Are rice noodles gluten-free? Usually, the sauce is the question

Usually, yes. Rice noodles, rice vermicelli and flat rice noodles are made from rice flour and water, sometimes with tapioca or corn starch. None of those contains gluten.

What to check

• The pack: a few “rice noodles” are blended with wheat flour. The ingredient list tells you.
• Egg noodles, ramen, udon and most yellow noodles are wheat. Glass noodles are often mung bean or sweet potato starch, but read the label.
• In a restaurant, the noodles are rarely the problem: soy sauce, oyster sauce and hoisin usually contain wheat, and woks and noodle water are shared.

Keep reading

• The Hidden-Gluten Watchlist: the 15 forbidden names and the ones to check
• Is soy sauce gluten-free?
• Is rice gluten-free?
• Is cassava gluten-free?

Sources: Coeliac UK, EU Regulation 1169/2011 and 828/2014, 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.