If you’re newly diagnosed with Coeliac disease or gluten intolerance, then you might think you’ve got things covered by chuckingout the toaster and stocking your cupboards full of ‘free-from’ alternatives such as bread, pasta and flour.
Yet, did you know that gluten is often lurking in the most unsuspecting places?
You will find it in everything from condiments (such as soy sauce and mustard) to things around the house (such as shampoo and playdough).
As someone who’s been gluten-free for five years, I thought I’d share some of my shock discoveries. Here are 10 products you probably didn’t realise weren’t gluten-free.
1. Playdough
Coeliac UK advises that most shop-bought playdough is made from wheat flour.While it shouldn’t absorb through skin, young childrenare prone to neglecting hand-washing, which can be a problem.
Make your own instead – there are loads of tutorials to help you easily make gluten-free playdough.
2. Mustard
I’ve learnt the hard way that many condiments have added wheat flour to bulk them up – this is often the case with budget ranges.
Mustard is an obvious one, since gluten is often used to thicken it.
There are free from options likeTracklements gluten-free Strong English mustard, though.
3. Vinegar
Talking of condiments, malt vinegar is made from barley malt extract, which contains gluten (however, if it contains very low levels, it can still be classified as ‘gluten-free’).
I’ve found apple cider vinegar such as Mr Organic’s Organic Apple Cider Vinegara great alternative.
4. Sushi and noodle dishes
Soy sauce can contain gluten, which means sushi and pot noodles can contain gluten even if they use non-gluten ingredients like rice noodles.
Boots now do gluten-free sushi and Itsu has released a range of gluten-free noodle pots.
5. Shampoo
Many shampoos contain gluten. For most of us, it isn’t a massive problem (unless you’re prone to eating your hair).
Yet those with DermatitisHerpetiformis (a skin condition linked to Coeliac disease) might find avoiding shampoos with gluten helpful.
6. Medication and supplements
Many supplements use wheat as a binding agent but with medication, it’s probably not going to be a big issue.
‘According to the UK Medicines Information organisation, less than 20 prescription medicines in the UK contain wheat starch; but medicines management apps like Medsmart can help by scanning the barcode of medicines to identify problems,’explainsDr Scott Crae, chief medical officer at Talking Medicines.
7. Marmite
Many assume Marmite is gluten-free (it used to be considered such as only small amounts were present) but more recent info suggests it does contain slightly more than 20ppm of gluten.
If you still fancy your fix, try Meridan Natural Yeast Extract from Holland and Barrett.
8. Spices
You’d think spices would be natural, but many contain added wheat as a filler.
I’m used to checking every single label now.
Look out for specific gluten-free ranges such as Schwartz.
9. Tea
Herbal varieties may well use barley malt and, as a result, contain gluten (which makes Horlicks out of the question too).
I’ve found this to be common in sleep teas in particular.
For a Horlicks fix, you might want to try Barleycup.which is gluten and caffeine free.
10. Dog food
Yes, I know you’re not prone to munching on dog food, but I was quite surprised when I was advised to switch my dog to a gluten-free diet by my groomer when I complained her skin was dry and itchy.
It’s helped lots with her digestion too.
‘Gluten intolerances in dogs, while relatively uncommon, can manifest as loose stools and coat problems,’ explains Dr Claire Miller, head of vet team at Natures Menu.
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