March 13, 2025 • 27 mins
You know to avoid bread, pasta, and baked goods—but what about soy sauce? Potato chips? Even some lip balms?! 😱
Gluten isn’t just in the obvious places—it hides in so many unexpected foods and products, making it even harder to avoid. If you have celiac disease or gluten sensitivity, knowing where gluten sneaks in can save you from frustrating reactions and flare-ups.
In today’s episode, I’m breaking down the surprising places gluten hides, the sneaky ingredients to watch for, and how to protect yourself from accidental exposure. If you’ve ever been “glutened” but had no idea where it came from, this episode is for you!
Save money, and no more guessing for dinner! Use code GFE to get 20% off annual membership at thedinnerdaily.com. Plan meals for less than $4/month and save money at the grocery store!
Come join us in our free Facebook Community, The Gluten Free Engineer.
It’s a space where you can connect with others living gluten-free, ask questions, swap tips and recipes, and get support from people who truly get it. Whether you’re newly diagnosed or a seasoned gluten-free pro, you’ll feel right at home.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
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Carrie Saunders (00:00):
Quick reminder before we get started on this
episode this podcast is based onmy personal experiences and
isn't medical advice.
You know how to avoid bread,pasta and baked goods, but what
about soy sauce, potato chips,even some lip balms?
Gluten isn't just in theobvious places.
It hides in so many unexpectedfoods and products, making it
(00:23):
harder to avoid.
If you have celiac disease orgluten sensitivity, knowing
where gluten sneaks in can saveyou from frustrating reactions
and flare-ups.
In today's episode, I'mbreaking down the surprising
places gluten hides, the sneakyingredients to watch out for and
how to protect yourself fromaccidental exposure.
If you've ever been glutenedbut had no idea where it came
(00:46):
from, this episode is for you.
Welcome to the Gluten-FreeEngineer Podcast.
I'm your host, k Saunders.
In 2011, I was diagnosed withceliac disease a moment that
changed everything, but I wasdetermined not to let it hold me
back.
With my two engineering degrees, I set out to reverse engineer
the gluten-free lifestyle,breaking down recipes, safety
(01:08):
tips, travel hacks andeverything in between to rebuild
a life I love.
Whether you have celiac disease, gluten intolerance or simply
choose to live gluten-free, thispodcast is for you.
Join me each week as wesimplify the gluten-free
lifestyle, make it fun and provethat you don't have to miss out
on anything.
Welcome back to the show.
Today we're talking about hiddenplaces that gluten can be found
(01:31):
, and let's first off start offas to why does gluten sneak into
so many unexpected places?
Well, first off, gluten is acheap thickener, stabilizer and
filler, so manufacturers use itin all kinds of foods, products
and medicines as well.
It can be hidden underdifferent names, making it
(01:51):
tricky to spot unless you knowwhat to look for.
We're going to put these in ourshow notes, but I'm going to
read through some pretty commonbut less known hidden sources of
gluten, because it can getreally confusing when you're
first starting out for sure.
So some wheat-based gluteningredients are such as wheat
(02:13):
starch, hydrolyzed wheat protein, wheat germ, wheat bran, wheat
berries, durum semolina spelt,mary's Durham Semolina Spelt,
kamut Bulger.
Those are some of the commonother types of names for wheat
type of products, that's,wheat-based gluten.
(02:34):
Now, some barley-basedingredients include malt, which
could include malt extract, maltflavoring, malt vinegar, malt
syrup, maltodextrin.
In some cases not all cases,but sometimes maltodextrin is
derived from barley.
Also barley extract that one'sa little bit more obvious barley
(02:55):
enzymes and brewer's yeast,which is commonly found in beer
and supplements.
So that brewer's yeast can be alittle bit tricky because you
may not think that it has barleyin it, but sometimes it can
Also rye-based ingredients.
Rye flour can be a little bittricky because you may not think
that it has barley in it, butsometimes it can Also rye-based
ingredients.
Rye flour that's a little bitobvious, but pumpernickel might
not be.
Triticale, which is a hybrid ofwheat and rye, is also a
(03:16):
rye-based ingredient.
So there are some otheringredients that might contain
gluten and you're going to wantto check labels.
So modified food starch mightcontain gluten and you're going
to want to check labels.
So modified food starch couldcontain gluten.
Typically in the United Statesit's usually corn-based, but in
other countries it may come fromwheat and it's possible it
could come from wheat if you'rein the United States as well.
(03:37):
Natural flavors that's onethat's really iffy.
You don't know what thatnatural flavor is and sometimes
it contains a barley base offlavoring.
So be cautious when it saysnatural flavors, especially if
the product's not marked asgluten-free or certified
gluten-free.
Caramel color this is usuallygluten-free, but there are some
rare cases it can be derivedfrom barley.
(04:00):
Soy sauce Most brands of soysauce contain wheat.
You want to look for agluten-free tamari instead,
which is a soy sauce that has nowheat in it.
Or you could use coconut aminoswhich is what we use in our
family because several of us aresoy sensitive that does not
have gluten, nor does it havesoy in it either.
(04:20):
So this is quite a few lists ofhidden sources of gluten, and
it's really hard to remembersometimes, so I want to you know
we're going to have this linkin our show notes of the list of
all the items.
Now there are more out there.
This is not an exhaustive list,but this is a common list of
(04:41):
other places you're going tofind gluten, other names for
gluten and products, and you maynot realize it.
Even naturally, gluten-freefoods can be cross-contaminated
during processing.
So if you're a celiac, makesure that you're looking at that
label and making sure itdoesn't say processed in a
facility that also processeswheat.
Or if you're gluten intolerantand highly sensitive, look for
(05:04):
that too.
If you are celiac or highlygluten sensitive, you're best
off getting something that iscertified gluten-free, to be
honest with you.
And then we're going to talkabout surprising foods that
contain gluten.
We already talked about thissome soy sauce and teriyaki
sauce, because most modern soysauce in the United States and
(05:26):
in many countries contain wheat.
