Trying to decode all the ways gluten is disguised on food labels? I’m going to be going over 20 of the sneaky names for gluten hidden on ingredients lists.
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I think you’ll agree with me when I say it can be incredibly overwhelming when first beginning to go gluten-free. Whether by choice or from an intolerance of any kind.
But I’m here to help, after years of being gluten free and lots of research I’ve learned what to look for when trying to spot the hidden sources of gluten. There’s nothing more frustrating than being accidentally “glutened”. Here are 20 of the sneaky names for gluten.
What is Gluten?
Gluten is a general name for the protein found in wheat, rye, barley, and triticale [a cross between wheat and rye].
Gluten is naturally occurring, but it can be extracted, concentrated and added to food and other products to add protein, texture and flavor. It can also be a binding agent to hold processed foods together.
Sneaky Names for Gluten
Reading the ingredients labels and knowing what to look for are key to identifying and avoiding gluten.
Some people think gluten is only in bread or wheat based products but did you know it can also be in less obvious products like lunch meat and salad dressings?
Below is a list of very common ingredients that are not gluten friendly – remember, this is not a complete list. Please always read the labels.
- Artificial Flavoring
- Bleached Flour
- Caramel Color
- Dextrin
- Flavorings
- Hydrolyzed Plant Protein [HPP]
- Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein [HVP]
- Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein
- Hydrolyzed Wheat Starch
- Malt
- Maltodextrin
- Modified Food Starch
- Natural Flavoring
- Seasonings
- Vegetable Protein
- Vegetable Starch
- Wheat Germ Oil
- Wheat Grass
- Wheat Protein
- Wheat Starch
Where do these sneaky names of gluten hide the most?
Please do not assume that if a food didn’t make this list that it means it’s gluten-free.
- breads
- cakes
- lunch meats
- sauces, salad dressings, soy sauce
- pasta
- candies
- cereal
- beer
- crackers
- cookies
In this post we went over 20 sneaky names for gluten, I hope that these lists can help you know what to look for!
Information from this blog should not be treated as a substitute for professional assistance from trained medical, health, and wellness professionals. Please discuss any changes to your diet, medication, supplements, treatments, diagnoses, and physical activity with your doctor before taking any action as a result of information from this blog.