Salads represent a colorful, healthy staple on the gluten-free diet, but you need a gluten-free salad dressing to go on top. Which of the many grocery store options are safe? This list of salad dressing brands will help you avoid making mistakes.
Gluten-Free Salad Dressings
There are some key ingredients that you should look for when searching for a gluten-free salad dressing, such soybean oil. Soy is naturally gluten-free, but can be subject to cross contamination. Read labels carefully and if you are unsure about a product, contact the manufacturer.
Also, some people withceliac diseaseand non-celiacgluten sensitivity mayreact to vinegar. It's important to know which vinegars are gluten-free. All pure distilled vinegar that is made from distilled alcohol is gluten-free. If non-distilled vinegar uses wheat, barley, or rye as a starting material, the vinegar is not gluten-free.
Gluten-Free Labeling
Always check labels and avoid wheat, barley, rye, malt vinegar, wheat thickeners, flour, soy sauce, and food starch. If a product is labeled gluten-free or has a gluten-free certification, it can be considered safe.
Certified gluten-free: Has a seal of approval from one of three organizations that inspects facilities and products to ascertain that they are free of gluten.
Gluten-free: Contains no gluten ingredients, or the gluten-containing ingredient has been processed to remove the gluten to below 20 parts per million. Foods with this label meet the Food and Drug Administration's legal definition of "gluten-free."
No gluten ingredients: Has no gluten-containing ingredients, but has not been tested for gluten and may be subject to cross-contamination.
Bear in mind that this list of salad dressings applies only to the United States—ingredients and manufacturing differ (sometimes dramatically) from country to country, so if you live somewhere else, you'll need to call the company.
Annie's Naturals
Some of Annie's salad dressings are considered "naturally gluten-free," which means they contain no gluten ingredients but are not tested for gluten. If you're comfortable with eating no-gluten-ingredients products, check ingredients to make sure your choice is safe.
For example, Annie's popular Goddess Dressing contains wheat-based soy sauce, and wheat is not gluten-free. Annie's reports that it uses vinegar derived from corn or beets.
Brianna's Salad Dressings
Upscale dressing manufacturer Brianna's makes 19 different salad dressings, 17 of which are considered gluten-free (to less than 20 parts per million, the legal standard). Steer clear of Lively Lemon Tarragon and Saucy Ginger Mandarin. A few of Brianna's dressings include white vinegar, which the company says can be made from gluten grains.
Cardini's
Cardini's is one of several salad dressing brands actually made by Marzetti's. All Cardini's dressings except for the Roasted Asian Sesame are considered gluten-free.Many contain vinegar that can be derived from gluten grains, so check ingredients carefully if this is a problem for you.
Girard's
This is another Marzetti's sister brand. Girard's makes a dozen or so premium salad dressings, most of which are considered gluten-free. The only two that are not gluten-free are the Sundried Tomato and Artichoke and the Chinese Chicken Salad flavors. Many of Girard's dressings contain distilled vinegar that can be derived from gluten grains.
Hidden Valley
Most of Hidden Valley's products do not contain gluten, the company reports. If a product has been tested and found to be gluten-free,the label will include a yellow and green "gluten-free" check-mark circle. The company urges purchasers to always check the label, since ingredients can change, and Hidden Valley always will clearly list any wheat, barley or rye ingredients.
Ken's Steakhouse
Ken's Foods has a line of 60 different salad dressings. Most are marked with the gluten-free insignia, so check labels when you're shopping.
Kraft
Kraft Foods makes a huge variety of salad dressings. Kraft does not test its salad dressings for gluten, nor does it label them gluten-free, but the company will disclose any gluten ingredients clearly on its labels. Salad dressings with no gluten ingredients listed still can be subject to gluten cross-contamination in manufacturing.
Maple Grove Farms
Of this specialty company's 25 salad dressings, 19 are considered gluten-free. Look for the words "gluten-free" just below the list of ingredients. Not all salad dressings are safe—Sesame Ginger, for example, contains wheat-based soy sauce.
Many of Maple Grove Farms' products contain only cider or balsamic vinegar, not distilled vinegar—again, check the label. Flavored and seasoned vinegars may contain gluten, most typically in the form of malt. If the vinegar contains wheat protein, the label will say so.
Marzetti's
This brand (sister brand to Cardini's, Girard's, and Pfeiffer) features both refrigerated and shelf-stable salad dressings in a wide variety of flavors. Most (but not all) are gluten-free to less than 20 ppm levels, so check your label carefully before purchasing—any gluten ingredients will be disclosed. Marzetti's uses distilled vinegar that can be made from gluten grains in many of its salad dressings.
Newman's Own
Only two of Newman's own salad dressings contain gluten, according to the company's frequently asked questions page. Steer clear of Family Recipe Italian Dressing and Sesame Ginger Dressing. Most contain distilled vinegar that can be derived from gluten grains.
Organicville
Organicville is certified gluten-free by the Gluten-Free Certification Organization (GFCO), a certification program that adheres to strict standards for gluten-free safety. Company founder Rachel Kruse says that the vinegar used is organic and comes from corn or beets, not wheat or other gluten grains. Organicville also offers vegan and dairy-free options.
Pfeiffer
All of Pfeiffer's 14 salad dressings are listed as gluten-free. The majority of Pfeiffer's salad dressings use distilled vinegar that can be derived from gluten grains.
Wish-Bone
Wish-Bone, one of the top producers of salad dressings in the U.S., is owned by giant food conglomerate Unilever Inc. Unilever does not have a gluten-free list, nor does it test for gluten, but the company will disclose any gluten-containing ingredients on its labels. Wish-Bone salad dressings (and other Unilever products) can be subject to gluten cross-contamination in manufacturing.
Homemade Salad Dressing
It's easy to make your own salad dressing using a variety of herbs, spices, and citrus juices, and it might represent your best option if you want a particular flavor but need to avoid some of the ingredients in commercial dressings. Homemade salad dressings have less sodium, which is an added bonus. Experiment on your own, or try these gluten-free recipes:
- Blue Cheese Salad Dressing
- Gluten-Free Caesar Salad
If a recipe calls for mayonnaise, remember to use a safe option. There's some controversy over whether blue cheese or Roquefort cheese can be consumed safely on the gluten-free diet, because it is made with a bacteria that is cultured on gluten-containing grains. In most cases, the amount of gluten in the resulting cheese is undetectable.
