Naturally gluten-free foods

There are whole categories of foods that are naturally gluten-free. If you’re buying something in a packet or tin always read the label to make sure something with gluten hasn't been added.

• Natural Raw Meat (fresh, smoked, frozen)
• Natural Raw Fish (fresh, smoked, frozen)
• Shellfish (fresh, frozen)
• Fruit (fresh, frozen, tinned in syrup or natural juice)
• Fresh herbs and plain individual spices
• Dried beans, peas, lentils and pulses
• Plain natural nuts and seeds
• Eggs
• Dairy products including milk, cream, butter, natural yoghurt, natural cheese, crème fraiche
• Pure oils and fats
• Rice (all varieties of natural rice)

Naturally gluten-free flours

Please note that naturally gluten-free flours are not regulated in Republic of Ireland and can be contaminated with gluten during milling. The flours listed below are naturally gluten-free however great care must be taken when purchasing these flours.

To ensure you are buying a brand that is not cross-contaminated, always check the Food List.

Foods that are not gluten-free

Remember that even if an item does not contain any of these items it may still not be gluten-free due to cross-contamination. It’s best to check the Food List.

Codex Wheat Starch

Codex wheat starch is wheat starch which has been processed to lower the level of gluten. It is used to make special gluten-free products such as bread, cakes, biscuits, etc. Wheat starch is not gluten-free unless it is Codex Alimentarius Standard and is labelled 'gluten-free' or 'very low gluten'. Read more about Codex standard labelling.

Oats

Regular oats on sale in Ireland are contaminated with barley and wheat and should not be consumed.

Pure oats that have been specially produced in a way to avoid contamination by wheat, rye, or barley are now available. Check the Food List. These oats can be labelled as ‘gluten-free’ provided that the gluten content of such oats does not exceed 20mg/kg as defined by the new EC ‘gluten-free’ labelling legislation.

The importance of excluding oats from a gluten-free diet has been debated for some years. Now that pure oats are available, the majority of coeliacs should be able to use pure oats without problems. However, a minority (possibly up to 5%) will react to them. Of these, some will get symptoms and realise they’re sensitive to oats, others will not be sensitive enough to get symptoms despite developing antibodies and possibly damaging their gut lining. Make sure you receive regular follow ups with your medical team to monitor your tolerence. We suggest the following precautions if you decide to use pure oats in your GF diet:

• Do not use oats when newly diagnosed, until your antibodies have gone down to normal (may take 1-2 years after starting your gluten-free diet).
• Do not use oats if you have raised tTG antibodies.
• Do not use oats when you have gastroenteritis.

There is not yet enough research information available to make recommendations about the use of oats in weaning babies at higher risk of coeliac disease.