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Hidden Sources Of Gluten?

mshanson3121

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mshanson3121 Rookie
mshanson3121
Posted

I was wondering if you could share some of the most common (and uncommon) sources of gluten that you've found?

 

 

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kareng Grand Master
kareng
Posted

I guess some things that surprised me when I started, but are labeled as containing wheat or malt are:

 

Anything with soy sauce - "Asian"/Teryaki salad dressings (but I have found a few made with soy sauce that doesn't contain wheat)

Rice Krispies & corn Flakes (the ones not labeled gluten-free have malt)

Non-gluten-free oats - didn't know oats contain wheat unless specified

Twizzlers/licorice

Contadina flavored tomato paste

Butterscotch baking chips (malt)

 

 

Edited:  Just want to say that gluten isn't "hidden" but these were places I was surprised to see gluten.

SkyBlue4 Apprentice
SkyBlue4
Posted

Black Pepper (It was a store brand and now I buy McCormick's)

and

Shredded Cheddar Cheese (can't recall the brand)

kareng Grand Master
kareng
Posted

I have never seen a shredded cheese with flour added.  Unless it was some special thing to make a sauce or fondue? The fondue or sauce makers I have seen use corn or potato starch but I suppose its possible.  Just shows you always have to read the ingredients. fortunately, in the US, Canada and some other countries, wheat has to be labeled clearly.

Greebo115 Rookie
Greebo115
Posted

I was wondering if you could share some of the most common (and uncommon) sources of gluten that you've found?

 

The things that got me were mostly condiments and spices that have no business containing gluten. Eg:

curry powder - I thought it was always just spices mixed, but often has wheat flour too.

asafoetida powder - I  thought it was pure....but nope, contains wheat flour, but can get it with rice flour instead though.

Soy sauce.......jeez and when I bought gluten-free soy sauce I realised I had to be soy free too, lol.

L & P Worcester sauce - nope, it's not gluten-free in the UK (lesson learned that ingredients can vary by country!)

 

Also, when I first went gluten free I missed throwing out a few cc'd items that had been double dipped and so "should" have been gluten free, but had bread crumbs - marmite and mayo. 

 

Oh, and just because a label doesn't list wheat, barley or rye as an ingredient, doesn't mean it's not in there. The (UK) law only states that all intentional ingredients have to be listed - but it can be in there unintentionally, for example by processing the item in the same facility or on the same equipment as gluten containing items. Oats are a major example of this, but I was severely glutened by a whole range of items (cashews, beans, lentils, spices, rice flour) that I bought from one particular company that also packed wheat flour, barley, wheat berries etc. Although, afterwards, I checked and all their packaging does now carry the warning.....

emsimms Apprentice
emsimms
Posted

The things that got me were mostly condiments and spices that have no business containing gluten. Eg:

curry powder - I thought it was always just spices mixed, but often has wheat flour too.

asafoetida powder - I  thought it was pure....but nope, contains wheat flour, but can get it with rice flour instead though.

Soy sauce.......jeez and when I bought gluten-free soy sauce I realised I had to be soy free too, lol.

L & P Worcester sauce - nope, it's not gluten-free in the UK (lesson learned that ingredients can vary by country!)

 

Also, when I first went gluten free I missed throwing out a few cc'd items that had been double dipped and so "should" have been gluten free, but had bread crumbs - marmite and mayo. 

 

Oh, and just because a label doesn't list wheat, barley or rye as an ingredient, doesn't mean it's not in there. The (UK) law only states that all intentional ingredients have to be listed - but it can be in there unintentionally, for example by processing the item in the same facility or on the same equipment as gluten containing items. Oats are a major example of this, but I was severely glutened by a whole range of items (cashews, beans, lentils, spices, rice flour) that I bought from one particular company that also packed wheat flour, barley, wheat berries etc. Although, afterwards, I checked and all their packaging does now carry the warning.....

Have you ever discovered "glutened" rice? I am wondering if I need to buy gluten-free labelled rice?

