What Condiments Are Gluten Free?

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While shopping at your nearest grocery store, you might have come across food packages that come with labels like gluten-free, vegan or lactose-free, etc. Have you wondered if condiments contain gluten? if so, then what condiments are gluten-free? It may also come across as a mystery as to why gluten is added to the condiments. Let us walk through and know more about gluten and what condiments are gluten free.

1. What Is Gluten? What Are Its Side Effects?

Gluten is a protein found in all sources of wheat, barley and triticale. It is also found in brewer’s yeast and rye. Apart from the obvious foods such as bread, and pasta, it is also present in many unobvious food items like condiments. Before buying any condiment you should check what condiments are gluten-free.

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If you are not careful it can be harmful to a person suffering from celiac disease or coeliac disease. These are autoimmune diseases that damage the small intestine during the consumption of gluten. Some people suffer from gluten sensitivity and are not diagnosed with celiac. This condition is Non Celiac Gluten Sensitivity and in recent years many people have discovered they have this aversion.

Along with people suffering from celiac disease, or gluten sensitivity, people give up gluten for many reasons. The most common one is weight loss. Many weight loss diets suggest giving up gluten to lose weight is an effective choice.

2. Why Is Gluten Used in Condiments?

Gluten is usually used as an emulsifier and thickener which enhances and provides longer shelf life of products especially in processed foods. It is a known stabilizer and is often present in emulsifiers and other fillers

Apart from using it as emulsifiers and fillers, many condiments are made from gluten sources. In Chinese cuisine, the fermentation of soybeans and wheat produces authentic Soy sauce. Vinegar is also a product of the fermentation of grains such as wheat, barley. Despite proving, that on the distillation of vinegar, the gluten breaks down into simpler compounds, it is still a topic of controversy among many concerned gluten-free consumers. Vinegar alternatives such as white vinegar and apple cider vinegar are safe and naturally gluten-free.

3. What Gluten Ingredients to Look for In Condiments?

If you are moving towards gluten-free living, or avoiding gluten you should know what to look for. before buying anything you should turn the package over and check for these gluten ingredients. These are some common ingredients That contain gluten and are generally missed.

Wheat/ wheat derivates
Triticale
Rye
Barley
Brewer’s yeast
Barley malt
Dextrin
Emulsifier
Food starch
Malto dextrin
Modified wheat starch
Malt vinegar

These are generally some ingredients you will stumble upon in some condiments. Avoid these ingredients and if you intend to make your lifestyle gluten-free you have to be careful and mindful about what you eat. You have always to read labels and pay special attention to hidden products if you are not sure about the products.

4. What Condiments are not Gluten Free?

Now as you know, what ingredients on the food labels contain gluten, you should also know what condiments constitute. What if apart from these ingredients, what are condiments that you should avoid as a whole? Here is a list, though it may not contain all the condiments available, it covers the most popular ones

what condiments are gluten free — Photo by Bulbul Ahmed on Unsplash 2021

4.1 Vinegar

The manufacture of vinegar is mainly done by fermentation of grains such as wheat, barley, malt, etc. These are very rich in gluten and for a gluten-free diet it is not advisable to consume vinegar

4.2 Soy Sauce

soy sauces that are available in the market are not made from actual soybeans, at least not the cheap and readily available ones. They are made from wheat and are not safe for consumption. Most stores do not contain soy sauce, which only contains soybeans. As they are generally expensive most stores don’t keep them.

4.3 Teriyaki Sauce

You might have heard this name associated with Asian cuisine as it is a very popular condiment in it. The main component in teriyaki sauce is soy sauce which traditionally contains gluten. Lately, many recipes use tamari soy sauce instead of traditional soy sauce to make it gluten-free.

4.4 BBQ sauce

The preparation of Barbeque sauce includes the use of Worcestershire sauce. Worcestershire sauce is not on the list of gluten-free sauces. That ingredient makes bbq sauce unfit for consumption by both people with celiac disease and non-celiac gluten sensitivity. If you suffer from either, you should avoid unmarked BBQ Sauces.

4.5 Salad Dressings

There are various salad dressings which may be gluten-free but the ones that are easily acquired and common have many hidden gluten sources like malt vinegar, soy sauce made from wheat, etc.

