Gluten free products

You can read about special gluten free products sold in stores at the page Special goods for gluten free diet and to find the information about the sale of special gluten free products in different cities you can see Gluten free cities.

Below I describe the products that are sold in the ordinary departments of regular stores that can be eaten by people with gluten free diet and give you the information – what you need to eliminate from the diet.

The main question arising in the beginning of gluten free diet: what food contains gluten and which are not.

To begin I will outline two important points:

• First, let me draw your attention to the fact that if the decision about the rejection of gluten was made based on the gluten intolerance or celiac disease identified by doctor – you should exclude all products that can contain gluten even in small proportion.
• Secondly, you should know about the term – “hidden gluten”. What is this: in the manufacture or processing of some foods can be used wheat. Thus, on the label of the product there is now such information but the product may contain particles of gluten. Another variant of hidden gluten: the use of the same conveyors/mills/other equipment for the production of various products. Surely you have noticed strange inscriptions on, for example, chocolate – may contain traces of nuts. This is because chocolate with nuts and without nuts are made on the same equipment, and therefore the particles of nuts can get into pure chocolate. Similarly, the gluten can get into other products. Some manufacturers approach the issue more responsibly and write about the possible content of gluten and some don’t.Hidden gluten in such products can be contained in very small quantities and in a single use may not cause symptoms of intolerance, but if you are buying this product regularly, it can cause serious consequences. Personally, I completely eliminated from my diet questionable products.

A list of food that naturally DOESN’T CONTAIN GLUTEN

Fruits and vegetables
All fresh fruits and vegetables do not contain gluten. But frozen and canned fruits/vegetables, and dried fruits should be treated with caution as they may contain hidden gluten. (Personally, I completely excluded from the diet of all canned. But the dried fruit is left, there is a chance of having less gluten, in my opinion.)

• Cereals and legumes

By nature does not contain gluten the following grains and legumes: rice, buckwheat, millet, corn, quinoa, amaranth, peas, chickpeas, beans, lentils, soy and other beans.

• Flour from gluten free cereals 

Gluten free flours: rice, corn, pea and buckwheat flour, almond flour, flour of chestnuts, potato and soy flour, corn and potato starch etc.

Please note that all listed grains, beans and flour mixtures of them can be contaminated with gluten during processing, packaging and transportation and it is recommended to buy such products only with a special icon marking the crossed-out ear or the words “gluten free”/”without wheat”.

• Eggs

Fresh chicken and quail eggs does not contain gluten.

• Nuts and seeds

All nuts and seeds (that have not undergone industrial processing and containing no other ingredients) does not contain gluten.

• Meat, poultry meat, fish

Fresh meat, poultry meat and fish without additional ingredients and industrial processing – does not contain gluten.

>Any meat, chicken or fish products (meatball and others) are prepared in a batter containing wheat flour. Even if gluten it is not listed in the ingredients – this semi-finished products should be completely excluded from the diet.

• Milk and dairy products

Fresh milk, butter, yogurt, fermented baked milk and cream does not contain gluten. But keep in mind that gluten could get into these products during industrial processing. The same with cheeses.

• Vegetable oil

Pure sunflower, olive and other plant oils does not contain gluten.

• Drinks

Tea without flavouring and additives, coffee beans and unground spices do not contain gluten.

• Thickeners

The following thickeners does not contain gluten: guar gum, gum carob, pectin, gelatin in pure form, agar-agar.

A list of food CONTAINING GLUTEN

• The following grains contain gluten:

Wheat, rye, barley, spelt, Kamut, spelt, triticale, durum. These grains should not be used by people with gluten intolerance, in any form, including in the form of sprouts. In Russia the hidden gluten is also in oats. In other countries you can find oats and oatmeal labeled “gluten free”.

• Gluten also contains in all products of the above cereals:

Wheat and oat flour, pasta, bakery and confectionery products (except products with special mark “without gluten”), bran, barley malt, brewer’s yeast, barley, semolina, groats, cornflakes and corn sticks.

Some substitutes of these products you can find in the list of special goods for gluten free diet .

• Sauces

Almost all types of sauces contain wheat, and therefore absolutely contraindicated for people with gluten free diet. Ketchup, mayonnaise and mustard contain flour as a thickener, and soy sauce are made on the basis of wheat (as specified directly in the composition). But there are 3 kinds of soy sauces, which are made specially gluten free: read more about gluten free soy sauces.

Please note that gluten not only contains in the sauces from the shop, but also those that are prepared in restaurants and at your relatives and friends kitchens, because wheat flour is a classic thickener for almost all types of sauces.

• Condensed milk

All kinds of condensed milk contain wheat flour as a thickener.

• Baking powder

Baking powder and leavening agents in their composition contain wheat flour. Except products with “gluten free” mark.

Products that may contain hidden gluten

• Finished products and semi-finished products;
• Frozen products;
• Sausage, ham, pate and other meat products which have undergone industrial processing;
• Crab sticks and other seafood, frozen or processed industrially (including smoking);
• Starch, modified starch, reptitiously starch, maltose;
• Vegetable protein;
• Various pastry topping, pastry decoration, glaze, powdered sugar, leavening agents (except sodium);
• Dried fruits;
• Marinades, canned food;
• Dairy products and cheeses;
• Ice cream, whipped cream, desserts;
• Chocolate, candy, sweets;
• Juices (all except fresh squeezed), fruit drinks, nectars, lemonades;
• Ground spices, yeast, gelling mixtures;
• Dry mixes, concentrates and powders for making beverages (cocoa, instant coffee, etc.);
• Baking mix not marked “gluten free”;
• Gluten free cereals or mixture of cereals, muesli, that is not marked “gluten free”;
• Syrups, vinegar, milk and cream non-animal origin;
• Bouillon cubes;
• Plant resin, gum;
• Various aromatic extracts, and plant origin;
• Artificial colors, dyes caramel color;
• Flavors, including natural, caramel flavors.

This is an indicative list of products which may contain gluten. People with celiac disease and gluten intolerance should completely avoid food containing gluten and it is desirable not to use the products included in the list of hidden gluten. Especially with celiac disease!

Now you can read about special gluten free products that are sold in stores at the page Special goods for gluten free diet and find the information about the sale of special gluten free products in different cities at the page Gluten free cities.