Is rye gluten-free? No, rye is one of the three to avoid

No. Rye contains gluten. Its gluten protein is called secalin, and with coeliac (celiac) disease it does the same harm as wheat gluten. Wheat, barley and rye are the three grains you leave out.

Where rye turns up

• Rye bread, pumpernickel and sourdough rye, common in Germany, Scandinavia and Eastern Europe.
• Crispbread (knäckebrot): most is rye; gluten-free versions are labelled.
• Kvass, the fermented bread drink, is made from rye bread.
• Multigrain breads, crackers and breakfast cereals.

The exception: rye whisky

Rye whisky is distilled, and gluten doesn’t pass into a distilled spirit. Coeliac UK lists all spirits as gluten-free, including those made from cereals.

In the EU and UK, rye has to be named and highlighted in the ingredient list, so you can spot it quickly. In the US, rye isn’t a mandatory allergen, so a gluten-free label is the clearest sign there.

Keep reading

• The Hidden-Gluten Watchlist: the 15 forbidden names and the ones to check
• Which grains are gluten-free?
• Is barley gluten-free?
• Are vodka, gin and whisky gluten-free?
• Is sourdough gluten-free?

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