5 Unexpected Places You Might Not Expect To Find Gluten

1. Licorice

A bummer for my husband and daughter who love licorice. The ingredients in licorice need to be bound together, and the binding substance most often used is wheat flour. Don’t know why more companies don’t simply substitute the wheat flour for another type of flour that would be gluten-free. The Natural Candy Store contains a few gluten-free choices for licorice.

2. Hot Dogs

Although there are many brands of hotdogs on the market that do not contain gluten, there are still several brands that do. At this point in time, the Clevenger house is hotdog-less. Another bummer for our family. With all our food allergies and sensitivities, it's become almost impossible to find one brand that we all can eat without any reactions.

If you're just avoiding gluten, there are several options for you. Jane Anderson, a gluten-free blogger I highly respect for her informative and well researched posts lists many gluten-free hotdogs on her site.

3. Foods Labeled "Gluten-Free"

This may come as a shock to those newly diagnosed and anyone who has just begun following a gluten-free diet, but not everything labeled with those magic marketing words: "Gluten Free" is actually free of gluten. Read your labels, call the companies, check ingredients and check gluten-free shopping lists to further confirm before buying anything labeled gluten-free.

4. Imitation Crab Meat and Lobster

Okay, this made me glad today. Why? Because before having celiac, food allergies and sensitivities, I would have eaten this. I would have bought it and made an amazing hot cheesy crab dip. But look at those ingredients. How did so much corn, wheat and soy wind up in a product that's supposed to be like crab?

5. Ice Cream 

Fortunately most brands of ice cream are gluten-free. Blue Bell brand, though, is one manufacturer that uses wheat as an ingredient in some of their ice creams so be sure to check labels.

Also, gluten would be in most frozen dessert products that have added bakery products such as cookies, cake or brownies. 

Many of the major ice cream manufacturers such as Ben & Jerry's, Dove and Edy's have allergy statements on their website to help you find which of their ice creams contain gluten.

Have you been surprised to find gluten somewhere?