Additives, ingredients and foods with gluten

Gluten is a protein present in wheat, barley, rye (and varieties of these), which can cause negative reactions in the immune system of people with celiac disease. For these people, avoiding foods with this protein is essential to maintain good health and prevent complications.

There are a wide variety of foods that contain gluten. This is because they use additives and ingredients containing this protein in their preparations. Some of the most common ones are described below:

• Modified starch: modified starch is a food additive used to improve the texture and consistency of foods. It is sometimes derived from wheat, so it is important to check the label to make sure it is gluten-free.

• Malt: Malt is an ingredient used in brewing beer and soft drinks, but can also appear in some processed foods, such as sauces and salad dressings.

• Flours and flour blends: Wheat flour is the main ingredient in most flour blends. Flours and flour blends containing gluten include wheat flour, barley flour, rye flour and spelt flour.

• Cereals: cereals based on wheat, rye, barley (and their varieties) are a common source of gluten, especially breakfast cereals.

• Bread and baked goods: Bread and baked goods are some of the most common foods containing gluten. Wheat is one of the main ingredients in most breads, cakes, cookies, muffins and other baked goods. Most commercial baked goods contain gluten.

• Pasta: Most commercial pasta is made with wheat, which means it contains gluten. However, there are now many gluten-free pasta options available on the market, made with alternative ingredients such as rice, corn or quinoa.

• Beer: is a non-distilled alcoholic beverage traditionally made with barley, which means it contains gluten, never mind that it is non-alcoholic.