Dry Onion Soup Mix

[Ceciwright]

I am confused about Lipton Onion Soup Mix. I have seen some posts that say it is gluten free. However, on the ingredients it lists yeast extract (barley). Wouldn't that be a no-no? Safeway brand onion soup mix lists yeast extract, but doesn't have the word barley. Other store brands (HEB) list other ingredients that are not okay. So, any suggestions as to which, if any, brand is okay? So many recipes call for this!

[psawyer]

There has been quite a bit of discussion here about the Lipton mix. The gist is captured in this post from another topic:

Officially just in from Unilever via a wonderful company representative!

There has be NO formulation change regarding Lipton Onion Dry Soup Mix. Through Unilever policy of full disclosure, they have recently decided to include to source of the autolyzed yeast extract, as barley.

The trace barley in the finished product is 0.09 part per million in the Onion Soup, and 0.04 parts per million in the Vegetable Soup. Both are far below the standard (20ppm) of what is considered a safe level for a person with Celiac to consume.

Enjoy!

[SuperMolly]

But aren't trace amounts enough to make some of us sick?

Personally, I know everytime I eat Dry Onion Soup Mix I get sick. It does not surprise me at all that there is barley in it.

[psawyer]

If you react to it, and have eliminated other intolerances, then don't use it.

The levels in question are parts per billion: 90 ppb and 40 ppb respectively. The best available test for gluten in a finished product can detect 5 parts per million (5,000 ppb). A more common test can detect 20 parts per million (20,000 ppb).

In most countries with a rule (the USA does not yet have one), a product can be labeled gluten-free if it has less than 20 ppm (20,000 ppb) gluten content. 90 ppb gluten? Not an issue from where I see things.

[2Boys4Me]

Thanks for the info Peter and Lisa.

My 11 year old son has been on the diet since was 5 and he's been trained to know that barley is not allowed, so I know if I brought this home he would refuse to eat it. I'm not about to try to get him to figure out that some labels that say barley are okay and some aren't - that's for when he's a grown up and starts doing all his own research. Meanwhile, I make my own dry onion soup mix.

Here's a recipe, one of many similar recipes easily found on the internet.

Ingredients:

3/4 cup instant minced onion

1/3 cup beef flavored instant bouillon

4 tsp. onion powder

1/4 tsp. celery salt

1/4 tsp. sugar

1/8 tsp. white pepper

Preparation:

Mix all ingredients together well, and store up to 6 months in cool, dry place. Stir before each use. Five tablespoons of the mix equals 1.25-oz. pkg.