Gluten-free products are foods without gluten, aimed at people who cannot digest gluten. They can be naturally gluten-free or created as substitutes for gluten-containing foods. Gluten-free products can be found in health food stores and some supermarkets, and are often marked as “gluten-free.”
Gluten-free products are foods that do not contain gluten. The target audience for these products are typically people who have medical conditions that make them unable to digest gluten and therefore do not eat gluten-containing products. There are two general types of gluten-free products: those that don’t naturally contain gluten, and those specifically created to replace foods that normally contain gluten.
Strictly speaking, any food product that does not contain gluten qualifies as a gluten-free product. Most whole foods, such as meat and poultry, fruits, and most dairy products and vegetables, do not contain gluten and are therefore gluten-free products. Individuals who are unable to digest gluten can comfortably eat any of these foods. Because gluten is found in all wheat, rye, and barley products, all foods made from these ingredients are not gluten-free.
People who are intolerant to gluten can adjust their diet to exclude gluten-containing products, but often find themselves deprived of a huge variety of foods. Most traditional pasta, for example, as well as desserts, pizza or pie crusts and bread made with wheat, rye or barley flour contain gluten and are therefore banned. Gluten-free products were created in response to this problem and help add variety to the diets of people who cannot eat gluten.
Some popular examples of gluten-free products are the different variations of wheat flour available. Rice-corn flour or cornmeal can be used in recipes in place of wheat flour, so that the resulting foods are gluten-free. Cakes, pasta, pizzas, baked goods and even breads made with alternatives to traditional wheat flour recipes can be made, sold and marketed as gluten-free products.
Gluten is also found hidden in processed foods that use color and flavor additives. Gluten-free versions of these foods are usually available, and can range from boxed pie filling to soy sauce. When it comes to prepackaged items, sometimes gluten-free products can be identified by a marking on the label that defines them as “gluten-free.” In most cases, however, it’s a good idea to check the ingredients list on the package label carefully to make sure there are no gluten-containing additives.
Products such as gluten-free flours, pastas, bread dough or coupons and crackers are often found in health food stores or stores that specifically cater to gluten-intolerant customers. It is possible that a selection of gluten-free products is also available in large supermarkets. Even if a store doesn’t contain a special section designated for gluten-free products, you can find them tucked away among the aisles containing their gluten-containing counterparts.
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