One of the best, most flavorful meat products on the market is pepperoni, it’s seasoned and cured and packed with enough flavor to make it a great addition to any sandwich, pizza, or antipasti.
Like most meat products, pepperoni is gluten-free, but depending on the packaging facility there may be some risk of cross-contamination. It’s important to be aware that not all meat packaging facilities are created equally.
Though there are risks, there is no gluten in pepperoni so it’s considered safe to eat for those with celiac disease. A lot of recipes that include pepperoni have gluten products included but there are a lot of gluten-free options these days!
What Is Pepperoni?

Created from cured pork and beef, pepperoni is a seasoned meat product invented in America. It is a cured, dried sausage with additional spices added to give it its well-known flavor. It is usually cut into thin slices for use on pizza or in other recipes.
How Is Pepperoni Made?
There are a lot of different recipes and methods to make pepperoni, but most of the time it starts with pork and beef that are ground down and blended. During this process, excess fat is trimmed to ensure that the meat blend does not end up too fatty or greasy.
Next, lactic acid is added to help with the fermentation process, since pepperoni is a cured meat. It also aids the flavor of the pepperoni by helping to enrich the seasons that are added.
Spices such as paprika, garlic, black pepper, crushed red pepper, and cayenne peppers are added so that the pepperoni has a sharp, spicy flavor. Mustard and fennel seeds are often added to complement those flavors and add to the overall texture.
Though every manufacturer is likely to use a different assortment of ingredients, paprika is always used and it is the ingredient that gives pepperoni its signature orange-red hue.
Is Pepperoni Gluten-Free?
As stated above, pepperoni itself is considered a gluten-free product. The majority of those who suffer from things like celiac disease that are affected by gluten can eat pepperoni without worry.
If someone has a severe allergic response to gluten, it’s important to find a brand that guarantees no gluten is used in the packaging facility where the pepperoni is created.
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What Are Gluten-Free Options For Pepperoni Recipes?

Although pepperoni is gluten-free, a lot of recipes that use pepperoni are not. Since there are so many dishes that contain gluten in them, it is best to be aware of what items pose the greatest risk.
Gluten-free bread, pizza crust, and pasta are becoming much more common and can be purchased to be able to make your own dishes at home that allow you to indulge that craving.
Though there are a lot of options for store-bought supplies, it’s still best to avoid getting these dishes from a restaurant unless you are certain they use gluten-free products.
FAQ
How did pepperoni get its name?
Borrowed from the Italian word peperone, pepperoni derives its name from the word for bell peppers. Pepperoni is very similar to salami, an Italian cured sausage, but it was not invented in Italy.
The very first use of the word pepperoni to describe a sausage dates back to 1919 in Italian-American delis in lower Manhattan.
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How was pepperoni invented?

People have been drying and smoking meats for centuries. The ancient Romans perfected the process of curing meat, using salt and spices to cure the meat so it was preserved for long-term storage and eventual consumption.
The ability to store and stockpile meat so that it could be used throughout the year enabled them to eat better throughout the winter months. This preservation method led to the creation of things like smoked sausage and eventually salami.
Pepperoni was an attempt to create a sausage similar to salami with the ingredients readily available in the United States.
In lower Manhattan, in the early 1900s, delis began to sell pepperoni on their menus. It took until after World War II and the rise of the pizza as an American staple for pepperoni itself to become a popular ingredient to add as a topping.
When was pepperoni first put on pizza?

Although pepperoni has been around since the early 1900s it took until the 1950s for the first evidence of pepperoni being used on pizza to appear. The very first occasion was on a menu for a pizzeria that was called The Spot and was located in New Haven, Connecticut.
What gives pepperoni its color?
The signature hue of pepperoni sausage is orange-red. This color is heavily associated with pepperoni itself and is caused by the inclusion of paprika in the recipe. Curing with nitrates also helps to give pepperoni its color, because it causes the heme to react with the myoglobin in the meat proteins.
How many types of pepperoni are there?

There are several different ways that pepperoni can be prepared. Primarily, it can be broken down in three ways; type of meat, preparation methods, and what ingredients are added to the meat.
Based on preparation, there is cubed pepperoni, stick pepperoni, flat-laid pepperoni, and cup char pepperoni. Each of these is used in different kinds of recipes.
Cubed pepperoni is often used tossed in salads or sprinkled on pizza. Stick pepperoni is either made to be a snack or else intended to be sliced by the consumer and used in varying dishes.
Flat-laid pepperoni is the most commonly found on pizza, and cup char is the kind that curls at the edges giving it that crispy texture.
As far as the types of meat used to create pepperoni, there are a few different types. Usually, you can find all-beef pepperoni, pork pepperoni, and turkey pepperoni. Harder to find is venison pepperoni, though it is also a delicious addition to any dish.
Lastly, there are differences between the ingredients added. These days, it’s fairly common to find gluten-free pepperoni, which is crafted specifically to avoid mixing in any contaminants that might harm those with celiac disease or other sensitivities.
You may also find low sodium options and even vegan or plant-based pepperoni options!
Summary

Thankfully for those pizza lovers out there, pepperoni is gluten-free and can therefore be used on any gluten-free crust! Although that’s the case, it’s always best to research the company you buy your pepperoni from to ensure there isn’t a threat of cross-contamination.