Greebo115 Rookie
Greebo115
Posted

Have you ever discovered "glutened" rice? I am wondering if I need to buy gluten-free labelled rice?

 

 

I don't know where in the world you live, I can only give you my experience from the UK.

If a company just packages many different items (including gluten products) and doesn't use precautions to prevent cc, then potentially, everything it sells is cc'd. Example of this are companies that got me: East End, Supreme and Rajah -they sell rice, beans, flours, nuts, spices etc.

 

However, I can't help you much  with rice in particular because I haven't been able to find ANY rice that I can eat without feeling glutened - so I just gave up eating rice. (In fact I now eat NO grains)  I'm only 11 months gluten-free and STILL feeling major improvements in health, so, either I'm super sensitive and the rice I was eating was cc'd OR I'm still healing and just can't digest it properly or actually have a rice intolerance.

 

I have successfully eaten cashews from an alternative safe source and various other items, so I am certain of what I am saying about these companies that sell a whole host of dried foods and flours and don't take precautions. Where/how your food is packaged matters.

 

In the UK you can't buy rice labelled as gluten free. The law prohibits the use of "gluten free" on the label if the food is naturally gluten free, all they can say is that it is  "naturally gluten free"  and because the "made in the same factory as..." statement is only voluntary, just coz it's not there doesn't mean it's hasn't been cc'd - so in the UK, it will be impossible to buy labelled  "gluten free rice" because rice is naturally gluten free -  it's frustrating, but it is possible for rice to be cc'd, so it's up to you to investigate by reading the labels and contacting the companies.

Sorry.

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kareng Grand Master
kareng
Posted

Have you ever discovered "glutened" rice? I am wondering if I need to buy gluten-free labelled rice?

 

 

I am in the US and I buy whatever plain rice I see, usually Uncle Ben's and Ludberg.  Mixes with flavors might have wheat in them. 

mommida Enthusiast
mommida
Posted

I just bought decorative hand soaps that have both oats and wheat in them.  <_<  <_<  They look like robin eggs. ;)

 

Drywall has gluten in it apparently.  I will see if the joint compund has an ingredient label.  (Although I have never found an ingredient label on drywall.) :huh:

 

At first I didn't even think about Playdough, because who eats Playdough.  Kids do some odd :rolleyes: things, and getting it cleaned off of surfaces and little hands makes it a cross contamination issue.

 

I only found gluten in maltodextrin once, and it was clearly labeled on the product. :)

Celtic Queen Explorer
Celtic Queen
Posted

Found it in a package of frozen broccoli once.  Luckily I read the package before cooking and eating it.

 

Soups are one you really have to be careful of too - especially tomato soup.

moosemalibu Collaborator
moosemalibu
Posted

Found it in a package of frozen broccoli once.  Luckily I read the package before cooking and eating it.

 

Soups are one you really have to be careful of too - especially tomato soup.

 

I never would have thought plain frozen vegetables would have gluten. Did the packaging say 'processed in a facility...'? I eat a ton of frozen vegetables. I eat probably a bag a day.

Celtic Queen Explorer
Celtic Queen
Posted

I know.  Who would suspect wheat in frozen veggies.  The wheat was in the actual ingredients, not as part of a process in a facility disclaimer.  It was crazy.  I figured I was safe since it was just frozen veggies.  Luckily I happened to catch it beforehand.  Learned my lesson about reading the labels on everything with that experience.

 

Another one that drove me crazy was packaged potato salad.  I usually like to make my own, but we were going somewhere and I didn't have time to, so I picked up a package of Kroger brand potato salad and the label had wheat on it.  Not sure why they had to put wheat in potato salad.

IrishHeart Veteran
IrishHeart
Posted

Found it in a package of frozen broccoli once.  Luckily I read the package before cooking and eating it.

 

 

 

How smokes, CQ..! geesh..why would they put that in there?

Frozen vegs?

I forget...remind me, hon..............are you in the US?

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