Is Tang Gluten Free? (GF Soda List)

Last Updated on February 25, 2023

Today, we’re going to be answering the question: is Tang gluten-free? And looking at which gluten-free juice and sodas are available when following a gluten-free lifestyle. Juices and sodas are undoubtedly some of the most popular drinks. They come in a range of flavors and brands – Tang being an infamous one.

When you first receive your diagnosis, it may feel quite overwhelming when checking which foods are suitable. But something I certainly didn’t realize (naively!), is that some beverages contain gluten. Ones that you likely wouldn’t expect at all! But does Tang contain gluten? Let’s take a look.

What is Tang?

You’ll likely already know what Tang is, but if you’re unfamiliar, it’s an American drink mix brand owned by Kraft Foods. It’s actually been around since 1959! It’s an artificial drink mix that you can find in powdered form or liquid concentrate. You just add water and your fruity drink is ready. It’s not hard to see why it’s so popular, as it’s absolutely delicious and great for a boost of energy.

Ingredients in Tang

The ingredients in Tang are as follows:

• Sugar
• Fructose
• Citric Acid
• Maltodextrin
• Calcium Phosphate
• Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate
• Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C)
• Natural Flavor
• Artificial Color
• Guar Gum
• Yellow 5
• Yellow 6
• Xanthan Gum

Find more information about Is Citric Acid Gluten-Free?

Is Tang Drink Gluten-Free?

While you may be unsure from looking at the ingredients, you’ll be happy to hear that Tang does not contain any gluten ingredients. However, it does not carry any gluten-free claims. This means that the end product is not tested for gluten, so there may be a chance of cross-contact.

Cross contact is when a product that does not contain gluten comes into contact with a gluten-containing product, which means the original product may now be contaminated with gluten.

However, Gluten-Free Guide HQ state that this product is suitable on a gluten-free diet and can be enjoyed safely.

Do Soda and Juice Contain Gluten?

This may surprise you, but yes – some drinks do contain gluten. You’ll find gluten in places you probably wouldn’t even expect to check; I know I didn’t. However, it may not even be the drink itself that contains gluten. Some sodas may also be unsuitable due to manufacturing methods. An example of this is, they may be produced in the same areas as gluten-containing products. That’s when cross-contact comes into play again.

However, many sodas and juice brands are completely safe for gluten-free consumption – and we’ll be taking a look at an extensive list soon!

It’s important to note that ingredients and allergen warnings differ from country to country. If you’re outside of the US, it’s always worth double-checking ingredients labels.

Gluten-Free Soda

I have found that most branded sodas are gluten-free and are very good at disclosing ingredients and “may contain” on their labels. The times I have been caught out is when buying cheaper alternatives to sodas, which sometimes even contain barley!

Take a look at some of the amazing soda we can enjoy on a gluten-free diet (this is quite the extensive list!):

• A & W Root Beer (Root Beer)
• Barq’s (Root Beer and Red Creme Soda)
• Coca Cola (Coca Cola, Caffeine Free, Coke Zero, Cherry Coke, Diet Cherry Coke, Cherry Coke Zero, Vanilla Coke, Vanilla Coke Zero, Diet Coke, Diet Coke with Lime)
• Dr. Pepper (Original Dr. Pepper, Diet Dr. Pepper, Dr. Pepper Cherry)
• Fanta (Fanta Orange, Fanta Grape)
• All Mountain Dew
• All Pepsi
• Sprite (Sprite, Sprite Zero)

Some of these drinks are not gluten-free outside the US, so be sure to check if you’re in a different region.

Gluten-Free Juices

Whether you’re looking to enjoy gluten-free juice from a bottle or a gluten-free juice box on the go – there are plenty of choices on offer. Here’s a round-up of some of the best gluten-free juices.

Dole

The company claims that none of its juices contain any gluten ingredients. However, ingredients can change at any time, so be sure to check the labels. They offer chilled juices, and even frozen ones too! Some of their most popular flavors include:

• Orange Juice
• Grapefruit Juice
• Apple Juice
• Tropical Fruit Punch

Minute Maid

When I think of juices, Minute Maid is the brand that comes to mind. In their FAQs, Minute Maid confirms that all of the products that are 100% juice are gluten-free and can be consumed safely. That’s a lot of juices to enjoy!

They also confirm that the following products contain less than 20ppm of gluten (this is the legal amount that needs to be disclosed on an ingredients label):

• Lemonade
• Light Lemonade
• Pomegranate Blueberry
• Pomegranate Lemonade
• Flavored Tea (Pomegranate)
• Minute Maid Frozen Novelties

Please remember that this is only relevant to the US and may vary from country to country.

Other Brands

There are many other brands you may want to consider. Other brands that are considered safe are:

• Ocean Spray
• Lakewood Juices
• Simply Orange
• Tropicana
• Sunkist
• Welch’s Juices
• V8

It’s easy to enjoy juice on a gluten-free diet!

Conclusion

I hope this article has helped to answer the question: is Tang gluten-free? And helped you to become more familiar with the plethora of gluten-free juices and sodas we can enjoy on a gluten-free diet. As long as you’re being extra vigilant, it’s super easy to buy juice. The longer you follow the diet, the easier it will become to spot foods that do contain gluten and the warning signs to look out for.

What’s your favorite juice or soda? I’m a sucker for grape Fanta – although it’s incredibly hard to find in the UK! Do you know of any other gluten-free juices or soda that didn’t make it onto the list? If so, please feel free to let me know in the comments below, and I can add them to our list!