Is coffee gluten-free? Yes, watch barley coffee and café extras

Yes. Plain coffee is gluten-free, whether it’s espresso, filter, instant or decaf. Coffee beans contain no gluten.

What to check

• Barley coffee: caffè d’orzo in Italy, Getreidekaffee or Malzkaffee in Germany and many coffee substitutes are made from roasted barley, so they contain gluten.
• Malted and flavoured drinks: malted milk and some hot drink powders contain barley malt.
• Oat milk: only oat milk labelled gluten-free is suitable, and whether it is varies by brand and country.
• Syrups are usually fine, but toppings like biscuit crumbs and cookie pieces aren’t.

In a café

The coffee is rarely the problem; the counter is. Pastries, crumbs and shared tongs sit right next to the cups. Ask for your drink without a biscuit on the saucer, and in Italy, say “caffè, non d’orzo” if you’re not sure what’s being offered.

Keep reading

• The Hidden-Gluten Watchlist: the 15 forbidden names and the ones to check
• Is barley gluten-free?
• Is tea gluten-free?
• Is chocolate 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.