Are Spices Gluten Free?

Spices, herbs, chiles, and seeds are naturally gluten-free. As more and more people consider the impact gluten has on their diets and lean more heavily toward restricting their gluten intake, it’s important to remember that in their natural state, spices, herbs, chiles, and seeds do not contain gluten. 

Are Anti-Caking Agents Gluten Free?

Anti-caking agents made of calcium silicate, silicone dioxide, and sodium aluminum silica contain no gluten. These are additives that can be found in certain spices that have a tendency to clump with changes in humidity. We will always list the type of anti-caking agent in our ingredient list to remain transparent with our customers.

What Is Gluten? 

Gluten is a naturally occurring protein found in wheat, barley, malts, rye, and triticale, which is a hybrid of rye and wheat. Gluten has a tough, elastic quality that helps bread to rise and create chewy air pockets.

Gluten is not inherently bad for you; for example, it’s been shown to feed “good” gut bacteria like bifidobacteria, which is the same bacteria that is sought after when selecting active-culture yogurts. 

Some people, however, do not successfully process gluten. People with celiac disease identify gluten as a toxic substance, which triggers an immune response. The responses can be mild, which would include fatigue, bloating and digestive issues, or severe, encompassing malnutrition and long-term intestinal damage. There are also wheat allergies and non-celiac gluten sensitivities that activate the immune system. 

In the United States, the Food and Drug Administration classifies gluten as "generally recognized as safe" or GRAS, so gluten may not even be listed on product ingredients if the content is less than or equal to 20 ppm (parts per million). The FDA classifies foods that contain less than or equal to 20 ppm to be gluten-free, though this may still cause issues for people with extreme sensitivities. Hidden sources of gluten can be found in food additives like flavorings, stabilizers, and thickening agents, but they are not found in spices. 

In general, spices have no gluten containing ingredients. Most of our products do not contain any anti-caking agents, preservatives, colorings, additional flavorings, or grain products. If they do contain any of these things, you will find it clearly indicated in the product copy as posted on our website.