So do look at those ingredients.
Whenever you go out to eat, atyou know a Chinese restaurant, a
Japanese restaurant, et cetera,you're going to want to ask
what type of soy sauce they useand make sure that they're using
a gluten-free soy sauce.
There are many of them outthere that do have that option
(05:48):
available, where you can ask forcoconut aminos if they have
that too.
So when you're eating recipesand out to eat that might have
soy sauce in it, please be extracautious.
There Also French fries andpotato chips.
This might be a little bitsurprising to those that might
be new to gluten-free, butpotatoes are naturally
gluten-free, as many of us know.
(06:09):
But many times fries are coatedwith wheat flour to get them
extra crispy and a lot of peopledon't realize that.
Also, chips can contain wheatand or malt vinegar, and malt
vinegar, as we talked about, isderived from barley.
It also can be fried in ashared fryer with gluten
(06:30):
containing ingredients too.
So we need to be really carefulwith our potatoes, our French
fries, our chips.
We have a local hot dogrestaurant here that fries their
fries in peanut oil and they donot fry anything else in the
oil.
And actually there's a littlebit of a story behind that,
because I helped them, help me,be safe eating at this place,
(06:53):
even though they serve hot dogson buns and things like that,
and I was asking questions andmaking sure that they on buns
and things like that, and I wasasking questions and making sure
that they didn't fry anythingelse in the fryer other than
French fries.
They assured me that's all theyfried in there was French fries
.
So I was fine for probably afew years and then all of a
sudden I started not feelinggood when I was eating there and
(07:14):
this is literally a two-personshop that runs this place, it's
a wonderful little shop here inAthens, ohio and I happened to
notice they had jalapeno poppersas a special, and so I asked
them I'm like, hey, are youfrying those jalapeno poppers
and the fries and the oil withthe fries?
And they're like we are.
I was like, oh well, then Ican't eat that anymore.
That's why I don't feel goodafter I eat here.
(07:36):
And their eyes got really bigand wide and they're like, oh,
we're so sorry.
And then, guess what, a week ortwo later actually pretty much
at that time.
They stopped making.
I think once they ran out ofthe jalapeno poppers they
stopped having it as a special.
And then within a week or twothey told me they're like hey,
we stopped frying them.
We've changed our oil manytimes that we think you might be
(07:58):
okay now.
And so then I was able to starteating their fries again,
because they're actually one ofthose places that actually does
clean their frying oil reallywell and very often and very
frequently, which is why theirfries are the best in the world.
(08:22):
Ask questions, just in case.
I got complacent and justassumed that they were still
just using french fries in thefryer until I started not
feeling good every time I atethere and then noticed their
special that they had, which wasjalapeno poppers.
So don't be afraid to ask everytime.
That's a bit the moral to thestory there, and if they're a
small place like that, talk tothem about it.
They may be willing to do whatI was surprised these people did
(08:42):
, but they are all very kind too, so I'm not that surprised,
because that's just who they are, you know to change their
process and not do that so thatI could eat there safely.
So make sure you keep that inmind.
So let's go to the next set ofitems that could have gluten in
it.
Imitation meat and vegetarianproducts sometimes have gluten
(09:03):
in it.
Many plant-based meats usesiaten hopefully I'm pronouncing
that right which is pure wheatgluten.
Some veggie burgers and meatsubstitutes also contain wheat
as a binder.
So please be extra cautiouswhen you're getting vegetarian
or vegan products.
While they can be healthy andgreat for the environment in
(09:26):
other ways you've got to bereally careful as a celiac or
gluten intolerant or somebodychoosing to be gluten free for
other reasons, because you couldbe getting wheat from a
vegetarian or vegan products.
And then candy and chocolate.
So we need to be lookingreligiously at our candy and
chocolate.
Not that we should be eating itthat much, because it's not
that healthy for us.
As we all know, sugar is notgreat for us but sometimes they
(09:49):
contain malt extract in therewhich is from barley, or they
could have wheat-based fillers.
So many of the mainstream candycompanies will let you know if
they're gluten-free or not.
So be sure to do your researchon that, and I'm going to have a
future episode here soon onspecialty candies as we come up
(10:09):
approach the holidays.
Easter will be coming up soon.
I'm recording this episode inMarch and Easter will be coming
up soon here in the UnitedStates and there's other
holidays too that have specialty.
You know items that come outduring the holidays.
So I'll be doing a specialepisode specifically on holiday
candy.
Because it's different, becauseif something is gluten-free,
(10:30):
many times it's the size and thetype of product, so just keep
that in mind.
I'll just give you a little bitof a preview here.
So just because you know acertain candy bar is gluten-free
on their standard size, don'tassume that a different version
of it is also gluten-free.
Always be researching that.
Also, look for licorice gummiesand coated candies.
(10:54):
They often use wheat starch intheir ingredients.
There's a very popular brand ofgummy bears here in the United
States and they might containwheat.
You don't know which starchthey're using in your bag of
gummies, so it's just best notto eat those at all.
So please be careful withgummies, licorice and coated
(11:14):
candies.
And there's even some mintsthat have a coating of wheat
powder on the outside to keepthem from sticking together when
they're in the little tin can.
So please be sure and bediligent on candy and chocolate.
It can really sneak in glutenon you.
I know one time at Halloween Iwas newly gluten free, was still
(11:38):
learning, and I kept wonderingwhy I felt bad when I was
sneaking the kids Halloweencandy.
You know that mom that sneaksthe Halloween candy yes, that's
me.
I'm sure all the moms out thereunderstand what I did, because
we all do it.
And I kept wondering why do Ifeel like bad?
And I found out a specific typeof milky way and when I go into
(12:00):
the candy episode specificallywe'll talk about which ones.
But a specific type of MilkyWay had barley in it, had malted
barley in it, but the otherkinds didn't, which is why I was
sometimes getting sick when Iate that specific candy bar.
