Is Cheese Gluten Free? 🧀 What Every Celiac Must Know
Is Cheese Gluten Free? The simple and straightforward answer is; Yes, Cheese in its purest form is gluten free. However, during the manufacturing process, gluten free cheese can be contaminated.
Generally, all dairy products are categorized as gluten free, including all-natural cheese. But there are a few types of cheese that might have gluten content.
Are you curious to learn about it? Then keep reading!
In this article, we are going to look if cheese is gluten free and whether it can be safely consumed by celiac patients or not.
Is Cheese Gluten Free? Here is What You Need to Know
Naturally, cheese is gluten free, but afterwards, it might contain gluten. Mostly, cheese is manufactured from milk from sheep, goat, cows, and buffalo.
Usually pasteurized milk is preferred, meaning that the bacteria have been killed at high temperatures.
The Celiac Disease Foundation has however listed dairy products into the food group that is free from gluten naturally, and cheese is too in this group.
We hope that you’ve got the answer to your query, “is Cheese gluten free?”.
Gluten Free Cheese and Cheese Products
While 100% natural cheese is Gluten free. However, some cheese and cheese products could have certain add-ins that would no longer make them gluten free cheese.
If you’re looking for types of Cheese that are gluten free, here are some recommendations;
Blue Cheese
Usually it is all gluten free. Blue cheese is manufactured by adding mold spores to milk mixture. But sometimes these spores are grown on wheat bread or rye. However it is so rare that the gluten content of blue cheese exceeds the 20 ppm limit.
Cheese Spreads
These are mostly gluten free and safe to be used. But at times, to have a particular consistency, some brands might use gluten. Therefore, you, looking for gluten free cheese, must go through the ingredients prior to purchase.
Cottage Cheese
Naturally it is gluten free, but again one must have a look into ingredients lists to get sure. Because some brands might use modified ingredients, including wheat starch or starch.
Cheese Cake
Cheesecake, having gluten free filling is fine. However the cake crust is usually made with flour or other such ingredients containing gluten most of the time. Hence chances of contamination between crust and filling by cross contact, would make it a gluten containing product. Without crust, a cheesecake is not that delicious to be consumed.
Shredded Cheese
Pre-shredded cheese found at certain grocery shops is usually gluten free. But many manufacturers, to avoid sticking of shreds, use starch with gluten. It therefore contaminates gluten free cheese and it no longer remains gluten free.
Cross Contact
The possibility of contact of gluten free cheese with gluten-containing products is fairly high. As cheese usually comes with crackers, there are high chances of its contamination with gluten.
Therefore, if someone is suffering from Celiac disease, then the contaminated Cheese isn’t safe to consume. A small amount of just 10mg of gluten- around 1/350 parts of a piece of bread can damage their small intestine.
Gluten free Cheese and Its Alternatives
Here are some of those types of cheese that are gluten free when in their natural state, prior contamination, or final products.
Cheese types like cheddar cheese, cottage cheese and mozzarella cheese are naturally gluten free but could be contaminated before reaching your hands.
Which Cheese is Not Gluten Free: Cheese with Gluten
Cheese with no flavors or full-fat plain cheeses are mostly gluten free. But other cheeses that are either modified or have any add-ins, like starch could have gluten.
But again, the amount, quantity, and quality of these add-ins to cheese vary from product to product and from brand to brand.
Therefore, a keen look into the ingredient lists before getting any cheese and cheese product is the key to getting the one labeled as gluten free cheese.
Contamination of Gluten Free Cheese
Cheese is gluten free naturally, but can be contaminated at certain steps of its manufacturing process, from the delivery of the final products. For example, it gets contaminated at;
Therefore, you must look at the certified brands, which have labeled gluten free cheese to get the one.
Who Should be Concerned about Gluten Free Cheese?
Likewise as per Dairy Good, some ingredients containing gluten could be present in cheese.
It is suggested that you must carefully read the ingredients lists, ask the manufacturer, and make sure if it is gluten free cheese or gluten-contaminated Cheese.
Cheese that contains gluten must not be consumed by those who have celiac disease and are gluten intolerant.
Gluten Free Cheese for Gluten free Living
Cheese is naturally gluten free and does not contain any gluten content. However, those who have celiac disease or are gluten intolerant can not go for it without knowing the manufacturing process and the ingredients list.
Because there are fair chances of contamination of cheese and cheese products with gluten, from the farm to the manufacturing units, if not handled properly, contamination is most likely to occur.
Therefore, for those with celiac disease or gluten intolerance, it is highly suggested to go through the ingredients list before making any purchase. They must buy one certified brand with products labeled as gluten free.
Also Read: Is Buckwheat Gluten Free?
