Gluten is found in wheat, barley, rye and oats. There are a number of different names for grains based on wheat, barley, rye and oats, so I've listed these below:
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| Most breads & pizzas are wheat based. You can find a good range of gluten free breads in the supermarket and most restuarants that serve pizza have the option of a gluten free base. |
Wheat: atta, bourghal/burghal, cous cous, dinkel, durum, farina, german wheat, polish wheat, graham flour, emmer, freekah, kamat/kamut, semolina, spelt, triticale (wheat and rye hybrid)
Oats: pilcorn
What foods are gluten free?
Well the good news is that many foods are naturally gluten free. There are also many grains and starches that are gluten free. Here's a list:
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Fresh fruit and vegetables
Unprocessed meat, poultry, fish
Eggs, nuts and legumesMilk (some flavoured milks may contain gluten)
Fats and oils
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| Polenta |
Rice, corn (maize), soy, sago, tapioca, buckwheat, millet, sorghum, quinoa, arrowroot, amaranth, besan (chickpea) flour, hops, lupin, potato, lentil, teff, psyllium, polenta, coconut.
Label reading
Reading labels to find out if a product is gluten free can actually be quite a challenging exercise. I know the first time I learnt this it took a while for me to get my head around it. So to make life simple for those of you that do require a gluten free diet, here's my guide on how to find out if a product is gluten free.
The following guide is based on the Australian Food Standards Code and the fabulous information provided by Coeliac Australia. This organisation is a must to join if you have coeliac disease!
1. If a product contains gluten, it must be listed on the label
Under the Australian Food Standards Code, if an ingredient is derived from wheat, rye, barley or oats, then this must be declared. So, if you see wheat, rye, barley, oats or gluten on a food label, the product is NOT gluten free.
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| This product contains barley and oats and therefore is not gluten free |
The following table shows the difference in labeling of gluten containing ingredients and those that are gluten free. If a product does not specify the source, it is deemed gluten free.
Not Gluten Free Gluten Free
Thickeners 1400 – 1450 (wheat) Thickeners 1400 – 1450
Vegetable protein extract (wheat, barley malt) Vegetable protein extract
Maltodextrin (wheat) Maltodextrin
Cornflour (5% wheat) Cornflour
2. The label of GLUTEN FREE overrides a product’s ingredient listing
The label of gluten free overrides anything else on a label. If you see GLUTEN FREE on the label, the product is gluten free regardless of the ingredient list.
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Declaration of interest: I consult to Carman's Fine Foods |
3. Highly processed ingredients
Some products are so highly processed that even though they include wheat as part of their name, they are deemed gluten free. These are:
- Glucose Syrup (from wheat) or Wheat Glucose Syrup
- Caramel Colour (150) from wheat
- Dextrose from Wheat
4. Advisory statements
Products that use advisory statements such as “may contain gluten” or “manufactured on the same line as gluten containing products” are not suitable for those on a gluten free diet.
However, if the only statement is “contains wheat” and the only wheat based ingredient identified is glucose syrup, caramel colour or dextrose (see point 3), the product is gluten free.
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| These Dove chocolates would not be gluten free as wheat and barley are listed as "may contain" ingredients |
5. Oats
In Australia oats cannot be labelled as gluten free. Oats contain a gluten containing protein called avenin, in which 20% of people with coeliac disease react to. Oats may also be contaminated by wheat in Australia. It is recommended that people with coeliac disease do not consume oats unless under medical supervision.
I hope that you find this label reading guide useful, and as always, if you have any questions I'm just a few clicks away.
Next week I'll be looking at how to get adequate fibre on a gluten free diet.
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