So make sure you're reallydouble checking on any candy or
treats that you're having.
(12:21):
And then the next category isspices and seasonings.
Some seasoning blends containwheat as an anti-caking agent.
So you always want to checklabels here and I recommend, if
you're in question, stick withsingle ingredient spices instead
of blends, because many timesthe wheat is in the blended ones
(12:41):
, because they have severaldifferent spices in there and
they need to make it ananti-caking so they don't, you
know, glob together.
So always make sure you'rechecking labels or using single
ingredient spices.
And then the next area is saladdressings and condiments.
So many creamy dressings andsauces like ranch or Caesar use
(13:03):
wheat or malt vinegar in them,and the wheat's there, to you
know, have it be thickened andnot separate, and the malt
vinegar can be in there forflavoring.
Some ketchup mustards andbarbecue sauces also sneak in
gluten as a thickener.
So please be careful there.
Double check all the ingredients.
(13:24):
Make sure it says gluten-free,make sure there's no suspecting
ingredients in it.
And then also soup and broth.
So canned and restaurant soupsoften contain wheat flour as a
thickener.
So anytime you go out to eat ifit's like any sort of soup, I
wouldn't even assume Make sureit doesn't have wheat flour in
(13:45):
it.
Make sure it doesn't have soysauce in it.
That's also a common flavorenhancer in soups too.
And then we also want to belooking at bouillon cubes and
flavored stock sometimes containgluten.
That's one of the reasons why Istarted on using the not
chicken brand and the not beefbrand and the veggie cube brand,
(14:06):
just because I knew it wasgluten-free.
It labeled itself asgluten-free and then what I
found was it tastes so muchbetter than not chicken.
So it's basically it's justreally good, really seasoned
bouillon cubes.
And then the beef one's reallygood too, even though there's
absolutely no beef in it.
They're all vegan and they'rejust just taste so great.
(14:30):
So many times you'll stumbleupon something even better
tasting when you're looking forsomething gluten-free.
So that's something I highlyrecommend if you want to use
some sort of broth, that makesgreat broth, and it's in my
cream of chicken soup episode aswell.
And then next oats and granola.
So this is something peoplesometimes don't think about,
(14:50):
because oats are naturallygluten-free.
But the problem is most oatsare cross-contaminated while
they're processing.
Many times the oats and thewheat is grown in neighboring
fields.
Many times they're harvestedpotentially together or with the
same equipment and maybe gointo the same facility and get
(15:12):
manually sorted, and so glutenwill actually get onto the oats
when it's in that situation.
So you always want to make sureyou're buying certified
gluten-free oats.
It's not a scam.
They actually test it and makesure there isn't any gluten in
those oats.
Most of the time those oats areactually harvested and grown in
(15:32):
a completely separate place andall the things that process it
and touch it don't touch wheat,and that's how they can make
sure it's safe, and then theytest it afterwards as well.
So make sure you're buyingcertified gluten-free oats.
And then on top of that isgranola and oat-based snacks
bars, because oats can becross-contaminated.
(15:53):
We need to make sure thereisn't any hidden wheat or barley
ingredients in there and weneed to make sure that the oats
they use are gluten-free oats aswell.
And many good brands are greatat telling you whether they're
gluten-free oats or it sayscertified gluten-free on the bar
or on the granola bar or on thegranola itself.
So look for that.
(16:13):
Don't assume that if they'reoats they're gluten-free.
Make sure it says certifiedgluten-free oats, or it says
certified gluten-free oats, orit says uses gluten-free oats,
etc.
So make sure you're looking forwords like that.
And then alcoholic drinks.
You know, obviously beer has agluten in it, unless it's a
gluten-free beer.
(16:33):
But also malt beverages andsome flavored alcohols contain
gluten.
Sometimes those seltzers eventhough the seltzer itself is
gluten-free, they use a maltflavoring in it to make it have
a different taste.
So make sure you're looking atthese labels and making sure
that they're gluten-free.
So stick with gluten-free beer,wine, cider or distilled
(16:57):
liquors that don't have anyadded malt flavoring.
So make sure you're carefulthere.
If you do choose to drink.
Now there's some places and Ihinted to this earlier in this
episode where gluten stillsneaks into that contain gluten,
and this is something I'vefought so many times over the
years.
Medications and supplements Somepills contain wheat as a filler
(17:19):
and they're not required tolist that as an allergen, which
absolutely blows my mind.
Here in the United States I mayI hope they do, and other
countries are required to labelthat, but in the United States
they're not required to.
My pharmacist, thankfully,knows me and that's the first
thing she looks for is glutenand any medicines that I might
get prescribed.
(17:40):
So make sure you're alwayschecking the labels, asking the
pharmacist, make sure they'redoing their due diligence and
actually looking this up.
Sometimes they even have tocall the manufacturer and most
of them have no problem doingthat.
Don't feel like you're puttingthem out or, you know, make
giving them extra work.
It's their job to make sure youget safe medicine, so don't
(18:03):
feel badly if you ask a specialrequest because it is your
health.
I actually about let's see aboutfour years ago I had arthritis
set in.
I think I hinted on this in oneof the other episodes and they
were trying to find a medicineto help me with my arthritis.
And we had so much troublefinding this medicine without
(18:27):
weed in it.
And then, when we finally didfind the medicine without weed
in it turns out I was actuallyallergic to something else in it
.
So then I still couldn't takeit.
But do your due diligence andmake sure you don't, you know
find something that has weed init, because there's one medicine
I didn't realize had weed in it.
Before we switched to the onethat didn't.
I literally thought I couldjust like lay on the floor and
(18:51):
go to sleep at any point in time.
It had caused so much fatiguein me.
So make sure you're doublechecking this.
And speaking of laying on thefloor and just wanting to go to
sleep, about, let's see, aboutnine years ago I was taking down
here's another hidden source ofgluten you might not think
about.
