Beware Of Hidden Gluten; What Is It And Where Can It Be Found?

So what is hidden gluten?

As you know, gluten is found in many obvious food sources such as bread, pasta, pizza, pastries etc… All of these are made with wheat which is the number one source of gluten. However, gluten can be hidden in many food products or even non-food products. For example, did you know that some lipsticks contain gluten? Did you know that some medications contain gluten? How about some tooth pastes?

Gluten hides in art supplies, such as paints, clay, play dough, and glue. It is also present in many other personal items such as lip balm, sunscreen, shampoos, soaps, cosmetics, skin lotions, and mouthwash. Household products such as cleaning solutions, detergents, even bar soap may contain gluten.

Reading labels is a critically important when purchasing many food items or non food items that one might ingest orally or through the skin. There are many ingredients on labels that signal gluten such as malt, graham, spelt, kamut. Items like some tomato pastes, jars of spaghetti sauces, syrups, and chewing gum can contain sources of hidden gluten.

Here is a real life example of how I almost purchased an item from a grocery store that I thought was gluten free until I got home and re-read the label. I purchased a bag of Tater Tots for my son Nick assuming these are made from 100% potatoes? Well the original bag of tater tots are made with 100% potatoes and are safe, however, the type I purchased were labeled “extra crispy”. After reading the ingredients, the label said “contains wheat”.

So reading ingredients on labels very carefully is extremely important! Click to read safe ingredients and unsafe ingredients.

Hidden gluten(HG) can be found right in your kitchen. Cross contamination of cooking utensils or sharing cooking surfaces such as cutting boards are all sources of HG. Maintaining a gluten free kitchen is very important to avoid exposure of gluten to celiacs.

What about medications? Yes some of these contain gluten also. I have included a list of both gluten free medications and non-gluten free medications. This is a partial list that was compiled from various sources by the Wheaton Gluten Free Support Group. Gluten Free Medications

Below is a partial list of the most common items that MAY contain hidden gluten. Items that definitely contain gluten and are unsafe can be found on my gluten free diet page. Below are only items that might contain gluten.

Again, it is extremely important to read labels. If you are not sure after reading the label, contact the manufacturer!!

Items that MAY contain gluten:

Milk Products: - sour cream, processed cheese products, non-dairy creamers, yogurt, malted drinks.

Meats: - some meat patties with additives, cannned meat, some sausages, processed cold cuts, soy protein meat substitutes, chili

Breads/Grains: - packaged rice mixes like rice pilafs, cornbreads

Fats and Oil: – salad dressings, mayonnaise

Fruits: – pie fillings, thickened or prepared fruit, fruit fillings

Vegetables: – vegetables with sauces, commercially prepared or seasoned vegetables, canned baked beans, pickles

Beverages: – cocoa mixes, root beer, chocolate drinks, nutritional supplements, beverage mixes, beer and some alcohols

Snacks and Desserts: – custards, puddings, ice cream, sherbets, candies, coated popcorn and chips, chewing gum

Soups: – commercially prepared soups, canned soups, soup mixes, broths, bouillon cubes

Condiments: – flavoring syrups, mayonnaise, horseradish, salad dressings, tomato sauces, meat sauces, mustard, taco sauce, soy sauce, teriyaki sauce, chip dips

Seasonings: – curry powder, seasoning mixes, meat extracts

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