Hidden Gluten Ingredients You Might Not Know About

ingredients-with-gluten If you’ve been diagnosed with gluten intolerance or celiac disease, you already know (and hopefully avoid!) the most common sources and forms of gluten, such as wheat, rye, barley, oats, and the variants of these ingredients, but there are people out there who only look for these ingredients on labels. While wheat, barley, rye, oats, and their derivatives do need to be avoided, only looking for ingredients with some form of these names can be problematic.

Gluten isn’t just found in foods.

It can be hiding under other names that many of us just overlook while we’re checking ingredient labels. As a result, you might think you’re eating something safe and entirely gluten-free, but soon after the headaches, bloating, fatigue, and, in some cases, vomiting appear, and you know you’ve unknowingly ingested gluten.

Often enough, you’ll go back and look at the labels, trying to figure out what it is that you’ve missed. For many people, this small quest ends in frustration and confusion.

The graphic below shows 20 of the most common hidden gluten ingredients. Keep an eye on labels for these. If they appear, avoid that specific item. common-ingredients-with-gluten

Is Wheat the Biggest Culprit?

When you hear the word “gluten,” the first ingredient you likely think of is wheat, right? For many, the answer is probably a resounding “yes.” While there are plenty of wheat derivatives that actually do have “wheat” in their names, there are many that don’t. The following is a list of wheat derivatives that you need to be aware of when reading those ingredient labels:

  • Durum
  • Graham
  • Kamut
  • Semolina
  • Spelt
  • Einkorn
  • Faro
  • AMP-Isostearoyl
  • Triticum Vulgare (which is sometimes followed by “germ extract,” “germ oil,” “gluten,” or “starch”)
  • Bran
  • Emmer

All of these are wheat in disguise, and because wheat is perhaps the biggest source of gluten, keep these ingredients out of your pantry, diet, and body at all costs.

What About Oats? Are They Gluten-Free?

While this question has been bouncing around for a while now, it doesn’t really have a solid answer. Oats have been considered to be gluten-free, but because of the risk of cross-contamination when oats are planted anywhere near wheat, it’s always difficult to know if they’re truly gluten-free or not. Your best bet here is to buy oats that are certified gluten-free. There are varieties available, and companies like Chex offer delicious oatmeals that are gluten-free. Did you know about these ingredients? Let us know in the comments below!