I was taking down wallpaper inour offices for our business,
(19:15):
because there was wallpaper inmy office, didn't think anything
about it, but after, like youknow, 30 minutes-ish or an hour,
oh my goodness, I was so tired.
I just like it was like flufatigue.
I just wanted to lay on thefloor.
I just want to lay on thatcarpet and take a nap, and so I
took a break.
I thought, oh, maybe I'm justnot feeling good.
(19:37):
I'm tired.
You know, a couple of dayslater, come back and start
working on the on the wallpaperagain Happens again.
I get so tired after about 30minutes.
I just want to lay down.
I wanted to just take a nap.
I wanted to sleep.
I couldn't do anything.
I didn't feel like lifting myarms up.
I couldn't do anything.
Turns out, wallpaper paste ismade with wheat.
(19:58):
I was breathing and gettingprobably into my digestive
system too, because when webreathe things in, they end up
getting in our digestive systemas well.
I was breathing in all thiswheat vapors and it was making
me so sick and so tired.
So wallpaper is another thingyou need to avoid if you're
celiac especially, and if you'rehighly gluten intolerant.
(20:20):
So if you ever need to removewallpaper, don't do it.
Have somebody else do it, paysomebody else to do it.
I think my husband had tofinish it because I just
couldn't do it.
Once I figured out, because wehad a steamer.
You know, you got this pasteeverywhere.
The paste was on my hands.
I was probably getting it in mebecause it was in my hands too.
Even if I was washing my hands,you know, who knows how I got
(20:41):
it in there.
So just don't do it on thewallpaper.
It was a shock to have it inthere, but then it also kind of
made sense at the same time.
And then another hidden sourcesof gluten is we need to be
diligent about our makeup andour lip balm.
So some lipsticks, lip balmsand glosses contain gluten-based
ingredients, which obviously isa problem because they can be
(21:02):
accidentally ingested, and Ihonestly recommend that we also
go as far as skincare andhealthcare products.
So while gluten can'ttechnically be absorbed through
your skin, lotions, shampoos andbody washes with gluten can
cause reactions if they get intoyour mouth, like from hand to
mouth contact or washing yourface.
(21:24):
You know, it's pretty normal, Ifeel like for most of us to
wash our hands and then we mightuse some lotion because our
hands feel dry after we washthem.
And then maybe we go eat somechips or some gluten-free
pretzels or something, and herewe have this gluten-containing
lotion on our hands that we'reusing to eat with.
(21:46):
So we also need to be lookingat what is we're putting on our
body as well, especially ifwe're celiac, just to make sure
we aren't accidentally ingestingand playing.
Along with that is toothpasteand mouthwash.
Some oral care products containgluten as a binder, so check
for gluten-free brands here.
I find this not quite as common, but it is something to
(22:10):
definitely double check just incase, because that's obviously a
place you're going topotentially accidentally swallow
.
Which is toothpaste andmouthwash, right?
And then if we have kids, weneed to make sure we're careful
with Play-Doh.
That Play-Doh brand is madewith wheat flour.
There are off brands ofPlay-Doh that are not made with
wheat flour.
So look for brands of Play-Dohthat are not made with wheat
(22:31):
flour.
So look for those instead.
Also, kids craft supplies canhave a wheat in it.
A paper mache is many timesused with a wheat type of paste,
so also be looking atpotentially craft supplies and
kids modeling things like thatto make sure that they don't
have wheat in it as well, foryour safety if you are handling
(22:52):
it with them, and for theirs ifthey are the one with gluten
issues as well.
So how do we protect ourselves?
Kind of a long-winded episodeas far as all the many different
places we could have gluten,but it comes down to reading
labels carefully.
If you see wheat, barley, rye,malt, brewer's yeast or any of
(23:13):
the other types of words I usedin the beginning of the episode,
make sure you avoid it and lookfor gluten-free certifications,
especially on prepackaged foods, supplements and personal care
products.
That's going to help you staysafe and stay healthy.
And then ask questions atrestaurants.
Even naturally gluten-freefoods can be at risk for
(23:36):
cross-contact.
There was one restaurant herelocally where I was eating
hamburger buns regularhamburgers but they were
toasting my bun.
I found out because I wasgetting sick every time I ate
there, or pretty much every timeso I started asking questions
and they toasted the bun in thesame place.
They toasted regular buns.
So the server figured out weboth figured out that we just
(23:58):
need to not toast my buns.
So always ask questions, evenif they've been safe before.
But you know they havegluten-containing products in
that restaurant.
Make sure they're still keepingup with the practices that you
already questioned about before.
Don't forget to ask again.
Use a gluten-free dining applike Find Me Gluten-Free, which
we're a sponsor of, to find saferestaurants near you too, and,
(24:20):
when in doubt, skip it.
Honestly, I hate to say that,but it's better to be safe than
the risk of accidental exposure,especially if you have a severe
gluten intolerance or celiacdisease.
So hopefully that helps youmitigate any issues of getting
cross-contaminated.
And if there are other waysthat you have found surprising
(24:42):
ways that you have accidentallybeen gluten, click on that text,
carry button in your show notesin your podcast app and drop me
a text and I'll be sure tofeature it on the show, because
I love getting feedback from allyou listeners out there.
So make sure to let me know ifthere's something else
surprising that you've ran into,let me know your story and
(25:03):
maybe even, if you're interested, maybe we can also do a little
interview and a chat on the showif you would like.
So you're always welcome toemail us at hello at
theglutenfreeengineercom too.
Gluten hides in more places thanyou might expect, from soy
sauce to skincare to children'splay products.
If you're gluten-free, stayinginformed and reading labels is
(25:24):
your best defense againstaccidental exposure.
The more you know, the saferand healthier you can be.
Thank you for listening to thisepisode of the Gluten-Free
Engineer.
If you found value in thisstory, please share it with
someone who might needencouragement on their own
gluten-free journey.
For more tips, recipes,resources and even links to my
(25:44):
YouTube channel.
