Last Updated on January 11, 2022
Today, we’re going to be answering the question: is onion powder gluten-free? And looking at the spices on offer when following a gluten-free diet. You probably wouldn’t even think twice to check a spice label – it should be gluten-free, right? That is definitely not always the case, so you must read ingredients labels carefully, even if it’s a product you’ve had before. Ingredients are subject to change at any given time.
So let’s take a closer look at onion powder before we move on to other spices.
What Is Onion Powder?
It’s pretty standard and is exactly as it sounds! It’s an onion that has been dehydrated and ground down into a fine powder-like substance. It is a common ingredient in salt and pepper mixes. And can come in a range of varieties too, such as toasted, white, yellow and red onions.
What Is Onion Powder Used For?
Onion powder is most often used as a seasoning in the kitchen. It gives dishes a fuller, richer flavor – in a super-easy way. Whether you use it on soups, stews, dips, salads, vegetables, casseroles, or meats; it adds an extra layer of flavor to anything you’re making. It even works well in rubs and marinades.
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Is Onion Powder Gluten-Free?
Food is Good states that onion powder is gluten-free and should be safe for patients with celiac disease or gluten intolerance. This is only true for pure onion powder. If anything has been added, or it’s not pure onion powder, it may contain gluten. So always be sure to check the label, whether you think it’s safe to eat or not.
A question that is often asked regarding onion powder is “Is McCormick’s gluten-free?”. If you enjoy the McCormick onion powder, we have some good news! It’s gluten-free and safe for us to eat. McCormick state that:
“All of our single ingredient spices are gluten-free. Our single ingredient spices are 100% pure, with nothing additional added to them”.
It’s important to point out that this is only true of their single ingredient spices, as they do have many spice mixes which do contain gluten – but their onion powder is not one of them!
Gluten-Free Spices
In their purest form, all spices will be gluten-free. No spices come from any gluten protein, which is found in cereal grains such as wheat, rye, barley, and oats (unless gluten-free oats). And there are plenty of gluten-free spices available that we can enjoy freely. Let’s take a look at some of the most popular choices.
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McCormick
McCormick is without a doubt the easiest to find and most readily available option – and most of their spices are gluten-free. Although gluten is an ingredient in some of their products, they are very transparent on their labels and will list any “hidden” gluten that you may find in ingredients such as maltodextrin.
The company’s products that do not contain gluten ingredients have been tested many times, and they are completely safe. McCormick is widening their gluten-free range all the time, branching out into spices and mixes – so be sure to keep an eye out on their website.
Seasoned Pioneers
Seasoned Pioneers are a UK company that strives to make free-from products. Their spices are not the only products that are gluten-free, they also ensure that all of their herbs, seasonings, chilies, spice blends, salts, and peppercorns are gluten-free too.
Their spices are all very reasonably priced, starting at around £1.50 per bag, and they have a huge selection of flavors. You can find their full range of products here.
Durkee
Durkee is another popular spice manufacturer. They sell a huge selection of spices in a wide variety of blends. They state that their single ingredient spices are made on dedicated equipment which does not handle products that do contain gluten. So although they do not carry a gluten-free label (as the end product is not tested), they are almost certainly free of gluten and safe for gluten-free consumption.
The Spice Hunter
The Spice Hunter has a great selection of spices. And although they’re slightly more expensive than the standard ones you might find in a grocery store, they have some amazing blends. In their FAQs, they state that,
“Our spices and spice blends do not contain gluten. Our Organic Dip & Seasoning Mixes, Turkey Brines, and Global Fusion Rubs are certified gluten-free”.
You can find their full range of spices and spice blends here.
Frontier Co-op
Frontier Co-op is more for bulk buying, but they have some amazing spices (and prices) on offer. While they do not make any gluten-free claims on all of their products (as they have not been tested), they do have some certified gluten-free products; these products come under their Simply Organic range.
When a product has been certified gluten-free, it means it has been through rigorous testing and has met strict guidelines set by the FDA. Therefore, they’re as safe as can possibly be for us!
Magic Seasonings
The company themselves states that all of their blends contain less than 20ppm (the legal declaration amount). The only products that are not safe for a gluten-free lifestyle are Breading Magic and Gumbo Gravy Magic. They have a wide selection of products available for us, so definitely worth checking out.
Conclusion
I hope this article has helped to answer the question: is onion powder gluten-free? And helped you to become more familiar with the extensive range of spices we have on offer when following a gluten-free diet. Spices are super easy to find gluten-free, you just need to be sure you’re double-checking the ingredients labels and looking out for any hidden gluten that may be lurking!
Do you have any other gluten-free spice brands worth mentioning? If so, let me know in the comments below.
Hi, my name’s Zoë. I’m 28 years old and live in London, UK. I work full time as a freelance writer and critic for West End theatre. Writing has been a passion of mine for as long as I can remember. I spend most of my free time at the theatre, or at conventions. I’m married to the love of my life, and live in a small apartment with my fur baby, Lillie. I run two of my own blogs: No Safer Place and Stage to Page: both of which have won awards. I also have a YouTube channel where I talk about all things stagey.
