What is gluten and where can it be found?
Gluten is a protein found in wheat (including spelt, kamut, semolina and durum), rye, barley and triticale (a hybrid). In the case of wheat, gliadin has been isolated as the toxic fraction. It is gluten in the flour that helps bread and other baked goods bind and prevent crumbling. This feature has made gluten widely used in the production of many processed and packaged foods. You would be surprised to find just how much gluten is used in food production – it is found in almost every processed food on the market such as soups, baking powder, molasses, frozen prepared foods, energy and breakfast bars, desserts, condiments such as BBQ sauce and ketchup, crackers and cookies, to name just a few. It is used as a food additive in the form of a flavoring, stabilizing or thickening agent, often as "dextrin".
People wishing to follow a completely gluten free diet must also take into consideration the ingredients of any over-the-counter or prescription medications and vitamins. Also, cosmetics such as lipstick, lip balms, and lip gloss may contain gluten and need to be investigated before use. Glues used on envelopes may also contain gluten.
Special care is necessary when checking product ingredient lists since gluten comes in many forms: vegetable proteins and starch, modified food starch (when derived from wheat instead of maize), malt flavoring, including maltodextrine, dextrine , unless specifically labeled as corn malt. Many ingredients contain wheat or barley derivatives. However, dextrose is gluten free since it is highly modified, no matter what the source.
Although many foods contain gluten, it is not always included in ingredients lists. This lack of inclusion is because gluten is not used in the formulation of the product, but in the preparation (or manufacturing) of listed ingredients. One example is the dusting of the conveyor belts in the production facilities with gluten products to prevent the foods from sticking during processing. "Natural Flavoring" is also suspected to contain gluten. This type of gluten contamination may not be labeled; information confirming whether this form of gluten is present in a given product may only be available by contacting the food manufacturer directly.
What options are acceptable on a gluten-free diet?
Several grains and starch sources are considered acceptable for a gluten-free diet. The most frequently used are corn, potatoes, rice, and tapioca (derived from cassava). Other grains and starch sources generally considered suitable for gluten-free diets include amaranth, arrowroot, millet, montina, lupin, quinoa, sorghum (jowar), taro, teff, chia seed, and yam. Various types of bean, soybean, and nut flours are sometimes used in gluten-free products to add protein and dietary fiber. Almond flour is a low-carbohydrate alternative to flour, with a low glycemic index. In spite of its name, buckwheat is not related to wheat; pure buckwheat is considered acceptable for a gluten-free diet, although many commercial buckwheat products are actually mixtures of wheat and buckwheat flours, and thus not acceptable. Gram flour, derived from chickpeas, is also gluten-free (this is not the same as Graham flour made from wheat).
Source: Gluten-free diet