Head on over totheglutenfreeengineercom.
It's your one-stop hub to makegluten-free living simple, fun
and full of flavor.
And don't forget to subscribeso you never miss out on an
episode, and we will see younext week.
The Gluten-Free Engineerpodcast is for informational and
(26:05):
entertainment purposes only.
I share my personal experiencesand stories about living with
celiac disease and navigating agluten-free lifestyle.
This podcast does not providemedical advice.
Always consult with a qualifiedhealthcare professional for
medical questions, concerns oradvice specific to your health.
Quick reminder before we get started on this
episode this podcast is based onmy personal experiences and
isn't medical advice.
You know how to avoid bread,pasta and baked goods, but what
about soy sauce, potato chips,even some lip balms?
Gluten isn't just in theobvious places.
It hides in so many unexpectedfoods and products, making it
(00:23):
harder to avoid.
If you have celiac disease orgluten sensitivity, knowing
where gluten sneaks in can saveyou from frustrating reactions
and flare-ups.
In today's episode, I'mbreaking down the surprising
places gluten hides, the sneakyingredients to watch out for and
how to protect yourself fromaccidental exposure.
If you've ever been glutenedbut had no idea where it came
(00:46):
from, this episode is for you.
Welcome to the Gluten-FreeEngineer Podcast.
I'm your host, k Saunders.
In 2011, I was diagnosed withceliac disease a moment that
changed everything, but I wasdetermined not to let it hold me
back.
With my two engineering degrees, I set out to reverse engineer
the gluten-free lifestyle,breaking down recipes, safety
(01:08):
tips, travel hacks andeverything in between to rebuild
a life I love.
Whether you have celiac disease, gluten intolerance or simply
choose to live gluten-free, thispodcast is for you.
Join me each week as wesimplify the gluten-free
lifestyle, make it fun and provethat you don't have to miss out
on anything.
Welcome back to the show.
Today we're talking about hiddenplaces that gluten can be found
(01:31):
, and let's first off start offas to why does gluten sneak into
so many unexpected places?
Well, first off, gluten is acheap thickener, stabilizer and
filler, so manufacturers use itin all kinds of foods, products
and medicines as well.
It can be hidden underdifferent names, making it
(01:51):
tricky to spot unless you knowwhat to look for.
We're going to put these in ourshow notes, but I'm going to
read through some pretty commonbut less known hidden sources of
gluten, because it can getreally confusing when you're
first starting out for sure.
So some wheat-based gluteningredients are such as wheat
(02:13):
starch, hydrolyzed wheat protein, wheat germ, wheat bran, wheat
berries, durum semolina spelt,mary's Durham Semolina Spelt,
kamut Bulger.
Those are some of the commonother types of names for wheat
type of products, that's,wheat-based gluten.
(02:34):
Now, some barley-basedingredients include malt, which
could include malt extract, maltflavoring, malt vinegar, malt
syrup, maltodextrin.
In some cases not all cases,but sometimes maltodextrin is
derived from barley.
Also barley extract that one'sa little bit more obvious barley
(02:55):
enzymes and brewer's yeast,which is commonly found in beer
and supplements.
So that brewer's yeast can be alittle bit tricky because you
may not think that it has barleyin it, but sometimes it can
Also rye-based ingredients.
Rye flour can be a little bittricky because you may not think
that it has barley in it, butsometimes it can Also rye-based
ingredients.
Rye flour that's a little bitobvious, but pumpernickel might
not be.
Triticale, which is a hybrid ofwheat and rye, is also a
(03:16):
rye-based ingredient.
So there are some otheringredients that might contain
gluten and you're going to wantto check labels.
So modified food starch mightcontain gluten and you're going
to want to check labels.
So modified food starch couldcontain gluten.
Typically in the United Statesit's usually corn-based, but in
other countries it may come fromwheat and it's possible it
could come from wheat if you'rein the United States as well.
(03:37):
Natural flavors that's onethat's really iffy.
You don't know what thatnatural flavor is and sometimes
it contains a barley base offlavoring.
So be cautious when it saysnatural flavors, especially if
the product's not marked asgluten-free or certified
gluten-free.
Caramel color this is usuallygluten-free, but there are some
rare cases it can be derivedfrom barley.
(04:00):
Soy sauce Most brands of soysauce contain wheat.
You want to look for agluten-free tamari instead,
which is a soy sauce that has nowheat in it.
Or you could use coconut aminoswhich is what we use in our
family because several of us aresoy sensitive that does not
have gluten, nor does it havesoy in it either.
(04:20):
So this is quite a few lists ofhidden sources of gluten, and
it's really hard to remembersometimes, so I want to you know
we're going to have this linkin our show notes of the list of
all the items.
Now there are more out there.
This is not an exhaustive list,but this is a common list of
(04:41):
other places you're going tofind gluten, other names for
gluten and products, and you maynot realize it.
Even naturally, gluten-freefoods can be cross-contaminated
during processing.
So if you're a celiac, makesure that you're looking at that
label and making sure itdoesn't say processed in a
facility that also processeswheat.
Or if you're gluten intolerantand highly sensitive, look for
(05:04):
that too.
If you are celiac or highlygluten sensitive, you're best
off getting something that iscertified gluten-free, to be
honest with you.
And then we're going to talkabout surprising foods that
contain gluten.
We already talked about thissome soy sauce and teriyaki
sauce, because most modern soysauce in the United States and
(05:26):
in many countries contain wheat.
So do look at those ingredients.
Whenever you go out to eat, atyou know a Chinese restaurant, a
Japanese restaurant, et cetera,you're going to want to ask
what type of soy sauce they useand make sure that they're using
a gluten-free soy sauce.
There are many of them outthere that do have that option
(05:48):
available, where you can ask forcoconut aminos if they have
that too.
So when you're eating recipesand out to eat that might have
soy sauce in it, please be extracautious.
There Also French fries andpotato chips.
