Is cornstarch gluten-free? Usually, but check “wheaten cornflour”

Usually, yes. Cornstarch is the starch of maize (corn), and maize contains no gluten. In the UK and Ireland the same product is sold as cornflour.

What to check

• “Wheaten cornflour”: in Australia and New Zealand a product with this name is made from wheat, despite the word corn. Read the label.
• The names are a trap: UK cornflour is US cornstarch, but US “corn flour” is finely ground whole maize, a different product. Both are made from maize.
• Cross-contact: starch can be milled or packed where wheat is. A pack labelled gluten-free takes the guesswork out.
• Sauces and gravies thickened with “starch” in a restaurant may use wheat flour instead. Ask what thickened it.

Keep reading

• Is corn gluten-free?
• Corn flour vs cornmeal vs cornstarch
• Is modified starch gluten-free?

Sources: Coeliac UK, EU Regulation 1169/2011 and 828/2014, US FDA gluten-free rule and FALCPA, 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.