Confusing Ingredients
The following are current thoughts as of 3/09 on ingredients that can be confusing in the gluten-free diet.
RMJ's note: It is not required by law for manufacturere's of alcoholic beverages to declare their ingredients, let alone gluten or wheat. But the following information should help.
Distilled alcohol is considered gluten-free. Scientists all agree that the gluten molecules are too large to pass through in the
distillation process. You do need to check with manufacturers, however, for
flavored alcohol. If the flavoring is added after distillation it may or may not be gluten-free.
Beer is not gluten-free as it is made from malt (barley) or wheat. However, there are specialty beers on the market that are made with alternative grains and are labeled gluten-free.
Bourbon may not be distilled, and therefore may not be gluten-free.
Wine is naturally gluten-free. Some persons, however, are concerned with what the wine is stored in during the fermenting/aging process. You would need to contact individual manufacturers about this. If the wine is fortified, a check with the manufacturer should also be done. Many persons have trouble with the sulfites that are in many wines, but this is not a gluten issue.
Pre-made mixed alcoholic beverages may or may not be GF depending on the ingredients. Contact each manufacturer if you have a question.
There is a website that is dedicated to GF alcoholic drinks at http://www.glutenfreedrinks.com/.
Information about barley malt extracts in manufactured food products can be seen at the Living Gluten-Free blog written by Tricia Thompson, RD "The Gluten-free Dietician". Read about barley enzymes in food products on the same blog, different date.
Brown rice syrup is a sweetener made by fermenting brown rice with enzymes. Barley enzymes, which are often used, make brown rice syrup that is not gluten free. However, if fungal enzymes are used, then the brown rice syrup is gluten free. Several brands are labeled GF, including Lundberg Farms' Sweet Dream and Nature's Flavors' Organic Rice Syrup. If you see brown rice syrup on a mainstream label and the source is not listed, you must check with the food maker. (Information taken from Gluten-Free Living magazine, March 2008.) 11/08
Once thought inappropriate for the gluten-free diet by some, it is not considered GF by all the natioanl celiac support groups. From Lisa Campbell, Program Manager, Canola Utilization in Canada:
"There should be no concerns about the presence of gluten in canola oil. It
is true that canola is grown in rotation with wheat. However, when canola
seed is delivered to the crushing plant, it is extensively cleaned before
processing. Due to the massive difference in seed size between a wheat
kernel and a canola seed, if there was any contamination, it would be
removed at this stage. Furthermore, after canola is crushed and refined,
repeated testing has proven that there are no detectable levels of protein
in refined canola oil when it goes out to the supermarket shelves."
Corn is used in the U.S. to make caramel color, so it is gluten-free. Barley is sometimes used in other countries.
Maltodextrin can be made from a variety of starches, but is safe for the gluten-free diet. The Gluten Free Living website states that ". . . the source does not matter because maltodextrin is such a highly processed ingredient that the protein is removed, rendering it gluten free. If wheat is used to make maltodextrin, "wheat" will be appear on the label. Even in this case, the maltodextrin would be gluten free."
On the Wikipedia website it states: "Maltodextrin is a polysaccharide that is used as a food additive. It is produced from starch and is usually found as a creamy-white hygroscopic powder. Maltodextrin is easily digestible, being absorbed as rapidly as glucose, and might either be moderately sweet or might have hardly any flavor at all. Maltodextrin can be derived from any starch. In the US, this starch is usually rice, corn or potato; elsewhere, such as in Europe, it is commonly wheat."
Modified food starch can be made from a variety of starches. It is gluten-free unless it is made from wheat, and then it would be declared on the ingredient label. It most often is made from corn.
Wheat is sometimes used as an ingredient to help the seasonings not stick together (an anti-caking agent). Wheat has to be declared on the ingredient label if it has been used. Otherwise, if all ingredients are gluten free, then the seasoning is gluten free.
All vinegar is gluten free except for malt vinegar, which is
derived from barley. Scientists agree that the gluten molecules are too large to pass through in the
distillation process of producing vinegar.