This might be a little bitsurprising to those that might
be new to gluten-free, butpotatoes are naturally
gluten-free, as many of us know.
(06:09):
But many times fries are coatedwith wheat flour to get them
extra crispy and a lot of peopledon't realize that.
Also, chips can contain wheatand or malt vinegar, and malt
vinegar, as we talked about, isderived from barley.
It also can be fried in ashared fryer with gluten
(06:30):
containing ingredients too.
So we need to be really carefulwith our potatoes, our French
fries, our chips.
We have a local hot dogrestaurant here that fries their
fries in peanut oil and they donot fry anything else in the
oil.
And actually there's a littlebit of a story behind that,
because I helped them, help me,be safe eating at this place,
(06:53):
even though they serve hot dogson buns and things like that,
and I was asking questions andmaking sure that they on buns
and things like that, and I wasasking questions and making sure
that they didn't fry anythingelse in the fryer other than
French fries.
They assured me that's all theyfried in there was French fries
.
So I was fine for probably afew years and then all of a
sudden I started not feelinggood when I was eating there and
(07:14):
this is literally a two-personshop that runs this place, it's
a wonderful little shop here inAthens, ohio and I happened to
notice they had jalapeno poppersas a special, and so I asked
them I'm like, hey, are youfrying those jalapeno poppers
and the fries and the oil withthe fries?
And they're like we are.
I was like, oh well, then Ican't eat that anymore.
That's why I don't feel goodafter I eat here.
(07:36):
And their eyes got really bigand wide and they're like, oh,
we're so sorry.
And then, guess what, a week ortwo later actually pretty much
at that time.
They stopped making.
I think once they ran out ofthe jalapeno poppers they
stopped having it as a special.
And then within a week or twothey told me they're like hey,
we stopped frying them.
We've changed our oil manytimes that we think you might be
(07:58):
okay now.
And so then I was able to starteating their fries again,
because they're actually one ofthose places that actually does
clean their frying oil reallywell and very often and very
frequently, which is why theirfries are the best in the world.
(08:22):
Ask questions, just in case.
I got complacent and justassumed that they were still
just using french fries in thefryer until I started not
feeling good every time I atethere and then noticed their
special that they had, which wasjalapeno poppers.
So don't be afraid to ask everytime.
That's a bit the moral to thestory there, and if they're a
small place like that, talk tothem about it.
They may be willing to do whatI was surprised these people did
(08:42):
, but they are all very kind too, so I'm not that surprised,
because that's just who they are, you know to change their
process and not do that so thatI could eat there safely.
So make sure you keep that inmind.
So let's go to the next set ofitems that could have gluten in
it.
Imitation meat and vegetarianproducts sometimes have gluten
(09:03):
in it.
Many plant-based meats usesiaten hopefully I'm pronouncing
that right which is pure wheatgluten.
Some veggie burgers and meatsubstitutes also contain wheat
as a binder.
So please be extra cautiouswhen you're getting vegetarian
or vegan products.
While they can be healthy andgreat for the environment in
(09:26):
other ways you've got to bereally careful as a celiac or
gluten intolerant or somebodychoosing to be gluten free for
other reasons, because you couldbe getting wheat from a
vegetarian or vegan products.
And then candy and chocolate.
So we need to be lookingreligiously at our candy and
chocolate.
Not that we should be eating itthat much, because it's not
that healthy for us.
As we all know, sugar is notgreat for us but sometimes they
(09:49):
contain malt extract in therewhich is from barley, or they
could have wheat-based fillers.
So many of the mainstream candycompanies will let you know if
they're gluten-free or not.
So be sure to do your researchon that, and I'm going to have a
future episode here soon onspecialty candies as we come up
(10:09):
approach the holidays.
Easter will be coming up soon.
I'm recording this episode inMarch and Easter will be coming
up soon here in the UnitedStates and there's other
holidays too that have specialty.
You know items that come outduring the holidays.
So I'll be doing a specialepisode specifically on holiday
candy.
Because it's different, becauseif something is gluten-free,
(10:30):
many times it's the size and thetype of product, so just keep
that in mind.
I'll just give you a little bitof a preview here.
So just because you know acertain candy bar is gluten-free
on their standard size, don'tassume that a different version
of it is also gluten-free.
Always be researching that.
Also, look for licorice gummiesand coated candies.
(10:54):
They often use wheat starch intheir ingredients.
There's a very popular brand ofgummy bears here in the United
States and they might containwheat.
You don't know which starchthey're using in your bag of
gummies, so it's just best notto eat those at all.
So please be careful withgummies, licorice and coated
(11:14):
candies.
And there's even some mintsthat have a coating of wheat
powder on the outside to keepthem from sticking together when
they're in the little tin can.
So please be sure and bediligent on candy and chocolate.
It can really sneak in glutenon you.
I know one time at Halloween Iwas newly gluten free, was still
(11:38):
learning, and I kept wonderingwhy I felt bad when I was
sneaking the kids Halloweencandy.
You know that mom that sneaksthe Halloween candy yes, that's
me.
I'm sure all the moms out thereunderstand what I did, because
we all do it.
And I kept wondering why do Ifeel like bad?
And I found out a specific typeof milky way and when I go into
(12:00):
the candy episode specificallywe'll talk about which ones.
But a specific type of MilkyWay had barley in it, had malted
barley in it, but the otherkinds didn't, which is why I was
sometimes getting sick when Iate that specific candy bar.
So make sure you're reallydouble checking on any candy or
treats that you're having.
(12:21):
And then the next category isspices and seasonings.
Some seasoning blends containwheat as an anti-caking agent.
So you always want to checklabels here and I recommend, if
you're in question, stick withsingle ingredient spices instead
of blends, because many timesthe wheat is in the blended ones
(12:41):
, because they have severaldifferent spices in there and
they need to make it ananti-caking so they don't, you
know, glob together.
So always make sure you'rechecking labels or using single
ingredient spices.
