Is MSG gluten-free? Yes, glutamate isn’t gluten

Yes. MSG (monosodium glutamate, E621) is gluten-free. The names sound alike, but glutamate is an amino acid and has nothing to do with gluten.

What to know

• MSG is usually made by fermenting starch or sugar, then purified to a single compound.
• The foods MSG turns up in are the thing to check: soy sauce, stock cubes, instant noodles and seasoning mixes often contain wheat.

Keep reading

• Is soy sauce gluten-free?
• Are stock cubes gluten-free?
• Is yeast gluten-free?

Sources: EU Regulation 1169/2011 (Annex II: cereals containing gluten, and the exemptions for wheat-based glucose syrups including dextrose and wheat-based maltodextrins), Coeliac UK, Codex Alimentarius (gluten-free = 20 mg/kg or less). Checked 28 September 2026. We inform, we don’t diagnose: for medical questions, your doctor or dietitian has the last word.