How much Gluten is in a Gluten-Free Diet?
A gluten-free diet is a diet very low in gluten to levels which in Australia is undetectable.
Currently, this means there is less than 3 parts per million (3 ppm) which = 0.0003g gluten per 100g of food.
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How to Identify Gluten-Free FOODS
1. Naturally Gluten-Free FOODS
Foods that naturally do not contain gluten are fresh fruits and vegetables, plain milk and cheese, nuts and seeds, eggs, unprocessed meats, legumes (beans and lentils), fats and oils and naturally gluten free grains. These naturally gluten-free foods can be eaten freely.
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Beware if these foods if they have been modified such as marinating, or processed with different ingredients as gluten may have been added a s a result.
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Naturally gluten-free grains
There are many grains and flours that do not contain gluten that can be used safely in the gluten-free diet such as:
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Almond meal, amaranth, arrowroot
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Besan flour (=chickpea flour), buckwheat
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Carob, coconut flour
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Corn (= maize), cornmeal, polenta
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Gluten free flour mixes
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Hops
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Lentil and lentil flour, lupin
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Millet (= teff)
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Potato flour, psyllium
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Quinoa
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Rice & rice flour/bran etc
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Sago, sorghum, soy flour, soy bean
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Tapioca, teff
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To be able to use these grains effective for example to make gluten-free bread there are a lot of tricks and suggestions to try and mimic the wonderful qualities of gluten.
2. Labelled gluten-free
If a product is labelled GLUTEN-FREE then you can feel comfortable to include the food item in your gluten-free diet.
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3. Products endorsed by Coeliac Australia
The following logo is endorsed by Coeliac Australia so if a food has this logo on its packaging, you can include the food in your gluten-free diet.
4. Ingredients are gluten-free
If the food is not labelled gluten-free or endorsed by the Coeliac Society then you can check the ALLERGEN STATEMENT which has to include gluten if it is present in the food.
The label, however, will not identify sources of gluten that may be possible through cross contamination.
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For example hash browns that do not contain gluten as an ingredient but fried in a fryer that wheat containing foods may have been fried in.
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The Coeliac Society through their resources and newsletters can recommend suitable foods that do not pose cross contamination risks.
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It is also useful to join the Coeliac Society to receive an ingredient list booklet to help you determine which food ingredients are gluten free or contain gluten, along with the Coeliac Society app.
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Find out more about:
- effectively reading labels and ingredient lists
- research-based recommendations for managing your gluten free diet
- avoiding contamination (in kitchen/ cooking)
- the oats controversy and Coeliac Disease
- how to pursue a healthy, balanced gluten-free diet, with gluten-free fibre to boost gut health
​Become empowered with your gluten-free diet.
REFERENCES
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Dr Kim Faulkner-Hogg. Coeliac Disease & the Gluten Free Diet. May 2017
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Coeliac Australia, The gluten free diet. Dietetic Resources. Obtained August, 2017.