And then the next area is saladdressings and condiments.
So many creamy dressings andsauces like ranch or Caesar use
(13:03):
wheat or malt vinegar in them,and the wheat's there, to you
know, have it be thickened andnot separate, and the malt
vinegar can be in there forflavoring.
Some ketchup mustards andbarbecue sauces also sneak in
gluten as a thickener.
So please be careful there.
Double check all the ingredients.
(13:24):
Make sure it says gluten-free,make sure there's no suspecting
ingredients in it.
And then also soup and broth.
So canned and restaurant soupsoften contain wheat flour as a
thickener.
So anytime you go out to eat ifit's like any sort of soup, I
wouldn't even assume Make sureit doesn't have wheat flour in
(13:45):
it.
Make sure it doesn't have soysauce in it.
That's also a common flavorenhancer in soups too.
And then we also want to belooking at bouillon cubes and
flavored stock sometimes containgluten.
That's one of the reasons why Istarted on using the not
chicken brand and the not beefbrand and the veggie cube brand,
(14:06):
just because I knew it wasgluten-free.
It labeled itself asgluten-free and then what I
found was it tastes so muchbetter than not chicken.
So it's basically it's justreally good, really seasoned
bouillon cubes.
And then the beef one's reallygood too, even though there's
absolutely no beef in it.
They're all vegan and they'rejust just taste so great.
(14:30):
So many times you'll stumbleupon something even better
tasting when you're looking forsomething gluten-free.
So that's something I highlyrecommend if you want to use
some sort of broth, that makesgreat broth, and it's in my
cream of chicken soup episode aswell.
And then next oats and granola.
So this is something peoplesometimes don't think about,
(14:50):
because oats are naturallygluten-free.
But the problem is most oatsare cross-contaminated while
they're processing.
Many times the oats and thewheat is grown in neighboring
fields.
Many times they're harvestedpotentially together or with the
same equipment and maybe gointo the same facility and get
(15:12):
manually sorted, and so glutenwill actually get onto the oats
when it's in that situation.
So you always want to make sureyou're buying certified
gluten-free oats.
It's not a scam.
They actually test it and makesure there isn't any gluten in
those oats.
Most of the time those oats areactually harvested and grown in
(15:32):
a completely separate place andall the things that process it
and touch it don't touch wheat,and that's how they can make
sure it's safe, and then theytest it afterwards as well.
So make sure you're buyingcertified gluten-free oats.
And then on top of that isgranola and oat-based snacks
bars, because oats can becross-contaminated.
(15:53):
We need to make sure thereisn't any hidden wheat or barley
ingredients in there and weneed to make sure that the oats
they use are gluten-free oats aswell.
And many good brands are greatat telling you whether they're
gluten-free oats or it sayscertified gluten-free on the bar
or on the granola bar or on thegranola itself.
So look for that.
(16:13):
Don't assume that if they'reoats they're gluten-free.
Make sure it says certifiedgluten-free oats, or it says
certified gluten-free oats, orit says uses gluten-free oats,
etc.
So make sure you're looking forwords like that.
And then alcoholic drinks.
You know, obviously beer has agluten in it, unless it's a
gluten-free beer.
(16:33):
But also malt beverages andsome flavored alcohols contain
gluten.
Sometimes those seltzers eventhough the seltzer itself is
gluten-free, they use a maltflavoring in it to make it have
a different taste.
So make sure you're looking atthese labels and making sure
that they're gluten-free.
So stick with gluten-free beer,wine, cider or distilled
(16:57):
liquors that don't have anyadded malt flavoring.
So make sure you're carefulthere.
If you do choose to drink.
Now there's some places and Ihinted to this earlier in this
episode where gluten stillsneaks into that contain gluten,
and this is something I'vefought so many times over the
years.
Medications and supplements Somepills contain wheat as a filler
(17:19):
and they're not required tolist that as an allergen, which
absolutely blows my mind.
Here in the United States I mayI hope they do, and other
countries are required to labelthat, but in the United States
they're not required to.
My pharmacist, thankfully,knows me and that's the first
thing she looks for is glutenand any medicines that I might
get prescribed.
(17:40):
So make sure you're alwayschecking the labels, asking the
pharmacist, make sure they'redoing their due diligence and
actually looking this up.
Sometimes they even have tocall the manufacturer and most
of them have no problem doingthat.
Don't feel like you're puttingthem out or, you know, make
giving them extra work.
It's their job to make sure youget safe medicine, so don't
(18:03):
feel badly if you ask a specialrequest because it is your
health.
I actually about let's see aboutfour years ago I had arthritis
set in.
I think I hinted on this in oneof the other episodes and they
were trying to find a medicineto help me with my arthritis.
And we had so much troublefinding this medicine without
(18:27):
weed in it.
And then, when we finally didfind the medicine without weed
in it turns out I was actuallyallergic to something else in it
.
So then I still couldn't takeit.
But do your due diligence andmake sure you don't, you know
find something that has weed init, because there's one medicine
I didn't realize had weed in it.
Before we switched to the onethat didn't.
I literally thought I couldjust like lay on the floor and
(18:51):
go to sleep at any point in time.
It had caused so much fatiguein me.
So make sure you're doublechecking this.
And speaking of laying on thefloor and just wanting to go to
sleep, about, let's see, aboutnine years ago I was taking down
here's another hidden source ofgluten you might not think
about.
I was taking down wallpaper inour offices for our business,
(19:15):
because there was wallpaper inmy office, didn't think anything
about it, but after, like youknow, 30 minutes-ish or an hour,
oh my goodness, I was so tired.
I just like it was like flufatigue.
I just wanted to lay on thefloor.
I just want to lay on thatcarpet and take a nap, and so I
took a break.
I thought, oh, maybe I'm justnot feeling good.
(19:37):
I'm tired.
You know, a couple of dayslater, come back and start
working on the on the wallpaperagain Happens again.
I get so tired after about 30minutes.
