Is Quaker Corn Meal Gluten-Free?

Last Updated on July 2, 2024

There are not many foods better than freshly baked cornbread. Hot out of the oven, it’s absolutely delicious. But is cornmeal gluten-free? Is Quaker Corn Meal gluten-free?

What Is Corn Meal?

Cornmeal is made from yellow corn that has been ground down. You can find cornmeal in a range of consistencies and textures, including coarse, medium, and fine. In the US, cornmeal is extremely popular and is a staple pantry product. This is because it’s the main ingredient to one of the most delicious foods – cornbread.

Learn more about: Gluten Free Cornmeal Brands

Ingredients In Corn Meal

When it comes to cornmeal, it’s very uncommon to be more than one ingredient. Usually, the only ingredient you’ll find in cornmeal is…corn! However, it’s always worth checking the labels of anything you purchase for the most up-to-date information.

Is Corn Meal Gluten-Free?

The most important question of the day: is cornmeal gluten-free? There’s no firm answer on this – it really depends. In its purest form, corn is naturally gluten-free. This is because gluten can only be found in cereal grains such as rye, wheat, barley, and oats (unless gluten-free oats). Corn is not a cereal grain, therefore it’s safe to eat.

However, there are a few factors that can affect the gluten-free status of a product. From harvesting to transportation, there’s a large volume of time where the cornmeal may have come into contact with gluten-containing grains. For example, if the cornmeal is processed in the same factory as their wheat flour, there’s a huge chance that cross-contact has occurred, and the final product may not be gluten-free. This is why it’s always best to opt for products that carry a gluten-free label.

Gluten-Free Corn Meal

There’s a range of gluten-free cornmeal options to choose from. Let’s take a look at a round-up of some of the best alternatives.

Arrowhead Mills

If you’re following a gluten-free diet, the Arrowhead Mills Organic Yellow Cornmeal Gluten Free is a staple food for your pantry. Full of flavor, utterly delicious, and relatively easy to find in your local grocery store – this cornmeal is definitely worth trying!

Because of its organic status, as well as being gluten-free, it’s one of the pricier options we’ll be looking at today, at about $7 a bag. There’s only one ingredient in this product – organic whole grain yellow cornmeal. It’s worth noting that this product is also dairy-free, sodium-free, and low in fat.

P.A.N Yellow Corn Meal

Another popular brand of yellow cornmeal is P.A.N. It makes gluten-free claims on its packaging, but it’s kosher and halal – meaning it suits a range of dietary lifestyles. What’s great about this option is that it’s enriched, which means it’s especially good for you.

The ingredients are:

• yellow corn enriched
• Vitamin D
• Calcium
• Iron
• Potassium
• Thiamin
• Riboflavin
• Niacin
• Folate

 

Bob’s Red Mill

Bob’s Red Mill is a brand you’ll hear me talking about a lot because it’s home to the most amazing gluten-free products, including their Gluten Free Medium Cornmeal.

What I love about Bob’s Red Mill is that they have a dedicated facility for making their gluten-free options, which makes it as safe as can possibly be. Much like the other corn meals we’ve seen, it’s vegan and kosher-friendly.

Great Value Yellow Corn Meal

While this product does not make any gluten-free claims, I thought it may be worth including as it’s half the price of even the cheapest option we’ve seen today. There is no label that this product is “may contain”, and there are no gluten-containing ingredients. If you have a mild sensitivity to gluten, this may be the option for you.

Conclusion

I hope this post has helped to answer the question: is Quaker cornmeal gluten-free? And given you an insight into some amazing gluten-free alternatives you may like to try. Cornbread is a food that we certainly don’t have to miss out on, and can enjoy with the rest of our family.

Read more about Cornmeal Substitute For Cornbread

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