Without doubt one of the most read posts on this blog concerns Branston Pickle and answers the question, is pickle gluten free?
You might notice in the url for this post that the date shows as 2010. You would be correct in thinking this was originally posted 10 YEARS ago but I have completely refreshed this post and included more up to date information and links to sources on this topic.
Whether pickles, and more generally, the topic of whether barley malt vinegar is suitable for coeliacs, is a subject I see discussed frequently online.
Please note: This is a UK based blog so the information you’ll find here is based on guidance given to Coeliacs in the UK and Europe. If you’re reading this from elsewhere, your information may be different so please undertake your own research in your local country.
In order to answer the question is Branston pickle gluten free, we need to establish whether barley malt vinegar is considered gluten free.
The official position on barley malt vinegar in the UK is this from the Coeliac UK website:
“Question: Can I eat barley malt vinegar?
Answer: Yes.
Barley malt vinegar is made from barley and is found in pickles, chutneys and some sauces. If it is used in a food product the manufacturer must list the word ‘barley’ in the ingredients list in line with EU wide allergen labelling law.
Barley malt vinegar is made using a fermentation process. This means that the amount of barley, and therefore gluten, in the end product is extremely small and is well below a level which is safe for people with coeliac disease. In addition, barley malt vinegar is usually only eaten in small amounts, for example, drained pickled vegetables, sauces with a meal or on chips.
Balsamic, cider, sherry, spirit, white wine and red wine vinegar are not made from barley and can also be included in your gluten free diet.”
Source of data: Coeliac UK website, information correct as of September 2020
You may have spotted that I specify “in the UK” above. Why? Because the position on barley malt vinegar varies depending on which country you live in or which organisation’s guidance you follow.
In our world of blogs, social media which allow us global interactions within the Coeliac community, it’s important to remember that posters in forums and online may give you advice which is contradictory to your understanding, due to the difference in approach on safe limits of ingredients for coeliacs.
Conclusion: If you are in the UK, Branston pickle is considered to be gluten free.
Thank you for visiting this blog. Although this post is about whether pickle is gluten free, most of the blog posts here cover gluten free travel. Why not take a look around while you’re here?
How about some gluten free travel inspiration with the following posts:
- My gluten free guide to London’s best gluten free restaurants, cafes and gluten free bakeries written by me, a London based Coeliac
- The best gluten free afternoon tea at Claridges Hotel, London
- My gluten free guide to Italy covering plenty of tips and resources for planning a fantastic holiday to Italy
Still not sure if Branston Pickle is gluten free or if coeliacs can eat barley malt vinegar?
• Be mindful to this point when you read online advice/forum posts, especially if the advice differs from your understanding of safe limits/ingredients
• You may be one of the UK based coeliacs who finds they react to barley malt vinegar. Even if Coeliac UK say it’s safe for coeliacs, we should always make our own judgements on what’s safe for us
• Decide for yourself what you base your views on. Is it your dietician/GP’s advice? Is it the Coeliac association of the country you live in? Is it the Coeliac association of another country?
• Be respectful to others in the online community. I’ve seen many disputes on social media over gluten free beer. The regulations for coeliacs are different between the EU – where gluten removed beers such as Daura, Celia, San Miguel and more – can be labelled gluten free and the US and Australia – where gluten removed beers such as Omission – should not be labelled as gluten free in accordance with the their countries’ regulations).
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Anyone who knows anything about gluten and pickles, will know that malt vinegar is often used in pickling, and this is not permitted on a gluten_free diet. So it is a help to have it clearly labelled on pickles.
…but anyone who knows anything about vinegar will know that it is created through distillation like whisky. Gluten is heavier than whisky and vinegar. Therefore the vinegar gets separated from the gluten during distillation. Elementary physics :-).
Rob – not all vinegars are distilled. For example, malt vinegar – which is made from barley- is not distilled and unsafe for people with celiac disease. There is also the reality that for people with celiac disease, minute amounts present due to manufacturing in facilities that handle wheat, rye or barley can be an issue.
No – Rob sadly malt vinegar is brewed not distilled. It cannot be compared to a spirit such as whisky. Choose cider or a wine vinegar – never malt.
Which brand is gluten free? The kind I have cross and blackwell is not. Thanks
Author
Hello there, the Branston pickle in this post is safe according to the Coeliac UK Food & Drink Directory. Whereabouts in the world are you?
