Ham?

[MissCici]

For some reason, I am confused by this. Is it just lunch meat ham that contains gluten? I looked at the ingredients of deli ham the other day and didn't see an ingredient I recognized as wheat/gluten, but it also had an allergy statement saying it did contain wheat and egg. I'm allergic to both, so this is a problem. What might I have missed as an ingredient? Does regular (cook yourself) ham contain wheat in some way? Is any ham safe?

Thanks!

Cici

[ravenwoodglass]

For some reason, I am confused by this. Is it just lunch meat ham that contains gluten? I looked at the ingredients of deli ham the other day and didn't see an ingredient I recognized as wheat/gluten, but it also had an allergy statement saying it did contain wheat and egg. I'm allergic to both, so this is a problem. What might I have missed as an ingredient? Does regular (cook yourself) ham contain wheat in some way? Is any ham safe?

Thanks!

Cici

You unfortunately really have to check with many hams. They are usually cooked often with a glaze or other stuff added. A plain raw ham with nothing added to it will be gluten free but most are precooked. As with a lot of products you really have to check with the company to be sure. With the ham that you read the label of you may not have missed anything on the label. The 'wheat' ingredient may have been in 'natural flavoring'. It was a good company to tell you that. Generally it is not a good idea to get meats from the deli counter. There is a very high risk of cross contamination.

Hormel makes some gluten free lunch meats. They are in a brown package and say gluten free on them. There are other companies that make gluten free hams and such and if you type the name of the one you usually use and the word gluten into a search engine you may find the companies own gluten statement. You can also call an 800 number on some packages.

It is best to err on the side of safety, especially in the begining and make those calls. Gluten can be found in some of the most unlikely places. My most surprising case was a bottle of lemonade.

[LDJofDenver]

I've found that some hams do, indeed, have gluten. It never ceases to amaze me what it can show up in.

I know that Hormel's Natural Choice hams do not, and even say so on the label.

Here is a statement I copied from their website:

Gluten Free

[mindwiped]

Boar's Head is safe too. My local Supermarket advertises it in their ads as Gluten Free. Just make sure they wash down the slicer, or you may have cross contamination issues

[njbeachbum]

there is an organic brand called Applegate Farms that makes lunch meats that are labeled gluten & casein free among other organic qualities. however, they are pricey and small servings, but i prefer the quality to the hormel natural selects. i am hesitant to get any lunch meats from the deli bc of the issues with the slicer. i know that boar's head and black bear are gluten-free, but my deli is always busy and i know they wouldn't clean the slicer as well as it would need to be cleaned. boo.

[VioletBlue]

Ham is a cured meat. It's what they use to cure it with that can contain gluten. You can't simply buy a rump of pork and cook it and have ham. The meat has to be cured first to get that taste and texture. It is possible to cure meat yourself, it just takes room in the frig, time and dedication. And that way you can be sure what is in it. But it's a major PITA.

For some reason, I am confused by this. Is it just lunch meat ham that contains gluten? I looked at the ingredients of deli ham the other day and didn't see an ingredient I recognized as wheat/gluten, but it also had an allergy statement saying it did contain wheat and egg. I'm allergic to both, so this is a problem. What might I have missed as an ingredient? Does regular (cook yourself) ham contain wheat in some way? Is any ham safe?

Thanks!

Cici