Gluten levels in foods

Gluten is present in:

Wheat, rye, barley, spelt, kamut, unripe spelt grains, einkorn wheat, emmer

The following foods thus contain gluten:

Flour, wholemeal, semolina, bran, germinated seeds from the types of grains mentioned above, bread and bread rolls, cookies, pastries, cakes, biscuits, breadcrumbs, couscous, seitan (=pure wheat gluten!), pasta such as noodles, tortellini or filled pasta cases.

Oats do not naturally contain any gluten (gliadin), according to most recent research, but it is nearly always contaminated with gluten due to its processing involving harvesters, mills, filling stations and other technical equipment that also process other products containing gluten.

No gluten (or very little) is present in:

Corn (maize), rice, so-called wild rice (is a flower seed), buckwheat, millet, amaranth (illustrated left) and quinoa.

Other products that are gluten-free are milk, butter and dairy products in their natural state (natural yoghurt, cream, semi-hard cheese and soft cheese (as long as they have not been blended with other foods!), oil (margarine), meat, fish, egg, fruits and vegetables (including potatoes and pulses or legumes).

Be careful with any diet- and low-calorie products!  They often have substituted sugars in them that contain gluten!

Since November 2005 it is a legal requirement (within the European Union) to indicate if a product might contain gluten, which means you can easily spot on the ingredients list or the label whether this is the case or not.

USA: Requirements for proper labeling are being formulated by the USDA.

In the United Kingdom, only cereals currently need to be labelled, while labeling of other products is voluntary.⁽³⁾

The national coeliac societies and charities oversee the licensing of the “Crossed Grain” symbol, which signifies whether a product is gluten-free. Some manufactures will mark the product as “suitable for coeliacs”, “suitable for a gluten-free diet”, or similar. If you can find the “Crossed Grain” symbol on the package then it is reasonable to assume that this product is gluten free!

The table below can help you put together your individual diet:

		gluten-free		not gluten-free
Grains		Corn (maize), rice, wild rice, buckwheat, millet, amaranth, quinoa		Wheat, rye, barley, spelt, kamut, unripe spelt grains, einkorn wheat, emmer
Vegetables		All fresh, frozen and dried types of vegetables. Potatoes, and potato flour, sweet potatoes, tapioca, beans, peas, lentils, soya beans, edible chestnuts		Vegetables in cans or in ready meals are not tolerated if they contain certain emulsifiers, preservatives, thickening agents, stabilisers or starch!
"Nuts" and seeds		Hazelnuts, walnuts, cashew nuts, Brazil nuts, peanuts, sunflower seeds , sesame seeds, poppy seeds, linseed (flaxseed), coconut
Fruits		All fresh, frozen and dried fruit types		Attention! Fruit fillings tend to contain thickening agents and starch
Eggs		Both yoke and white
Dairy products		Milk, quark, natural yoghurt, cream, mature cheese, kefir, soured milk, whey		Several types of cheese contain thickening agents. Read the list of ingredients!
Meat		All types of meat, poultry and game, cooked and cured ham		Sausage products and cold meats are often not gluten-free. Read the list of ingredients!
Fish and shell fish		Fresh or smoked		Fish products, preserved fish, fish in batter. Bread crumbs contain gluten!
Fats and Oils		Corn oil, rape oil (canola oil), olive oil, sunflower oil, butter, lard, peanut butter		Margarine and vegetable oils need to be checked for unsuitable additives.
Beverages		Fruit teas and infusions, herbal teas and infusions, juices, freshly brewed coffee		Instant coffee, granulated coffee, ready-made coffee or cocoa (e.g. from drinks machines), beer, malt drinks
Other foods		Honey, tofu, soya milk, pure herbs (parsley, chives, mint, ...) edible chestnuts		Seitan (wheat gluten)

 

Sources include:
1) Deutsche Zöliakie Gesellschaft e.V.
2) Vogelsang,H.; Edlinger, E.; Terler, E.; "Zöliakie - Erkrankung des Dünndarms mit hoher Dunkelziffer", in Arzt+Patient, Oktober 2009
3) "Guidance Notes on the Food Labelling (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2004"