I think you are missing the point here. You may not agree with it, but there is good reason for Cross and Blackwell to say Branston is GF.
To start with Vinegar is often not made from wheat or barley. The second point is that the vinegar creation process includes distillation to remove the light component (the vinegar) from the heavy components (people usually think of the alcohol but gluten is a heavy component).
This link tries to explain in a balanced way what the concerns are and what the likely facts are…
http://www.enabling.org/ia/celiac/vinegar.html
Their summary is this…It would seem that this information — wheat is rarely used to make vinegar and even if it were used, gluten peptides would not survive the distillation step — would end any celiac concern about vinegar.
I’d check that one, its made with barley products.
Hi Melanie,
See my previous answer to Laura on this. In the UK Branston pickle contains malt vinegar from barley in its recipe.
Coeliac UK (the UK charity supporting Coeliacs here) includes Branston Pickle in its directory for foods suitable for a gluten free diet. In addition, Coeliac UK provide the following guidance on the use of malt vinegar:
http://www.coeliac.org.uk/gluten-free-diet-lifestyle/gluten-free-diet-faqs
So Branston Pickle is gluten free? Interesante. Do you know if this is still the case? I need to find some here in SF. I used to love a cheese and pickle sandwich 🙂
According to Coeliac UK it’s suitable for a gluten free diet. It appears in Section 2 of their food directory. Products which appear in this section are made without gluten containing ingredients and have controls in place to minimise cross contamination risk. (For info section 1 of the directory contains foods which are on prescription, free from foods labelled ‘gluten free’ and those with the crossed grain symbol).
Although many pickles contain malt vinegar (which is made from barley malt, ie contains gluten), according to the coeliac website:
‘Barley malt vinegar is made using a fermentation process. The end product only contains a trace amount of protein (and therefore gluten), which is well below the level which is safe for most people with coeliac disease.’
Companies label it for two reasons: more and more there are legal requirements for labeling for allegens and because you cannot ASSUME that anything is gluten free. Companies use gluten in all kinds of things that one would not think contained gluten. Believe me, those of us with celiac disease appreciate not having to call to check.
Yes, you’re absolutely right. Here in the UK there is a legal requirement to label foods containing certain allergens including gluten. It certainly makes life easier to know there are rules and regulations in place which govern those products which can be labelled gluten free. It’s then up to the consumer to select those products.
Here in the UK, I would steer well clear of Branston Pickle. Numerous coeliac friends & I have been ‘glutenated’ by it, before we became wise to the evil Barley Malt Vinegar! The pickle doesn’t have Gluten Free on the label here though, thankfully. As with Coeliac UK’s suggestion that a small amount of Barley Malt Extract would be fine (for example, a bowl of Rice Krispies, which actually made me incredibly ill), this is one they got wrong for many people!
Hi Chloe, thanks for stopping by and commenting. As you say, this is the advice from Coeliac UK with regards to Branston Pickle / malt vinegar:
Can I use malt vinegar?
Malt vinegar can be made from barley and is found in pickles, chutneys and condiments such as sauces. If it is used in a product the manufacturer must list the word ‘barley’ on the ingredients list.
Barley malt vinegar is made using a fermentation process. The end product only contains a trace amount of protein (and therefore gluten), which is well below the level which is safe for most people with coeliac disease. In addition, barley malt vinegar is only usually eaten in small amounts, for example, drained pickled vegetables, sauces with a meal, on chips.
Balsamic, cider, sherry, white wine and red wine vinegars are not made from barley and are also suitable for a gluten-free diet.
I think the key point in this is that’s it’s tolerated by most – but not all – people as you’ve explained.
Hey Chloe, was there any chance that your jars of Branston had been used on gluten sandwiches before ?(i.e accidentally contaminated with gluten bread crumbs)
Hi, no, a new jar in a gluten free household. We all have the same reaction in my family to Branston pickle, and any items with barley malt vinegar are no go areas. Shame, as it’s so yummy, almost worth the nausea and bloat for..!
Hi,
Just so you know, the tolerance level for being “gluten free” is 20ppm, meaning that those of us who have above average sensitivity are still impacted by the traces of gluten in the product.
