Are stock cubes gluten-free? Many aren’t, so check every one

Many aren’t. Stock cubes, bouillon powder and stock pots often contain wheat flour, wheat starch or barley, and some use yeast extract made with barley. Others are gluten-free and say so on the pack.

What to check

• The ingredient list: in the EU and UK, wheat and barley are named and highlighted, so you can spot them quickly. In the US, only wheat is a mandatory allergen: look for barley and malt in the ingredient list itself.
• Yeast extract: fine unless the label says barley, for example “yeast extract (barley)”.
• A gluten-free label (20 mg/kg or less) is the quickest answer.

Why it matters when you eat out

Stock hides in soups, risotto, paella, sauces, gravy and rice dishes, so a dish that looks naturally gluten-free can still contain it. Ask what the stock is made from: our translation cards include the sentence “Does this contain soy sauce, malt, flour, breadcrumbs or stock cubes?”

Keep reading

• The Hidden-Gluten Watchlist: the 15 forbidden names and the ones to check
• Is gravy gluten-free?
• Is yeast gluten-free?
• Is barley gluten-free?
• Translation cards

Sources: EU Regulation 1169/2011 and 828/2014, US FDA gluten-free rule and FALCPA, Coeliac UK, Codex Alimentarius (gluten-free = 20 mg/kg or less). We inform, we don’t diagnose: for medical questions, your doctor or dietitian has the last word.