If you’ve been wondering “are hot dogs gluten free?” I’m here to help. I’ve put together some resources to answer this question for you so you can take the guesswork out of buying this classic summer staple. Read on for everything you need to know about how to eat hot dogs safely on a gluten-free diet.
In theory, yes! Hot dogs are gluten-free. After all, meat is naturally gluten-free, so it makes sense that hot dogs should also be gluten-free. Many popular hot dog brands sell certified gluten-free hot dogs. However, some hot dog brands do produce hot dogs that contain fillers that can include wheat gluten so it’s important to read the ingredients list carefully.
The best way to be sure that the hot dogs you’re buying are gluten-free is to check the package to see if it is labeled “gluten-free” or “certified gluten-free.” You should also skim ingredients lists to double-check what’s actually in the hot dogs.
In addition, you can check on manufacturers’ websites for the most up-to-date information on processing practices and to ensure that your hot dogs are reliably gluten-free. Even if a brand doesn’t contain gluten, if you note that there is a risk of cross-contamination during manufacturing you may want to avoid that particular brand. Keep a running list of brands that are safe and that you like so it makes a trip to the store easy.
It’s fairly simple to identify gluten ingredients in hot dogs to determine if hot dogs are gluten-free, especially once you know how to read food labels. You should especially be on the lookout for these ingredients as they may contain hidden amounts of gluten:
The best brands to buy if you’re looking to avoid gluten are the ones that are labeled certified gluten-free by the Gluten-Free Certification Organization (GFCO) because it has stricter requirements than the FDA. The GFCO won’t certify a product as gluten-free unless it has less than 10 particles of gluten for every million particles, while the FDA requires the gluten in a product to be under 20 particles per million.
As mentioned above, additives are a main culprit in bringing gluten to hot dogs. So look for hot dogs that don’t contain a lot of extra fillers as well as those that are certified gluten-free.
The brands below are considered safe both for celiacs and people with non-celiac gluten sensitivity, according to their labeling and websites:
A few brands are not explicitly gluten-free and if you’re very sensitive or celiac, you should avoid them. These include:
Unfortunately, the answer to are hot dogs gluten free?, the vegetarian version, is typically “no.” Most vegetarian hot dogs contain fillers and binders, which often means gluten ingredients. However, there are a select few brands of safely gluten-free vegetarian hot dogs, although they’re not always easy to find in stores. But if you want to embark on a search, here are the brands that make certified gluten-free, plant-based veggie dogs, with links to their websites:
At a summer barbecue, no one wants to worry about cross-contamination! The easiest way to avoid this scenario is to only cook gluten-free hot dogs. If you’re hosting, it’s easy to just buy certified gluten-free hot dogs (chances are no one will be able to tell the difference). If you’re attending a party, you can bring your own.
Here are a few tips to help you have fun safely, whether you’re throwing the backyard bash or simply showing up at one:
There isn’t much better than a hot dog fresh off the grill. But there is so much more you can do with your dogs than just give them a squirt of ketchup or mustard. It’s time to give your franks a flavor upgrade!
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