Don’t get glutened when grocery shopping! In this article, I discuss hidden sources of gluten at the supermarket so you can stay safe and gluten free. Please read my disclosures.
Grocery shopping can be a challenge when you’re on a gluten-free diet. People with celiac disease and gluten sensitivity must avoid all sources of gluten, a protein found in wheat, rye, barley and sometimes oats, in order to stay true to a strict gluten-free diet.
It can be tricky for people on the gluten-free diet to navigate a grocery store. You have to know how to read food labels like a pro (thank goodness for scanner apps like Fig), you need to figure out what brands and products are (or aren’t) safe for you, and you must know where hidden sources of gluten lurk.
I recommend avoiding these five hidden sources of gluten, all which can be found at your local grocery store.
Bulk Bins
The bulk bins contain all sorts of gluten cross contamination opportunities and should be avoided like the plague. While it would be nice to save a buck or two by buying beans and quinoa in bulk, the truth is there is no way to mitigate one bulk bin from spilling over into another bulk bin.
On top of that, people switch scoopers ruthlessly. That means a scooper could have been used to scoop some contaminated oats before it scooped that quinoa. No thanks!
Sushi Counter
While it’s tempting to buy store-bought sushi, be careful when you do.
Many sushi rolls contain gluten in the form of imitation crab, tempura-fried shrimp, and soy sauce marinated fish. Even if you get a gluten-free sushi roll of only tuna and cucumbers, the person who made the roll may have had gluten on his hands, or the surfaces used to prepare the sushi may have been contaminated with gluten from other rolls.
On top of that, few supermarket sushi places offer gluten-free soy sauce packets; so if you do take a chance of grocery store sushi, you’ll want to BYOT – bring your own tamari (or gluten-free soy sauce).
Soup & Salad Bars and Food Buffets
Soup and salad bars and food buffets (like the ones you fine at Whole Foods) are tempting, but beware that people handling the food (people just like you and me) aren’t always cognizant of cross contamination. They may be using the same tongs to scoop breaded fried chicken and then corn on the cob. Looks like that corn on the cob may now be contaminated with breaded chicken remnants!
Plus, it’s not uncommon for a few croutons to fall in the “gluten-free” dressing or other gluten-free items. You never know where everything has been and what every thing has touched. It’s risky!
Deli Counter
The deli counter is a source of mass cross contamination as well. Meats and cheeses are cut indiscriminately by the workers with little to no cleaning of machinery or glove changing in between cuts.
The staff also handle pre-made foods, like pasta salad and French breads, all which lurk behind the deli counter. Plus, many grocery stores make made-to-order sandwiches, so it’s likely there is plenty of bread – and bread crumbs – present within the confines of the deli counter.
Store-Packaged Deli Meats, Cheeses and Bulk Bin Items
Beware of deli meats, cheeses and bulk bin items that were pre-packaged from the bulk aisle including items such as nuts, seeds, lentils, beans, and grains. These items were packaged in-store with little regard for cross contamination.
Instead, stick to packaged foods made by trusted manufacturers off site, and look for foods that are labeled gluten free or certified gluten free when possible.
Are there other sources of hidden gluten lurking in the grocery store? Please leave a comment to share and contribute to keeping the gluten-free community safe.
I talked to a clerk at one of our local grocery stores and she told me that another place to avoid is the meat counter. Go with pre-packaged meat instead. With the breaded meats, stuffed meats and sausages, there is plenty of room for cross contamination there, just as there is at the deli.
This is so depressing. I do not have celiac disease but I am wildly affected by the tiniest amount of gluten. ⁶I rarely buy anything from the bulk bins. Sometimes nuts. But now I’m going to think twice about it. Thank you for this reminder, I think!
Great question. I’m generally ok with it but there is a tiny risk of cross contamination unfortunately.
What do you think about pre-cut fruit? Is there chances of cross contact with that?