Although barley happens to be one of the primary whole grains, you might be disappointed to know that it is not completely free from gluten which shoots a question to its nutritious value besides quantifying the risk that it poses upon those suffering from celiac disease, gluten sensitivity or intolerance. Keep reading to find out Barley is Gluten-Free or not?
If you know, gluten is basically a protein found in certain grains, while people seem to be unfamiliar with the specific types of gluten available in the market. Let’s have a look one by one!
The gluten found in barley is called hordein in scientific terms which comes highly concentrated from the seeds of the plant. The part known as grain is mostly used in cooking and producing foods and beverages, equivalent to gluten like in beer, malted products, barley flour, barley pearls, granola bars, cereals, soups, etc.
How to identify Barley in Foods
Gluten can be easily spotted in foods rather than in raw ingredients which hardly gets mentioned in the allergen section of a food label. It thus makes difficult for food manufacturers to identify the sources from a huge range of other products.
Barley can also be hidden in smoke or natural flavored substances like caramel colours where one needs to be acquainted with terms like malt, maltose, malt sugar, malt syrup, and dextrimaltose as its substitutes.
Ingredients in barley products
• Hulled Barley
• Whole-Grain Barley
• Pearled Barley
• Barley Flour
• Barley Flakes
• Barley Grits
• Barley Malt
Its always suggested to run your eyes through the list of the above-mentioned products. Because assuming a safe stand is anyway precautious to measure your steps in countless stances.
Other Unknown Facts about barley
One must be careful enough to resist a bottle of beer, as it is commonly brewed with barley. Irrespective to mention, that doesn’t come gluten-free in most cases. Nowadays, you might come across customized menus like “gluten-free beers” or “gluten-removed beers” that have taken over the market significantly. Note, such drinks are however sourced from barley in traditional ways, where the manufacturer degrades the gluten protein with the help of an enzyme. The beer then comes with a much lower gluten content.
Gluten-Free Substitutes for Barley
Buckwheat, Corn, Millet, Quinoa, Sorghum, Teff, etc. help to tune one’s body with unique health benefits being barley’s substitutes.
If you are yet wondering about your gluten sensitivity, pick up one from the list without missing a try!
Also Read: Is Popcorn Gluten-Free? Does Popcorn Have Gluten or not?
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