4.6 White Pasta Sauce

The white pasta sauce is not so cheesy because of the cheese in it, it also contains refined wheat flour and milk. Although cow’s milk is gluten-free you can never be sure of it if it is not mentioned on the ingredient labels. It is only safe if the person cooking has prior instructions.

The purpose of condiments is to enhance the flavour of the foods, so there are a lot of mysterious ingredients that are added to them, to avoid any mishap you should make sure to buy foods that are labelled gluten-free.

You should also be mindful that if you are not sure about the ingredients these sauces are not gluten-free. If you are suffering from celiac disease or not trying to eat gluten you should avoid these. On many brands for the above-listed products, the ingredient labels do not contain any warning.

Also, check out: Is Butter A Condiment

5. What Condiments are Gluten Free?

5.1 Ketchup

According to What It Means To Be American 97% of Americans would have a Ketchup bottle in their fridge. contrary to popular belief, ketchup available in the local grocery store would be gluten-free, many popular brands such as Heinz ketchup are FDA-approved and gluten-free. The ingredients listed for ketchup by most brands are gluten-free. The labels for ingredients mention it, but you should still read labels to be extra careful.

5.2 Tamari Soy Sauce

Tamari soy sauce is an excellent alternative to soy sauce if you cannot get your hands on pure one. It is readily available in the local stores and you don’t have to work too hard to locate it too

5.3 Honey Mustard

Honey is completely and naturally gluten-free so any of the condiments made from Honey like Honey mustard powder, honey chilly sauce, etc are gluten-free.

5.4 Coconut Blossom Nectar

Obtained from the plant sap, the nectar is safe and very popular and has amazing taste. thus, the reason it is growing extremely popular as a condiment.

5.5 Coconut Aminos

Another plant-derived condiment, coconut aminos are one of the alternatives used in Chinese foods instead of soy sauce. They are now gaining a lot of popularity as apart from being a great gluten-free alternative, it is also rich in other nutrients

5.6 Guacamole

Best paired with chips, guacamole is one of the most famous condiments usually served with chips. Though chips are known to have higher levels of gluten, guacamole is classified as gluten-free.

5.7 Relish

Relish as a pickle may contain vinegar but certain brands have labelled gluten-free products. Heinz is one of them claims that Heinz ketchup and relish are both certified gluten-free.

5.8 Mayonnaise

The ingredients in Mayonnaise Are mostly gluten-free and are safe to consume for people suffering from celiac disease or coeliac disease. A lot of oil is used in mayonnaise and all sources of natural oil like canola oil, rice bran oil, and groundnut oil are made from the seeds of their respective plants which do contain any kind of gluten.

5.9 Mustard

Mustard is not among the favourite condiments, but it is a popular sauce served with hot dogs. If it is made from pure mustard seeds, the product is gluten-free but there are many preservatives and additional ingredients that could affect people with gluten sensitivity.

5.10 Fish Sauce

Fish sauce is made from the fermentation of fish with salt for long periods, so in all none of the ingredients contain gluten but many brands

Many patients around the world have been shown to have gluten sensitivity without being diagnosed with celiac/ coeliac disease. That may be a setback but it does not in any way mean that you can enjoy your favourite condiments only if you choose foods that are specifically labelled or use gluten-free alternatives.

6. Some Gluten Free Alternatives for Condiments

The majority of people transitioning from a normal diet to a gluten-free diet find it difficult to search for alternatives that are gluten-free as they have ingredients have some ingredients that contain gluten.

6.1 Gluten-Free Soy Sauces

The readily available soy sauces in the market are manufactured using wheat which is not a good choice for people avoiding gluten or having gluten sensitivity.

But the question still prevails, what to use instead? Soy sauce can also be made from soybeans purely and does not require gluten. Many companies have started providing gluten-free alternatives to soy sauce.

Tamari is also another good alternative that can be used. It is also termed as the cousin of soy sauce but without gluten. It does not use wheat or any other products that contain gluten. Along with tamari, coconut aminos are also excellent alternatives to soy sauce.

Stir fry recipes are usually known to use soy sauce and being on a gluten-free diet, you can safely use tamari or coconut as an alternative for those.

6.2 Gluten-Free Vinegar

Vinegar is a result of the fermentation of many sources of gluten, but it is possible to easily remove the gluten with the process of distillation. Distilled vinegar along with other vinegar derivatives is gluten-free. Even if their production is from grains that contain gluten.

