins, Medications, and Supplements)
play-dough: children may touch their mouths or eat after handling wheat-based play-dough. For a safer alternative, make homemade play-dough with gluten-free flour.
When preparing gluten-free foods, it is important to avoid cross-contact. Cross-contact occurs when foods or ingredients come into contact with gluten, generally through shared utensils or a shared cooking/storage environment. In order for food to be safe for someone with celiac disease, it must not come into contact with food containing gluten.
Places where cross-contact can occur:
toasters used for both gluten-free and regular bread
deep fried foods cooked in oil shared with breaded products
shared containers including improperly washed containers
condiments such as butter, peanut butter, jam, mustard, and mayonnaise may become contaminated when utensils used on gluten-containing food are double-dipped
wheat flour can stay airborne for many hours in a bakery (or at home) and contaminate exposed preparation surfaces and utensils or uncovered gluten-free products
oats – cross-contact can occur in the field when oats are grown side-by-side with wheat, select only oats specifically labeled gluten-free)
pizza – pizzerias that offer gluten-free crusts sometimes do not control for cross-contamination with their wheat-based doughs
non-certified baked goods e.g. “gluten-free” goods from otherwise gluten-containing bakeries
bulk bins at grocery stores or co-ops
Easily contaminated foods:
oats (look for oats that are specifically labeled gluten-free)
pizza (pizzerias that offer gluten-free crusts sometimes do not control for cross-contamination with their wheat-based doughs)
non-certified baked goods (e.g. “gluten-free” goods from otherwise gluten-containing bakeries)
When unable to verify ingredients for a food item or if the ingredient list is unavailable DO NOT EAT IT. Adopting a strict gluten-free diet is the only known treatment for those with gluten-related disorders.
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