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Home » Products & Ingredients » Is Root Beer Gluten-Free? I Researched the Top 5 Brands to Find Out

Is Root Beer Gluten-Free? I Researched the Top 5 Brands to Find Out

Last Updated September 7, 2023. Published June 28, 2023 Good For You Gluten Free

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Is Root Beer Gluten-Free? I Researched the Top 5 Brands to Find Out

Root beer is a confusing ingredient for the gluten-free community. While beer is off-limits since it’s made from barley and hops, root beer is typically made from similar ingredients as soda and is non-alcoholic. In this post, I discuss whether or not root beer is safe for people with celiac disease and gluten intolerance, as well as share what the leading root beer brands say about gluten. Please see my disclosures.

Root beer is a carbonated, sweetened beverage typically made from water, sugar, and other flavorings and spices distinct from root beer.

Most people assume that root beer is always gluten-free because it doesn’t contain any grains or wheat products – two common sources of gluten.

However, you can’t know for sure that a rogue root beer brand wouldn’t try to sneak gluten into its formula in the form of flavorings or cross-contamination.

I contacted each of the leading root beer brands – A&W Root Beer, Barq’s Root Beer, Dad’s Root Beer, IBC Root Beer, and Mugs – to determine their take on gluten and confirm whether each brand is gluten-free.

Remember, food and beverage labels will always contain the latest and most accurate information about a product.

pictures of all the root beer brands featured in the article

A&W Root Beer

Keurig Dr. Pepper owns A&W.

Ingredients: Carbonated water, high fructose corn syrup, caramel color, sodium benzoate, citric acid, yucca extract, and natural and artificial flavors.

A&W Root Beer says on its packaging that it’s made with “aged vanilla,” but the ingredient list doesn’t contain vanilla as far as I can tell.

Is A&W Root Beer Gluten-Free? According to the company’s online allergen guide, all A&W Root Beer varieties are free from gluten.

A&W root beer

Barq’s Root Beer

The Coca-Cola Company owns Barq’s.

Ingredients: Carbonated water, high fructose corn syrup, caramel color, sodium benzoate (to protect taste), citric acid, caffeine, artificial and natural flavors, and acacia, which is a natural gum added to root beer to give it a smooth, foamy head on top of the beverage

Is Barq’s Root Beer Gluten-Free: I asked Barq’s if its products are gluten-free. A company representative says Barq’s Root Beer, caffeine-free Barq’s Root Beer, and Barq’s Diet Root Beer are all gluten-free with this caveat:

“Some minor ingredients in these [Barq’s] products are manufactured from plants that gluten-sensitive people could react to, so we are unable to state categorically that they are totally gluten-free even though they may have undetectable levels of gluten in them. However, extremely gluten-sensitive individuals should discuss consumption of these products with their health care provider.​”

Barq's root beer

Dad’s Root Beer

Dad’s Root Beer is a family-owned company based in Jasper, Indiana.

Ingredients: carbonated water, pure cane sugar, caramel color, sodium benzoate (a preservative), citric acid, and natural and artificial flavors.

Is Dad’s Root Beer Gluten-Free? I emailed the company to determine if Dad’s Root Beer is gluten-free. I haven’t heard back from them after numerous attempts. I will update this article when I know more.

That said, Dad’s Root Beer doesn’t contain any gluten ingredients, so it’s likely safe to consume on a gluten-free diet.

IBC Root Beer

Keurig Dr. Pepper manufactures IBC Root Beer.

Ingredients: Carbonated water, cane sugar, caramel color, sodium benzoate (a preservative), natural and artificial flavors, modified corn starch, citric acid, and quillaia extract.

Is IBC Root Beer Gluten-Free? According to the nutrition and allergen data on the company’s website, IBC Root Beer doesn’t contain any gluten and is gluten-free.

IBC Root Beer

Mug Root Beer

PepsiCo owns Mug Root Beer.

Ingredients: Carbonated water, high fructose corn syrup, caramel color, sodium benzoate (a preservative), citric acid, natural and artificial flavors, modified food starch, calcium disodium EDTA (to protect flavor), and quillaia extract.

Please note Mug Root Beer is one of the few root beers that contain modified food starch. In the U.S., the most common source of modified food starch is corn.

Is Mug Root Beer Gluten-Free? A spokesperson for Mug Root Beer said in an email that Mug Root Beer is gluten-free. Specifically, she said it’s free from wheat and gluten ingredients and safe to consume even if you have celiac disease.

Mug Root Beer

Does Root Beer Contain Gluten?

Root beer is, for all intents and purposes, gluten-free and does not contain any gluten ingredients.

Before enjoying a cold root beer, check the label and ingredient list for hidden gluten.

Some brands of root beer will state on their packaging whether or not they are gluten-free.

If you can’t find a “gluten-free” claim, check the ingredient list for any potential sources of gluten, such as barley malt or wheat syrup.

Use the FIG app to quickly scan the UPC on the beverage. FIG will quickly scan the ingredient label and flag any questionable ingredients.

Contact the manufacturer directly if you can’t find a list of ingredients on the label. I contacted each company to confirm that each was gluten-free; however, I recommend you always do your own due diligence.

Finally, look for added flavors. Root beer comes in many flavors, so you’ll want to double-check the ingredient list to ensure it doesn’t contain any gluten ingredients.

The Bottom Line: Rest assured, root beer is generally considered gluten-free and contains no ingredients derived from wheat, barley, or rye. You can enjoy this nostalgic treat without the worry of getting glutened.

Additional Articles

You might enjoy these articles, too:

  • Guide to Gluten-Free Alcohol
  • Beware of Malt and these 21 Potential Sources of Barley (Gluten)
  • GoodBelly Probiotic Beverages are Full of Gut Inflaming Sugar; Some Contain Gluten, Too!
  • Gluten-Free Canned Soups – Tested for Hidden Gluten
  • Is Licorice Gluten Free? The Truth about Twizzlers, Red Vines and More!
  • 8 Signs Your Gluten-Free Diet Is Working

Filed Under: Gluten-Free News & Information, Products & Ingredients 3 Comments

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Good For You Gluten Free says

    July 2, 2023 at 1:52 pm

    Caramel color may contain gluten; if the manufacturer says it’s GF, or it’s labeled GF, it’s fine to consume. Hopefully when the food labeling modernization act passed, these ingredients will be more transparent.

    https://www.goodforyouglutenfree.com/food-labeling-modernization-act-impacts-gluten-free-community/

  2. Christina Henley says

    July 2, 2023 at 1:10 pm

    Thank you for this article. Many sodas come up on ‘gluten’ apps as *may contain* and indicate the caramel color as a potential source of gluten. I didn’t find an article on your page about this ingredient. When my daughter was first diagnosed over 5 years ago caramel color was one of those ingredients we wouldn’t chance but I’m wondering your thoughts on it. It’s in A LOT o f foods and sodas in particular. Thanks again for all your articles, research, and everything you do for those with celiac ❤️

  3. Aricka LaFramboise says

    June 30, 2023 at 11:55 am

    What a great article! I don’t personally drink soda. I gave it up 20 years ago and the taste is now comparable to soil. But I did have some ice cream last week that was rootbear soda flavored and took me back to my childhood. The label assured me it was safe. Took me four nights to finish. I’m really not a sweets person.

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