Whether you have Celiac Disease (aka Coeliac Disease) or Gluten sensitivity it takes a bit of extra work to make sure your gluten free kitchen really is a safe space and you are not eating hidden gluten ingredients in your spices or soup. There are so many ways hidden gluten can be found, it’s hard to know everything to look for on food labels. I hope this simplifies finding gluten in food labels.

Celiac Disease and non-celiac gluten sensitivity conditions can have the same symptoms, but Celiac causes permanent damage, where gluten sensitivity causes discomfort (sometimes severe). If you’re unsure if you have either you should get medical testing.

Symptoms you may be experiencing:

• Diarrhea and/or constipation
• Heartburn and/or “stomach ache”
• Bloating
• Flatulence
• Fatigue
• Brain fog
• Headaches (including migraine)
• Rashes and/or eczema
• Like celiac disease, people with the non-celiac gluten sensitivity may also experience joint pain, anxiety and/or depression, and even tingling in their arms and legs.

Avoiding gluten is more than just not eating bread, pasta, and cake. For many with gluten sensitivity and for everyone who has Celiac, you must make sure not a single ingredient in any dish contains hidden gluten. And also be sure food is prepared on surfaces and with utensils that have never been touched by gluten (this sticky molecule does not easily wash off!) If you’re new to a gluten free diet, this can be overwhelming at first. So I hope this list help make it shopping easier for you.

What to Look for on Food Labels:

Which Grains Have Gluten?

Terms That Mean Gluten On Food Labels

Gluten is actually found in all grains. But the gluten in rice and corn is safe for Celiacs.
Gluten in wheat, barley, and rye is not safe.

• gluten (if the label is marked gluten or flour without specifying it’s source, assume it’s wheat gluten)
• flour
• enriched flour
• wheat
• barley
• rye

These are the most commonly used Latin terms for wheat, barley and rye.

If you see any of these listed of food labels, don’t buy it! Or if you’re clearing out you cupboards, throw it away. The product definitely contains gluten:

• Triticum vulgare (wheat)
• Triticale (cross between wheat and rye)
• Hordeum vulgare (barley)
• Secale cereale (rye)
• Triticum spelta (spelt, a form of wheat)

Ingredients That Always Contain Gluten

These ingredients always contain gluten:

• Wheat protein/hydrolyzed wheat protein
• Wheat starch/hydrolyzed wheat starch
• Wheat flour/bread flour/bleached flour
• Bulgur (a form of wheat)
• Malt (made from barley)
• Couscous (made from wheat)
• Farina (made from wheat)
• Pasta (made from wheat unless otherwise indicated)
• Seitan (made from wheat gluten and commonly used in vegetarian meals)
• Wheat or barley grass (will be cross contaminated)
• Wheat germ oil or extract (will be cross contaminated)

Ingredients That May Contain Gluten

All of these ingredients potentially can contain gluten. The FDA does require food manufacturers to declare wheat-containing ingredients on their labels. However, other gluten-containing grains potentially could be used to make some of these ingredients. You’ll need to check with the manufacturer to find out for certain whether or not a food that includes one or more of these ingredients is safe on a gluten-free diet. If you have Celiac or are extremely sensitive, it’s probably best to stick with products that are certified Gluten-free if possible.

• Vegetable protein/hydrolyzed vegetable protein (can come from wheat, corn or soy)
• Modified starch/modified food starch (can come from several sources, including wheat)
• Natural flavor/natural flavoring (can come from barley)
• Artificial flavor/artificial flavoring (can come from barley)
• Caramel color (now considered a safe ingredient, but if you’re in doubt, check with the manufacturer)
• Modified food starch
• Hydrolyzed plant protein/HPP
• Hydrolyzed vegetable protein/HVP
• Seasonings
• Flavorings
• Vegetable starch
• Dextrin and Maltodextrin (both sometimes made from wheat)

Printable Gluten Ingredient List

Other Sources of Gluten to Look Out For

Other questionable foods and foods that aren’t safe:

• Beer (barley and malt! Look for gluten-free beers and ciders)
• Cream-Based Soups (Most “cream” soups get their creamy texture from starch, not real cream. And/or are thickened with wheat)
• Gourmet Meats (may not have all ingredients and spices listed and are high risk for cross contact with gluten during preparation)
• Ice Cream (May also be thickened with wheat or contain gluten containing flavorings)
• Soy Sauce (look for Tamari sauce for soy sauce not made with wheat)
• Spices & Rubs (many contain gluten as an anti clumping agent. Check all ingredients carefully. Better yet, look for gluten free on the label)
• Supplements and Medications (make sure anything you are ingesting is gluten free! Drug manufacturers don’t have the same labeling rules as food and many use wheat as a filler, so check with your pharmacist at every single refill as ingredients can change frequently)
• “Wheat-Free” Products (wheat-free does not always equal gluten free, it may still contain other gluten containing ingredients)
• Whiskey (whiskey is distilled from grains, make sure it’s not made from a glutenous grain)
• Vinegars (most vinegar is naturally gluten free, but look out for malt vinegar and some rice vinegars contain wheat)

Your safest bet is to only purchase ingredients and products that are certified gluten free.

And whenever possible, make meals yourself! I am always adding to my list of gluten free recipes. I am a busy mom, so they are always easy, tasty, and filling!