Many people have digestive issues that may cause food intolerances to many things, such as those with celiac’s disease who can not consume foods containing gluten in their ingredients. Even the most simple, commonplace ingredients such as broths used in cooking can contain gluten in them, so those with intolerances must be wary of food contents.
Chicken broth does usually include ingredients that contain gluten, but there are few brands that sell chicken broth without gluten in them. It is more difficult to find gluten free chicken bullion cubes than it is to find gluten free chicken broth. Ingredients such as Yeast Extract, Autolyzed Yeast Extract, Natural Flavors, Wheat, Barley, or malt.
Just because chicken broth isn’t gluten free, that doesn’t mean that those with digestive issues who need to avoid gluten are out of luck. Due to the various gluten free chicken broth options to choose from in stores, they need not worry. This article goes over the various brands at your service and breaks down the facts about gluten vs. gluten free chicken broths.
What Chicken Broths Do Not Contain Gluten?
There are a variety of brands that kindly offer gluten-free chicken broth. Some of those brands include Kettle & Fire, Imagine, College Inn, Ocean’s Halo, Kitchen Basics, Pacific Foods and Swanson. Kitchen Basics’ chicken broths and manufacturing lines have specifically been validated to be gluten free.
Other brands such as Pacific Foods’ chicken broths claim to undergo thorough decontamination protocols of all of their manufacturing tools after each chicken broth product is produced. They also separate the top 8 allergenic ingredients and products containing those ingredients. Another mentioned brand, Swanson, has also been verified as offering gluten-free options.
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Wheat is usually the dietary offender that’s added into chicken broths, so paying attention to labels and searching for brands that do not add this ingredient into their products is vital. Wheat protein is another ingredient that is considered inflammatory and to be avoided by those with gluten intolerance.
When considering bouillon cubes, Knorr chicken flavored bouillon is accepted as gluten free because it doesn’t list any ingredients that may contain gluten. Unfortunately, many brands of bouillon cubes do contain ingredients that have gluten in them and it is up to buyers to be vigilant in scanning for ingredients such as wheat, barley, or anything derived from the two.
What Brands Of Chicken Broth Contain Gluten?
There are numerous brands that have at least some gluten in their products. Brands such as Walmart- Great Value offer no chicken broths that lack gluten in the ingredients. Target- Good & Gather brand is also not gluten free and states their products may contain wheat. Other brands such as Progresso offer no gluten free chicken broth alternatives either.
Trader Joe’s brands of chicken broth are made on shared equipment, so they’re unable to be verified as officially gluten free. When shopping for Simple Truth brands of gluten-free chicken broth, opt for buying the products that advertise themselves as gluten-free and double check the back of the broth to confirm no glutinous ingredients are included.
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The Better Than Bouillon brand contains gluten, as does Campbell’s chicken broth. Orrington Farms broth base and seasoning has gluten as well. The list of brands that offer chicken broth with gluten containing ingredients is quite large. Additionally, there are many brands that offer chicken broth that lack gluten containing ingredients but do not claim to be gluten-free.
Why Is Gluten Found In Chicken Broth Products?
Gluten is found in a lot of different chicken broth products because some ingredients aid in the overall finished product. For example, wheat is often added to many different products in the food industry to improve a food’s consistency and increase its texture. Although these ingredients facilitate the company, they sometimes contain harmful ingredients such as gluten.
Ingredients such as yeast extract and autolyzed yeast extract are added to foods to improve the taste of foods, as it is said to add a umami, savory flavor. Although these ingredients help to improve the flavor of broth products, they contain gluten and can be harmful to those with restrictions.
Glutinous ingredients such as barley flour are also often added to chicken broth as thickening agents. Malt is also made from barley and is used as an additive in broth-making companies as well. To boot, natural and artificial flavors can be glutinous- without checking ingredients labels, “natural and artificial flavors” may be derived from malt extracts.
Whatever the gluten-containing ingredients companies may add to their chicken broths, all are generally used to accommodate the product in some way, whether through taste, texture or other physical characteristics. However, some companies have understood that some of their consumers have specialized needs and offer more flexible options.
How To Choose Gluten-Free Chicken Broth
Searching for gluten-free chicken broth is a simple process once you know what you’re looking for. In most cases. You’ll want to be on the lookout for any chicken broth products displaying labels that say things like “gluten free”, “certified gluten free”, “no wheat”, etc. These products will be the ones to pick up and analyze their ingredients for confirmation.
Since gluten itself is not an ingredient, the key to shopping for gluten-free chicken broth is to be aware of all the gluten-containing ingredients out there and then observe the labels of every chicken broth product you consider buying. Finally, broths that are labeled as gluten free are not always necessarily that, so it is important to double-check the list of ingredients to confirm.
When consumers are shopping for gluten-free chicken broths, they should always first try to locate the brands with the official gluten free seal on the front, which certifies a product has been officially validated to be considered gluten-free. If that is not available, reading ingredients lists and reaching out to the company about contamination is the next best step.
Summary
Although most brands that offer chicken broth to their customers may allow gluten into their products, there are still a decent number of brands who continue to offer gluten-free chicken broth alternatives. Being aware of all the different ingredients that contain gluten and labeling can help consumers on dietary restrictions choose the right chicken broth brands for them.