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Is Jello gluten-free? That’s what we will be uncovering in today’s post. But first, did you know it’s actually JELL-O not Jello? Maybe I’m the only one who’s been out of the loop but I was shocked to see that…
But first, were you ever taught how to identify gluten properly on a food label? If not, 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!
Before we can know if JELL-O is gluten-free, we need to 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.
Now that we’ve got the politics of how to properly spell JELL-O out of the way, let’s talk about if Jello is gluten-free. When checking food labels for gluten, one of the things to look for are ingredients that could mask gluten. In this case, natural flavors, which is common in JELL-O is an ingredient that could be hiding gluten.
Unfortunately, Kraft does not have a gluten-free claim or certification on their JELL-O products. Luckily, Kraft states in their FAQ’s that they label for all sources of gluten above 10ppm. This means if there were an ingredient in any Kraft product that contained gluten, they would label for it. This would include natural flavors found in JELL-O.
So, yes Strawberry Jello is gluten-free. In fact, rest assured all flavors of JELL-O are safe for people on a gluten-free diet (though always double check the ingredients as things may change).
To get more specific, is Jello Instant Pudding gluten-free? The same labeling rules of Kraft products applies to the Jello Instant Pudding. If there are any gluten containing ingredients above 10ppm, it will be on the Instant Pudding label.
So yes, Jello Chocolate Pudding and Jello Vanilla Pudding are both gluten-free. As always, be sure to check the ingredients to verify suitability for your needs.
When making jello or gelatinized products, you can check the ingredients of other gelatin mixes to see if they are gluten-free too. Remember, if there is not gluten-free claim or certification, you are looking for obvious sources of gluten and ingredients that could hide gluten like natural flavors. If the label doesn’t give you a clear answer, you can always contact the manufacturer to verify.
I personally like to make my own gelatin bites using beef gelatin. You could also use agar agar if you’re looking for a vegan substitute. It works a lot like beef gelatin but is made from seaweed.