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UPDATE: Better Thank Bouillon has flavors that are not gluten-free as of checking 1/22/2023, these include:
Roasted Beef Base (Reduced Sodium) and Seasoned Vegetable Base (Reduced Sodium). Check the labels!
One of my Celiac Crash Course students asked me if Better Than Bouillon was gluten-free. They were distressed that they’ve been using Better Than Bouillon for so long and now there might be a risk that it’s not safe.
So let’s break it down: is Better Than Bouillon Gluten-free?
P.s. Need help with label-reading and knowing if products like this are gluten-free? Sign up for my FREE USA Food Label-Reading Class where I show you EXACTLY what you need to look for on a food label to stay celiac-safe in the USA. Stop stressing over grocery shopping in just 4-simple steps with this FREE training!
When talking about if Better Than Bouillon is gluten-free, it’s important we know what gluten is. Gluten is a protein found in barley, rye, contaminated oats, and wheat. It may be helpful to remember the acronym “BROW” when trying to remember what foods have gluten.
In baked goods, gluten holds things together working as a binding agent. It gives texture and chew to foods.
Most people can safely eat gluten. However, some people have gluten sensitivity or celiac disease which means they need to avoid gluten. It can cause digestive issues such as diarrhea and nausea as well as nonintestinal symptoms such as rashes, headaches, or joint pain.
Is Better Than Bouillon gluten-free? The Better Than Bouillon Website as of writing this states that “No, Better Than Bouillon is made in a facility where wheat ingredients are housed. We do not test our Better Than Bouillon products or ingredients contained therein for gluten, so we cannot certify that any ingredient is gluten free.”.
Here’s the thing about made in the same facility claims, it’s what’s known as an allergy advisory statement. I discuss these kinds of statements more in-depth in the Celiac Crash Course but basically, these statements literally mean nothing.
Facilities can be the size of football fields, multiple stories high, and having wheat be present in the same facility doesn’t mean much. Nor does it automatically mean the food is unsafe, as gluten-free watch dog has verified in this study.
I wasn’t and am not worried about the bouillon being made in the same facility. What I was worried about was that Better Than Bouillon does contain risky ingredients in the USA (if you’re not sure what a risky ingredient is, I cover this in the Celiac Crash Course).
The two risky ingredients I identified were flavoring and yeast extract, both of which could be derived from gluten in the USA. Interestingly, in their gluten-free statement, Better Than Bouillon did not mention if their products contained gluten containing ingredients or not.
So I called them…
I called Better Than Bouillon to find out if Better Than Bouillon products were gluten-free or not. They said their “products do not have gluten-containing ingredients but there is wheat in the same facility”.
Again, the same facility doesn’t mean much, and it’s not the same as a “same equipment” claim. So their products are gluten-free with a minimal chance of cross-contact.
Based on my conversation with the representative and their statement on their website, it sounds like they aren’t saying they are gluten-free because they aren’t testing to verify it. If you weren’t familiar, in order to use a gluten-free claim for foods in the USA, they must be tested to 20ppm of gluten. This would explain why they aren’t using the claim.
So what’s the verdict: I would say Better Than Bouillon is gluten-free and would be generally celiac-safe. In most cases, your food is being processed in the same facility as wheat, at best your food is being bought in the same facility used to process wheat (hello grocery stores with bakeries).
Ultimately, it’s up to you, your comfort level and how you react. And don’t forget, if you need help evaluating the safety of food labels in the USA, I’ve got a totally free dietitian-led class you can join. Just click here to watch the class.