| Made from wheat | Made from barley | Made from oats | Made from other sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wheat germ Wheatmeal Wheat flour Wheat bran Semolina Icing sugar mixture | Brewer’s yeast Malt / malt extract Malt vinegar | Oatmeal Oat bran | Rye Triticale (a hybrid of wheat and rye) |
Possible sources of gluten
The following ingredients may contain gluten, depending on the grain that they are made from.
- Maltodextrin
- Vinegar
- Bran
- Starch / modified starch thickeners
- Textured vegetable protein
- Cornflour
- Yeast extract
- Vegetable extract
- Hydrolysed vegetable protein
- Baking Powder
- Soy sauce
- Some soy products
If these ingredients are derived from a grain containing gluten, the grain source must be written on the food label. If the ingredient is derived from a grain that does not contain gluten (such as maize), the grain source does not need to be written on the food label.
For example, modified starch thickener can be made from wheat or maize. If made from wheat, the ingredient may be listed as ‘modified starch thickener (from wheat)’. This product is not gluten free and should be avoided.
Modified starch thickener made from maize will be listed simply as ‘modified starch thickener’. This product is gluten free and can be used.
If you are unsure about whether or not an ingredient is safe to use, it is best to leave it out.
Do all ingredients from wheat contain gluten?
No, some ingredients made from wheat are so highly processed that all the gluten has been removed, and these products are gluten free.
Glucose, glucose syrup, caramel colour, dextrose and monosodium glutamate are derived from wheat but are gluten free and can be included in a gluten free diet.
What will the label say?
‘Gluten free’
By law, a product can only be labelled as ‘gluten free’ when it contains no detectable gluten (i.e. less than 0.003%). These products are safe to eat for people on a gluten free diet.
‘Contains gluten’ and ‘Contains traces of gluten’
Sometimes sources of gluten are not written on an ingredient list, but a label will state ‘contains gluten’ or ‘contains traces of gluten’. These products should be avoided by people on a gluten free diet.
‘May contain traces of gluten’
Warning statements such as ‘May contain traces of gluten’ are not required by law. The use of unnecessary warning statements on products may result in the food being eaten by someone ‘at risk’ or in the food being avoided when it may be safe.
It is a good idea to contact the manufacturing company for more information as avoiding all foods with this warning may not be necessary.
Coeliac Australia produces an Ingredient List Booklet which lists more than 800 ingredients and 300 additives used in Australia and indicates whether they are safe for including in a gluten free diet. For more information visit www.coeliac.org.au.
