Top Brands of Gluten-Free Cough Drops

Celiac.com 12/02/2022 - We're always getting questions about which products are gluten-free. With cold season upon us, we're seeing more questions about drugs and medicines, especially cough drops. 

We recently did an article about how Ricola cough drops are considered gluten-free, and safe for people with celiac disease.

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Still, the questions continue. Many people have responded by asking: What brands of cough drops are gluten-free, in addition to Ricola?

The answer is that a number of brands of cough drops are gluten-free, or contain no gluten ingredients. 

Brands of cough drops that are either labeled gluten-free, or which contain no gluten ingredients, and no wheat, barley, rye, or wheat/gluten allergen warnings include:

Fisherman's Friend
Fisherman's Friend lozenges are gluten-free and allergen-free. They come in Traditional Menthol Eucalyptus, aka "Original Extra Strong". Other flavors may vary by country, and include Sugar-Free Cherry, Sugar-Free Honey Lemon, and Sugar-Free Mint. 

Jakemans
Boston, England-based Jakemans has been making throat lozenge for over a century. According to the company, Jakemans products meet both European Union and U.S. gluten-free food standards, including cough drops in blueberry menthol, peppermint menthol, honey and lemon menthol, cherry menthol, black currant menthol, anise, and menthol and eucalyptus. 

Luden's
According to Luden's, all cough lozenges and cough drops are considered gluten-free, as Luden's does not sell gluten-containing products. Luden's Lozenges and cough drops come in a variety of flavors, including: Wild Honey, Honey Lemon, Wild Cherry, Sugar-Free Wild Cherry, Wild Berry, Watermelon, Honey Licorice, Green Apple, and Honey and Berry.

Pine Brothers
Pine Brothers advertises "softish" cough drops and offers the oblong-shaped drops in four flavors: Natural Honey, Wild Cherry, Licorice and Lemon Citrus. 

All Pine Brothers products are labeled "gluten-free." However, Pine Brother Licorice Drops contain caramel color. However, there is no wheat allergen warning.

Ricola
Ricola products are considered gluten-free under the Codex Standard. If they contain gluten, it's below 20ppm, and are therefore likely safe for people with celiac disease or gluten intolerance. According to the Ricola website:

• "U.S Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations specify a product is considered gluten-free if it doesn’t have any gluten containing grain or it’s been purified to remove the gluten (e.g. wheat starch), resulting in under 20 parts per million (ppm) of gluten. Although our Dual Action Drops may include ingredients derived from wheat, these ingredients are highly purified in accordance with the FDA regulations. Ricola urges consumers to share this information with their doctor prior to use if they are highly sensitive to gluten-based grains or have concerns."

For those who are super sensitive, or those who just wish to avoid any level of possible gluten exposure, you may wish to pick a different brand.

Smith Bros.
Smith Bros. makes cough drops in three flavors: Warm Apple Pie, Wild Cherry, and Honey Lemon. A customer service representative tells me that all current Smith Bros. products are considered gluten-free.

Wedderspoon Organic
Made in New Zealand, Wedderspoon Organic cough drops are  gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, GMO-free. Wedderspoon Organic cough drops are made from manuka honey and come in five flavors: Ginger, Lemon, Eucalyptus, Honey, and Fennel Cinnamon. Additionally, Pops for kids, are available in raspberry, orange, and grape flavors.

Zand Immunity
Zand Immunity cough drops are gluten-free, including blueberry, cherry, cranberry, elderberry, lemon, menthol, and tropical flavors.

As always, ingredients can change without notice, so be sure to carefully check the ingredient labels of any cough drops for gluten ingredients or allergen warnings.

Did we miss a favorite brand of gluten-free cough drop? Share it in our comments section below.