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, to stay true to a strict gluten-free diet.
It can be tricky for people on a 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 of 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. 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. Some sushi rolls contain gluten in the form of imitation crab, tempura-fried shrimp, and soy sauce-marinated fish.
There could also be a risk of cross-contamination, although many sushi places do offer good practices to mitigate the risk.
Stick with sushi that includes only fresh, clean ingredients, and avoid any sushi made with sauces, toppings, imitation crab, etc.
And remember, some store-bought sushi may be okay, especially in a pinch, even if the package says “contains wheat.”
Here’s an example – the only wheat in this grocery-store sushi is from the soy sauce packet, which you can toss. The other ingredients are salmon, avocado, sushi rice, nori, and sesame seeds – all gluten-free ingredients.
If you take a chance on 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 are tempting, but beware that people handling the food (people like you and me) aren’t always cognizant of cross-contamination. They may use the same tongs to scoop breaded fried chicken and corn on the cob. Looks like that corn on the cob may now be contaminated with breaded chicken remnants!
If you must eat at a buffet, access it carefully for gluten and only eat items that are clearly labeled gluten-free or, you know, do not contain gluten. Whole Foods, for example, posts the ingredients for every dish.
I also recommend grabbing food from the untouched stuff in the back to mitigate your risk of contamination and avoid items located behind or next to gluten-y items that could have leached into the surrounding bins.
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 everything has touched. Buffets are risky! Avoid as much as possible, and be strategic if you “must” eat at one.
Deli Counter
The deli counter is a likely source of cross-contamination as well. In my observations, 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 handles pre-made foods, like pasta salad, fried chicken, and French bread, so the risk of cross-contamination is high. 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. Beware!
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.
Also, read my article about the 15 best grocery stores for finding gluten-free foods.
Additional Reading
- These 9 Apps Will Help You Live Your Best Gluten-Free Life
- 10 Surprise Foods that Contain Gluten from Haribo Gummy Bears to Twizzlers Licorice
- Canned Gluten-Free Soups – Tested for Hidden Gluten
- What to Do When You Accidentally Eat Gluten – Home Remedies
- Is Coffee Gluten Free?
- Learn How to Decode Food Labels
- Fig: Food Scanner & Discovery App Review
Thank you for sharing. Wow!
Ex produce manager here.
Fruit and veggies trays are prepared by whomever has the time, in whatever location is free in that moment. It isn’t always the produce department prepping, could be prepped in the bakery/deli and unless someone who understands Celiac Disease is prepping the produce, I would not be touching ANYTHING prepared in store. I found my ex employer a few times prepping fruit/veggie trays at my work table, multitasking while he also prepped cheese, deli meats and crackers and had a stack of crackers sitting on MY PRODUCE cutting board that he was snacking on between trays. I lost it on him and sent him away, explaining what cross contamination risks he was creating as well as full on glutening my work station! He laughed. I did not think this was funny. He said, “you should see what I do when you’re not here.”
This same grocery store would cause me migraine headaches every time I entered the store. I figured it was the fluorescent lights or the anxiety of having to be there (after leaving the job). I’d walk in, get head spins, migraine would start and I’d feel sick/drained, every time. After the “plague” started and we all had to start wearing masks, this stopped happening. I realized the masks were blocking the airborne flour that was causing me a full on reaction a few times a week. Flour stays airborne for 24-72? hours. With people constantly lifting those flour bags and it routinely being puffed out into the air, the grocery store was glutening me every single time!! I decided I would continue to wear a mask in the grocery store for just this purpose but have slacked on that and every time I don’t do it, I realize after getting the dizzy head spins and often, a migraine.
Two surprising products for me is Werthers Soft Caramels and Hunts Ketchup. Heinz Ketchup is one of the few naturally gluten free ketchup. Diagnosed celiac 10 months ago and I’m still learning. This article is very helpful. TY
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?