Apple cider vinegar is a very good alternative to vinegar too, it is made from the fermentation of apple ciders and no grains are a part of the process. This makes it naturally gluten-free and there is no need for any alternative. As safe, gluten-free alternatives to vinegar there, distilled vinegar along with white vinegar and vinegar spirit

Distillation removes all the gluten and makes it edible and safe to eat too. It is very hard to believe that something made from grains that contain gluten can be gluten-free. Scientifically the distillation process breaks the protein gluten into several smaller compounds. These compounds cause no harm or trigger any gluten sensitivity. Without getting facts verified, false information spreads faster and hence various controversial opinions about the consumption of distilled vinegar have come up.

6.3 Gluten Free Bbq Sauce

Barbeque is a part of almost every American household, according to CNN News almost 75% of households own a grill, so barbeques require bbq sauce. Authentic barbeque sauce contains gluten. There are gluten-free labels available in the market easily. Some of the top names include the Bone sucking sauce by Ford’s gourmet food, some of Jack Daniel’s barbeque sauce, etc.

These sauce brands are very popular and the variety and choice gain them more popularity and make them a household name.

Even if you have gluten sensitivity, you can still enjoy popular foods. Now many companies make gluten-free counterparts of popular foods. These are readily available in the market and are affordable too. If you still feel sceptical you can get a list of foods approved by a registered dietitian.

7. Best Gluten Free Condiment Brands

If you are planning to go gluten-free or trying to avoid gluten, you should know some very popular brands that make gluten-free condiments. Cross-contamination is a growing concern too as celiac disease patients are hypersensitive and can be seriously ill if they consume gluten. Being careful and aware can always prevent any such thing

You can choose among these brands for good quality gluten-free condiments

7.1 For Soy Sauce

San J reduced sodium organic tamari
Kikomann gluten free soy sauce
Eden organic tamari soy sauce
La Choy soy sauce

7.2 Salad Dressing

Bragg’s
Nasoya foods
Annie’s naturals
Organicville
Brianna’s

7.3 Vinegar

Heinz
Eden foods
Bragg’s apple cider vinegar
Trader Joe’s apple cider vinegar

7.4 Bbq Sauce

Bone suckin sauce
Organicville
San J International gluten-free bbq sauce
Guy Fieri
Jack Daniels original

7.5 Ketchup

Heinz
Annie’s organic ketchup
Organicville ketchup
Kroger’s original Tomato ketchup

7.6 Mayonnaise

Hellman’s
Heinz
Kraft
Trader Joe’s

Photo by Sara Cervera on Unsplash 2019

The above-listed brands are the ones that have certified gluten-free products in their variety. Not all products by these brands could be gluten-free but specific products do, like Jack Daniel’s original#7, hickory brown sugar, spicy and master blend are the types which are gluten free similarly Annie’s Natural also has a variety of organic and gluten-free products so that people can have a variety and be safe.

As the saying goes, ‘Prevention is better than Cure’ you should always be careful. The abovelisted brands are quite popular and well-liked. They are also certified and safe. This offers better clarity and options while choosing good quality products and tastes.

Conclusion

In the US, according to the FDA, the standard for approving a food as gluten-free is that the gluten content in the food should be less than 20 ppm. If the food product is FDA-approved you can know that it is safe to eat and you can consume it. Cross-contamination is a common issue that could cause adverse reactions. People suffering from celiac disease might be severely affected.

When a person consuming gluten goes gluten-free, it becomes very difficult. Acquiring and finding good gluten-free products. Many people are still not aware that condiments used in their favourite dishes, stir-fries, barbeques, and other foods may contain gluten and can trigger a reaction.

As a general rule, you should generally avoid soy sauce, vinegar, bbq sauce, salad dressings, and white pasta sauce. The production of these sauces is from gluten grains or other sources with high gluten content.

Many condiments like ketchup, mayonnaise, apple cider vinegar, honey mustard, and ranch, are very safe to consume. Still, even if the food is said safe to eat, you should always be careful. Reading the labels before buying any product should be a habit. Products containing, wheat, barley, malt or triticale and their derivatives are not gluten-free. It is not safe for consumption by people with celiac disease or coeliac disease or gluten sensitivity.

Many brands such as Heinz, Annie’s Naturals, Bragg’s, etc have a variety of gluten-free condiments. They are safe for consumption. Their whole range of products is not gluten-free but they have a variety of gluten-free products.

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