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You are here: Home / Gluten-Free Diet / Ingredients / Labeling / Learning How to Read Grocery Labels

Learning How to Read Grocery Labels

Last Updated on March 3, 2023 by the Celiac-Disease.com Staff Leave a Comment

If you are new to Celiac Disease, the first and most important thing you need to learn is how to understand food labels.  More specifically, you need to learn how to find the most notable gluten-containing grains (wheat, barley, rye, and oats), which are often hidden in products.

The safety of oats in the celiac diet has been under a great deal of debate for as long as I can remember. Some celiacs cannot tolerate oats because oats contain a protein similar to that in gluten. In addition, cross-contamination with other grains can occur during processing. There are a few companies that manufacture a gluten-free oat, but it must say so on the label.  Millet and sorghum are other grains that have not been tested for gluten but are tolerated by many celiacs as they are more botanically similar to corn than wheat.

Some other notable gluten-containing grains include:

  • Bran
  • Couscous
  • Semolina
  • Kamut
  • Spelt
  • Matzo
  • Pasta
  • Triticale
  • Sprouted wheat
  • Udon
  • Seitan
  • Malt, malt flavoring, or malt vinegar

Easy enough, right?  Unfortunately, there are also many situations where the source of gluten is not so obvious. Many other types of foods and food additives contain gluten.

Hidden sources of gluten include:

  • Soy sauce
  • Hydrolyzed vegetable protein (HVP)
  • Breading
  • Imitation meat, bacon, and seafood
  • Processed lunch meats
  • Gravies and marinades
  • Some salad dressings
  • Stuffing, dressings
  • Thickeners
  • Some drugs, over-the-counter medications, and vitamins
  • Broth, soup bases
  • Communion wafers
  • Ketchup
  • Mustard
  • Vinegar
  • Horseradish
  • Some peanut butter and “dry roasted” peanuts
  • Modified food starch
  • Artificial flavoring or coloring

Now this list was not designed to be “all-inclusive”, but it should serve as a starting guide to reading grocery labels and finding all those pesky glutens.

If you have anything to add, feel free to do so in the comments below!

Related Content:

  • Gluten-Free Diet: Do You Eat Oats?
    Gluten-Free Diet: Do You Eat Oats?
  • The Sourcing of Oats
    The Sourcing of Oats
  • The Truth About Celiac Disease and Oats
    The Truth About Celiac Disease and Oats
  • Safe Grains and Flours on a Gluten-Free Diet
    Safe Grains and Flours on a Gluten-Free Diet

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