Kirkland Signature Meatballs: Are They Safe For Gluten-Free Foodies?

When you finally sit down for dinner after a long day, you want to know exactly what ingredients you put in your stomach. Homemade meals may give you more control over that aspect, but you don't always have the time to cook your own meatball recipe or raise the dough for fresh pasta. The convenience and bargain of Costco's Kirkland Signature frozen meals are what draw customers to the freezer aisle, providing something for every taste and dietary option. However, for those foodies following a gluten-free diet, not every option is safe, including the Kirkland Signature Italian Style Beef Meatballs.

The Kirkland Signature Meatballs don't claim to be gluten-free anywhere on the packaging, but it's still a sad realization for any gluten-free Italian food lover who wanted the ease of heating up some frozen meatballs at home. Kirkland Signature does a fairly decent job at highlighting which of its products are gluten-free on its packaging, so a quick look at the bag would tell customers that the meatballs are not for them. Of course, any foodie following a gluten-free diet knows that it's important to check the ingredient label of any food before purchasing it. 

According to the ingredients label on the Kirkland Signature Italian Style Beef Meatballs, the first three ingredients are ground beef, water, and breadcrumbs. Upon closer inspection, customers will see that the breadcrumbs used for the meatballs contain flour, salt, and baking powder, among several other ingredients, striking the meatballs out of the "gluten-free" category right off the bat. Further down on the list, customers will also find a specification that reads "Contains: Wheat, Soy, Milk, Mustard," yet another indication that the Italian Style Beef Meatballs contain gluten.

Although the Kirkland Signature Italian Style Beef Meatballs contain gluten, there are a plethora of other gluten-free options on the Costco shelves. Recently, Costco changed its Kirkland Signature Everything Seasoning Breaded Cod to a gluten-free recipe, much to the delight of the pre-breaded cod fans. The Kirkland Signature Organic Chicken Stock is gluten-free, making it an easy addition to chicken tortilla soup, and so is the Kirkland Signature Cauliflower Crust Supreme Pizza. There are even gluten-free options at the Costco food court.