FOOD NEWS
14 Foods That You May Think Are Gluten-Free But Aren’t
BY SARAH O'PHELAN
Soy Sauce
While soy on its own is gluten-free, wheat is integral to the recipe for soy sauce, making it essentially impossible to find a gluten-free traditional soy sauce.
However, there are alternatives such as tamari, a Japanese soy sauce that's made with soybeans but no wheat. Coconut aminos are also gluten and soy-free.
Pre-Packaged Meat
Processed and pre-packaged meats like hot dogs, sausages, cured meats, and deli meats are not gluten-free, as soy sauce and wheat can be used to produce them.
The safest way to buy pre-packaged meat is to look for products specifically labeled "gluten-free." Even if no allergens are listed, cross-contamination is possible.
Couscous
One common misconception is that couscous is a gluten-free grain when in fact, it is neither gluten-free nor a grain. Believe it or not, it's actually a type of pasta.
Couscous is made from dry semolina flour, which is ground durum wheat. It’s the durum wheat semolina flour that disqualifies couscous from the gluten-free category.
Ice Cream
There are a couple of ways for gluten to worm its way into ice cream. Many ice cream flavors contain mix-ins that contain gluten, such as cookie dough ice cream.
Even plain flavors might contain traces of starches or flavoring that contain gluten or could have been processed on machines that were exposed to gluten cross-contamination.
Licorice
Licorice candy is most often made with wheat flour, making it a no-no for those with gluten intolerance or allergy problems.