Are Distilled Vinegars Made from Wheat Safe?

I found this written by Jane Anderson "Vinegar — yes, even vinegar from gluten grains — tests well below the less than 20 parts per million gluten threshold that is considered "gluten-free" in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and Europe. So those who say vinegar is gluten-free are correct ... it qualifies for that distinction based on testing results.

But those who say they react to gluten grain-based vinegar are not imagining their reactions, either. A substantial minority of people with celiac and gluten sensitivity react both to distilled alcohol and distilled vinegar that are originally derived from gluten, even though most experts agree those substances are "gluten-free."

It's not clear what percentage of people this involves — there haven't been any studies on it — but it's enough that I advise those who are newly diagnosed to proceed very carefully when dealing with those types of alcohol and vinegar until they can determine for themselves whether they react or not."

I found this written by Jane Anderson "Vinegar — yes, even vinegar from gluten grains — tests well below the less than 20 parts per million gluten threshold that is considered "gluten-free" in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and Europe. So those who say vinegar is gluten-free are correct ... it qualifies for that distinction based on testing results.

 

But those who say they react to gluten grain-based vinegar are not imagining their reactions, either. A substantial minority of people with celiac and gluten sensitivity react both to distilled alcohol and distilled vinegar that are originally derived from gluten, even though most experts agree those substances are "gluten-free."

 

It's not clear what percentage of people this involves — there haven't been any studies on it — but it's enough that I advise those who are newly diagnosed to proceed very carefully when dealing with those types of alcohol and vinegar until they can determine for themselves whether they react or not."

I am one of those people that reacts to distilled vinegar or alcohol which originate from grain. Less than 20ppm is NOT gluten free. I fought against the FDA when they were asking for input on gluten-free labeling for this purpose. Sadly, for me just because a product is labeled gluten-free doesn't mean it really is in my world and I still have to read the ingredients first.

Thanks for stating that plain vinegar is typically distilled. I've seen several sites that say plain vinegar on the label is supposed to be apple cider vinegar. I've reacted to products having just "vinegar" listed on the label. Is distilled vinegar made more commonly from barley than from wheat? If someone were to react to distilled vinegar, and that person doesn't have a corn allergy, would barley be the next most likely culprit? Thanks!