Meat that is slaughtered and packaged without processing does not contain gluten, but processed meat products like sausages and hamburger patties may contain gluten as fillers or binders. Meat from grain-fed animals does not contain gluten, but cross-contamination is possible. Packaged meat should be checked for gluten-containing ingredients.
There is no gluten in meat that is slaughtered and packaged but not processed in any way. There may be some gluten in meat or meat products that have been processed. This includes lunch boxes, sausages, hamburger patties, and anything packed in a sauce. This is because flour and wheat grains are often used as fillers or binders in packaged products. For many lunchbox manufactures, there is also the potential for cross contamination with other meat products and equipment that contain small amounts of gluten.
The proteins that make up glutens are not naturally present in animal meat, as they are mainly plant-based. This means that there is no gluten in meat that hasn’t been processed. The only exception to this would be meat that has been contaminated by equipment or surfaces that are also used for gluten-containing products, but it is extremely rare for glutens to be transmitted in this way.
Some people with celiac disease are concerned about eating meat from animals that have been fed grains containing gluten. The idea is that some gluten proteins could be leaching into the animal’s muscle tissue. Scientifically, glutens are broken down by the body and turned into amino acids which are then used to build muscle, so gluten has no way of getting into meat. While there is no scientific evidence that gluten appears in grain-fed meat, some with celiac disease still report feeling sick after eating it.
Any meat that has been packaged, other than simple butchered tenderloins, should be checked for additional ingredients. Gluten-containing items might not be called anything obvious and include hydrolysed vegetable protein, vegetable protein, malt, and vegetable gum. If a piece of meat appears to have been processed or marinated and there’s no ingredients list, your only two options are to ask the butcher what’s in it, or to avoid the meat entirely.
There may also be some gluten in meat that is part of a blend or that has been ground and frozen. These include items like pre-made meatballs, packaged ground beef that’s frozen, hot dogs, and pre-spiced mixes. All of these have the potential to contain gluten and should be assumed to contain gluten unless the packaging is marked otherwise.
Pure meat that has been cut and packaged will not contain glutens as long as there is no cross-contamination, although all types of meat that have been prepared or processed in any way should be viewed with suspicion. People who have gluten intolerance should be wary of all packaged meats and avoid them if an adequate list of ingredients cannot be found. There are few laws governing the gluten-free list in foods, so it’s better to be overly cautious than to get sick of gluten in meat.
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