Most cheeses are gluten-free, including bleu (or blue) cheese. For many years, bleu cheese was considered unsafe for those on the gluten-free diet because traditionally it was started with mold from gluten bread. Many bleu cheeses are not made that way these days, using an artificial starting agent instead of bread. However, even when bleu cheese is started from bread mold, testing of the finished product shows no detectable levels of bleu cheese. Therefore, the cheese is considered safe for those on the gluten-free diet. This is not new news as the discovery of blue cheese being safe dates back to 1992.
Statement from the Canadian Celiac Association regarding bleu cheese:
“The Canadian Celiac Association [CCA] has recently investigated a variety of blue cheese on the market and found that very few are made using bread mold, and when they are, the test results completed by Health Canada found no detectable levels of gluten in the final product. The new CCA Acceptability of Food and Food Ingredients for the gluten-free Diet pocket dictionary lists blue cheese as allowed on a gluten-free diet.”
Many people who were diagnosed with celiac or gluten intolerance years ago might not realize they can safely enjoy bleu cheese – assuming they like it. Obviously, at some point most people get comfortable with the diet and don’t feel the need to continue researching what is and is not gluten-free. The only problem with this is that twenty years ago, people were told they could not drink alcohols made from gluten grains or have distilled vinegar. They were also told they could eat spelt – which happens to be a gluten containing grain that is off limits to people who can’t tolerate gluten.
That is why there are so many untrue things floating around on the internet about our diet. This creates conflict in our community which does nothing to help our cause of increasing awareness about our condition among the general public. It’s really not that much of a mystery why we have not been able to do more to educate mainstream society more about gluten intolerance. We can’t even agree on what is and is not safe on the gluten-free diet because celiac myths are alive and well all over the internet. Bleu cheese is considered safe for those on the gluten-free diet but it’s best to read the label to make sure ‘wheat’ is not listed as an ingredient (neither rye nor barley are used in making bleu cheese). No one has to eat bleu cheese if they don’t want to, but them not doing so doesn’t change its safety for those that love it and want to enjoy it as they always have. Bleu cheese dressings are a different animal and some contain gluten. So again, read the label.
There is a way you can find gluten in cheese. It’s rare, but some cheap shredded (usually imitation) cheeses can contain wheat. It’s used as a declumping agent. Last year the Food and Beverage Manager at Zoo Atlanta stated that the cheese in their salads contained gluten. So cheese with gluten exists but it’s not that common and there don’t seem to be any unshredded cheeses that contain gluten. As always, read the label.
Some cheese spreads may contain gluten. Again, read the label. At last check Kraft cheese in a can was gluten-free. There does not seem to be much real food in the product, but since it was gluten-free in the past, it likely still is. Kraft will note all forms of gluten on their product label so no gluten is hidden under another ingredient name. Cabot Creamery in Vermont has verified that all of their cheeses gluten-free.
References: Canadian Celiac Association, Gluten-Free Diet: A Comprehensive Resource Guide.
Have a question about the gluten-free diet which we haven’t covered yet? You can now submit your questions here! (Note: All medical questions should be directed to your physician)