I just want to lay down.
I wanted to just take a nap.
I wanted to sleep.
I couldn't do anything.
I didn't feel like lifting myarms up.
I couldn't do anything.
Turns out, wallpaper paste ismade with wheat.
(19:58):
I was breathing and gettingprobably into my digestive
system too, because when webreathe things in, they end up
getting in our digestive systemas well.
I was breathing in all thiswheat vapors and it was making
me so sick and so tired.
So wallpaper is another thingyou need to avoid if you're
celiac especially, and if you'rehighly gluten intolerant.
(20:20):
So if you ever need to removewallpaper, don't do it.
Have somebody else do it, paysomebody else to do it.
I think my husband had tofinish it because I just
couldn't do it.
Once I figured out, because wehad a steamer.
You know, you got this pasteeverywhere.
The paste was on my hands.
I was probably getting it in mebecause it was in my hands too.
Even if I was washing my hands,you know, who knows how I got
(20:41):
it in there.
So just don't do it on thewallpaper.
It was a shock to have it inthere, but then it also kind of
made sense at the same time.
And then another hidden sourcesof gluten is we need to be
diligent about our makeup andour lip balm.
So some lipsticks, lip balmsand glosses contain gluten-based
ingredients, which obviously isa problem because they can be
(21:02):
accidentally ingested, and Ihonestly recommend that we also
go as far as skincare andhealthcare products.
So while gluten can'ttechnically be absorbed through
your skin, lotions, shampoos andbody washes with gluten can
cause reactions if they get intoyour mouth, like from hand to
mouth contact or washing yourface.
(21:24):
You know, it's pretty normal, Ifeel like for most of us to
wash our hands and then we mightuse some lotion because our
hands feel dry after we washthem.
And then maybe we go eat somechips or some gluten-free
pretzels or something, and herewe have this gluten-containing
lotion on our hands that we'reusing to eat with.
(21:46):
So we also need to be lookingat what is we're putting on our
body as well, especially ifwe're celiac, just to make sure
we aren't accidentally ingestingand playing.
Along with that is toothpasteand mouthwash.
Some oral care products containgluten as a binder, so check
for gluten-free brands here.
I find this not quite as common, but it is something to
(22:10):
definitely double check just incase, because that's obviously a
place you're going topotentially accidentally swallow
.
Which is toothpaste andmouthwash, right?
And then if we have kids, weneed to make sure we're careful
with Play-Doh.
That Play-Doh brand is madewith wheat flour.
There are off brands ofPlay-Doh that are not made with
wheat flour.
So look for brands of Play-Dohthat are not made with wheat
(22:31):
flour.
So look for those instead.
Also, kids craft supplies canhave a wheat in it.
A paper mache is many timesused with a wheat type of paste,
so also be looking atpotentially craft supplies and
kids modeling things like thatto make sure that they don't
have wheat in it as well, foryour safety if you are handling
(22:52):
it with them, and for theirs ifthey are the one with gluten
issues as well.
So how do we protect ourselves?
Kind of a long-winded episodeas far as all the many different
places we could have gluten,but it comes down to reading
labels carefully.
If you see wheat, barley, rye,malt, brewer's yeast or any of
(23:13):
the other types of words I usedin the beginning of the episode,
make sure you avoid it and lookfor gluten-free certifications,
especially on prepackaged foods, supplements and personal care
products.
That's going to help you staysafe and stay healthy.
And then ask questions atrestaurants.
Even naturally gluten-freefoods can be at risk for
(23:36):
cross-contact.
There was one restaurant herelocally where I was eating
hamburger buns regularhamburgers but they were
toasting my bun.
I found out because I wasgetting sick every time I ate
there, or pretty much every timeso I started asking questions
and they toasted the bun in thesame place.
They toasted regular buns.
So the server figured out weboth figured out that we just
(23:58):
need to not toast my buns.
So always ask questions, evenif they've been safe before.
But you know they havegluten-containing products in
that restaurant.
Make sure they're still keepingup with the practices that you
already questioned about before.
Don't forget to ask again.
Use a gluten-free dining applike Find Me Gluten-Free, which
we're a sponsor of, to find saferestaurants near you too, and,
(24:20):
when in doubt, skip it.
Honestly, I hate to say that,but it's better to be safe than
the risk of accidental exposure,especially if you have a severe
gluten intolerance or celiacdisease.
So hopefully that helps youmitigate any issues of getting
cross-contaminated.
And if there are other waysthat you have found surprising
(24:42):
ways that you have accidentallybeen gluten, click on that text,
carry button in your show notesin your podcast app and drop me
a text and I'll be sure tofeature it on the show, because
I love getting feedback from allyou listeners out there.
So make sure to let me know ifthere's something else
surprising that you've ran into,let me know your story and
(25:03):
maybe even, if you're interested, maybe we can also do a little
interview and a chat on the showif you would like.
So you're always welcome toemail us at hello at
theglutenfreeengineercom too.
Gluten hides in more places thanyou might expect, from soy
sauce to skincare to children'splay products.
If you're gluten-free, stayinginformed and reading labels is
(25:24):
your best defense againstaccidental exposure.
The more you know, the saferand healthier you can be.
Thank you for listening to thisepisode of the Gluten-Free
Engineer.
If you found value in thisstory, please share it with
someone who might needencouragement on their own
gluten-free journey.
For more tips, recipes,resources and even links to my
(25:44):
YouTube channel.
Head on over totheglutenfreeengineercom.
It's your one-stop hub to makegluten-free living simple, fun
and full of flavor.
And don't forget to subscribeso you never miss out on an
episode, and we will see younext week.
The Gluten-Free Engineerpodcast is for informational and
(26:05):
entertainment purposes only.
I share my personal experiencesand stories about living with
celiac disease and navigating agluten-free lifestyle.
This podcast does not providemedical advice.
Always consult with a qualifiedhealthcare professional for
medical questions, concerns oradvice specific to your health.
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