The good news is you can easily tell if a packaged product contains gluten. UK and EU labelling laws require that certain allergens, including cereals containing gluten, are clearly shown on food labels.

The labelling rules are slightly different depending on how the food is packed:

• Prepacked food are foods packed before being offered for sale to the customer (e.g. a box of biscuits in a supermarket).
• Prepacked for direct sale (PPDS) are foods which are packed on the same premises where it is sold (e.g. a packaged sandwich in café).

Ingredients list; what to look for

• All prepacked foods require a food label and due to allergen labelling rules you can tell from a label whether a product contains a cereal containing gluten.
• Cereals containing gluten are one of the 14 listed allergens that must be emphasised in the ingredients list.
• The cereal must be emphasised in the ingredients list, for example in bold lettering.
• Manufacturers will name the specific cereal used, so you will see these words on the ingredients list:
  • Wheat
  • Rye
  • Barley
  • Oats
  • Spelt
  • Khorasan wheat (commercially known as Kamut®).
• Even if only a tiny amount is used, it must still be listed.

As of 1 October 2021, all PPDS foods must now have a full ingredients list on the label and allergens must be emphasised, just like on prepacked foods.

Some food labels may include an extra “Allergy Advice” box, which may contain additional information. We have over 185,000 products with ingredients list you can search on our food and drink information page.

Exemptions

Some ingredients are made from gluten containing cereal, but the gluten is removed during processing. These ingredients are safe for people with coeliac disease, so it is not necessary to list the cereal they first came from:

The following ingredients are safe for people with coeliac disease.

• Glucose syrup derived from wheat or barley (including dextrose).
• Wheat-based maltodextrins.
• Distilled ingredients made from cereals containing gluten, for example, alcohol spirits.

‘May Contain’ Labelling

Manufacturers are given advice by the Food Standards Agency on when to label a product with a ‘may contain’ statement. Using a ‘may contain’ statement is voluntary and must not be misleading, ambiguous or confusing.

They may use labelling such as:

• May contain wheat.
• Made on a line handling wheat.
• Not suitable for someone with a wheat allergy.

When you see one of these statements, the manufacturer has decided there is an unavoidable risk of cross contamination with gluten. If you’re unsure, you can contact the manufacturer directly if you would like further information on the suitability of the product. We also speak to manufactuerers about their products, so you can call our helpline for advice.

Key Tip: Always read the label every time, recipes and manufacturing processes can change without warning.