21 Surprising and Unexpected Sources of Hidden Gluten

(4) Imitation Crab

Many brands of imitation crab contain wheat, making dining at a sushi restaurant fraught with peril. When ordering sushi, ask for real crab or avoid the California Rolls altogether. It’s just too risky.

The good news is that many store-bought brands of imitation crab are gluten-free, which I list in my gluten-free sushi article.

(5) Imitation Bacon

Some brands of bacon bits also contain gluten, making it ever-important to read labels carefully. While many brands won’t list wheat flour or wheat gluten on their labels, you’ll see ingredients such as yeast extract and autolyzed yeast, both of which are code for gluten (barley).

Durkee imitation bacon bits, pictured below, contain autolyzed yeast. Even McCormick bacon-flavored bits contain yeast extract. Avoid both!

I write about hidden sources of barley in my article, Beware of Malt and These 21 Potential Sources of Barley (Gluten). Read this article and understand how barley hides inside many products you know and love.

(7) BBQ Sauces

Unfortunately, many barbeque sauces contain hidden gluten, some in the form of wheat (especially if they contain soy sauce), and some in the form of barley malt or malt vinegar.

One example is Famous Dave’s BBQ sauce. It contains barley malt flour derived from barley; this product is off-limits to anyone with celiac disease or gluten intolerance.

(9) Pudding

I had been under the impression that instant pudding was gluten-free. But then, earlier this year, a reader told me JELL-O’s cheesecake-flavored instant pudding contains barley (gluten).

Beware when you see natural flavors or artificial flavors – these seemingly innocent ingredients may indicate the presence of gluten if the product isn’t labeled “gluten-free.”

(13) Oats

Oats are naturally gluten-free; however, they’re grown in rotation with wheat crops using the same fields, equipment, and harvesting tools. This means oats are cross-contaminated with wheat and, therefore, unsafe for someone on a gluten-free diet.

Many brands offer oats grown on dedicated gluten-free oat fields, known as purity oats, or that are mechanically and optically sorted and washed, known as commodity oats. Both types of oats, if labeled gluten-free, are safe to consume on a gluten-free diet, although certified gluten-free oats are always your safest bet.

To learn more about gluten in oats, please read this article, where you’ll see that I also tested several brands of oats for hidden gluten with my Nima Sensor.

Remember, oatmeal also contains traces of gluten unless the oatmeal is labeled “gluten-free.” Read those labels carefully!

(14) Granola Bars

Granola bars can contain gluten, and one brand that throws a lot of people for a loop is Nature Valley granola bars. These bars don’t appear to contain gluten, but they do contain oats. Because they’re not labeled gluten-free, Nature Valley granola bars contain bits of gluten that could cause a reaction in people with celiac disease and gluten intolerance.

To prove my point, I tested Nature Valley Crunchy Granola Bars for hidden gluten with my Nima Sensor. As predicted, Nima found gluten.

(Please note that Nature Valley has some granola and energy bars that are labeled gluten-free. Those would be safe to consume on a gluten-free diet.)

(15) Rice Krispies

Ironically, while rice is naturally gluten-free and used in many gluten-free products, Kellogg’s Rice Krispies is not.

In fact, Rice Krispies contains gluten in the form of malt flavor, which is derived from barley. Not only is the cereal off-limits if you’re following a gluten-free diet, but Kellogg’s Rice Krispies Treats are off-limits, too.

Don’t worry; you can still make crispy rice treats at home. Just be sure to use the brands of crispy rice cereal listed in my article, Are Rice Krispies Gluten Free?

(16) Corn Flakes

While corn is naturally gluten-free, Kellogg’s Corn Flakes contains malt flavor (barley) and is not gluten-free. I list several Corn Flake cereal alternatives that you can choose instead.

Check out my article, The Ultimate List of 25 Gluten-Free Cereals [Tested for Hidden Gluten], for a list of gluten-free cereals.

PS: I recently learned that Kix cereal is no longer gluten-free. Read more about Kix.

(17) Play-Doh

While no one eats Play-Doh, it can get stuck in the crevices of your fingernails and sometimes make its way into a child’s mouth.

Therefore, if a child has celiac disease or non-celiac gluten sensitivity, he or she should avoid playing with Play-Doh because it contains wheat flour.

Instead, make your own gluten-free playdough (this is a great recipe!) or buy one of these gluten-free playdough brands.

(18) Lip Balm

While most lip balm brands are free from gluten, it’s always disturbing when I come across brands that aren’t. One such brand is Lip Smackers, which contains wheat germ oil.

To be safe, always look for certified gluten-free brands of lip products, including Red Apple Lipstick and Badger Balm. See my complete list of 16 Gluten-Free Lip Balm Brands.

You should also make sure your skincare and beauty products are gluten-free. Read my article, Gluten-Free Makeup, Skincare, and Beauty Brands.

(19) Couscous

Couscous looks like a cross between rice and quinoa, which are both naturally gluten-free grains. However, couscous is made from tiny granules of durum wheat semolina, a type of wheat flour that is not gluten-free.

While it’s rare to find gluten-free couscous, a few brands make gluten-free Israeli or pearled couscous. Read my Gluten-Free Couscous Guide: Where to Find It, Brands and Substitutes for more details.

(20) Beer

Beer may look innocent, but brewing inside a can of beer is a slew of gluten-containing grains, including wheat and barley. And because beer is fermented vs. distilled, the gluten protein remains intact.

Conversely, distilled alcohol made from gluten-containing grains is considered gluten-free because the distillation process removes gluten. You can read more about what alcohols are gluten-free in my Guide to Gluten-Free Alcohol.

Also, gluten-removed beers (sometimes called gluten-reduced beers), like Omission, are controversial and not generally accepted as gluten-free, even when the company says it contains less than 20 parts per million (ppm) of gluten. Many celiac organizations recommend against consuming gluten-removed beer because the testing methods aren’t trustworthy.

(21) Milkshakes

Many milkshakes contain a spoonful of malt powder, in addition to milk and ice cream, to give the beverage a sweeter taste and more robust flavor.

Unfortunately, malted milk powder is made from dried whole milk, malt barley, and wheat flour, making it most certainly not gluten-free. When ordering a milkshake, make sure it contains no malt powder.