If you’re coeliac & want to be certain, check the ingredients and avoid anything which MIGHT contaminate, and avoid anything with those ingredients, including Heinz and Cross&Blackwell pickles
I’m yet to find a TRULY gluten free pickle (I’m a hyper-sensitive coeliac)
Phil
Hey Phil, not sure where you are but i have found a gluten free pickle at my local supermarket here in Australia. Spring Gully Green tomato pickle ingredients sugar, onions, water, green tomato, thickener 1422 , modified maize starch, herbs and spices and food acid 260. its made here in Australia and i am pretty sure some of our testing even so less than 3ppm of gluten when its tested. maybe an option for you if you are really sensitive coeliac
Ali
Hi Ali,
I’m in the UK, so can’t get Spring Gully products (as they’re an Australian based company)
My level of sensitivity is so high that I can’t tolerate any gluten at all, meaning that I have to make all my food from fresh, using virtually no pre-packaged items, like sauces, pickles, etc
Thanks for the info though 🙂
Phil
Hey Phil
I also cannot eat Branston but have found in waitrose that DUCHY onion marmalade is quite a fantastic alternative and so far have eaten jars of it and no reaction. Hope that helps?
To make gluten free pickles and chutney it is best to make your own, easily done, tomato and onion being the easiest using 2lb chopped toms, 2lb cored and peeled tart apples, 2 sliced onions, 2 cups cider vinegar, 2 crushed dried chillies, 2tsp ground ginger, 1 tsp mustard seed, 1/2 a cup of sultanas and 3/4 cup of runny honey. Bring to the boil and simmer for about 3 hours on low heat. Place in sterilised jars and keep cool for 10 days before consuming to ensure flavour is blended.
a tolerable amount of gluten is an interesting comment . Coeliac Disease is an autoimmune condition and it is possible that it’s the tip of the iceberg when one has symptoms ; however what is going on below that level . I would suggest that there is no such thing as a tolerance level and all gluten is dangerous for the coeliac gut , symptomatic or not . There is even evidence to suggest that all grains might be unsuitable .
a tolerable amount of gluten is an interesting comment . Coeliac Disease is an autoimmune condition and it is possible that it’s the tip of the iceberg when one has symptoms ; however what is going on below that level . I would suggest that there is no such thing as a tolerance level and all gluten is dangerous for the coeliac gut , symptomatic or not . There is even evidence to suggest that all grains might be unsuitable .
One thing to note is that some coeliac sufferers have cycles of 7 years, with the cycle going from “slightly intolerant” to “extremely intolerant” during the cycle – I used to be like this (in my 20s/30s), but went hyper-sensitive in my early 40s
Don’t expect to guarantee that a “tolerant amount” will be the same from one year to the next, when I was at a good point I could easily tolerate items which had trace levels, but when I was on a bad period I was close to the levels I’m at now
The best advice you can give to anyone who is coeliac is to avoid EVERYTHING that could possibly contain even trace elements, but trying to keep a certain amount of fibre in your diet is difficult
Hi Phil – interesting comment about 7 year cycles, I’ve not heard this before. Do you have any further info / links to research on this?
Sorry, I have no links, but at the time the consultant I was under told me that it happened to some sufferers, but not all, I remember the conversations as I was definitely on a “cycle”, several years of my food management being easy, and a year or so of it being terrible
During my 20s I was having endoscopy/biopsies every few years, so it wasn’t that severe, unlike now as I have cameras shoved into me every 6-9 months
That’s interesting. I must admit i seem to be less affected by cross contamination – at least outwardly – and this has been the case for a couple of months. I think i’ll investigate a little further. Thanks again for your comments.
Ok so in the quest for pickle
Still no joy with a Branson version, it has barley in and I cannot eat it 🙁
I always get a reaction
BUT
Duchy originals Beetroot Relish
(Waitrose)
Is an ok substitute in a ploughmans lunch and is labelled as gluten free, I have tested it and so far so good!
Thanks for the recommendation / I’m going to look up the beetroot relish. Sounds delicious, I love beetroot. I’d also recommend Stokes pickles, relishes, mustards. All really fantastic, lots labelled gluten free and sone great flavours.
And……..
They do an onion marmalade too 🙂
Thanks for the pointer on Stokes pickles, I can not bring myself to buy Duchy products. I understand that whilst they appear to be perfect for the small retailer their pricing policy is such that an independent retailer almost pays more wholesale than a consumer pays retail in a major supermarket. I’m also not sure I like where the money goes at the top of the tree.
Author
I really recommend Stokes. All their products from chutneys to ketchups to jams are very flavourful and good quality….as well as being gluten free.
Author
PS interesting about Duchy products. I wasn’t aware of that.
“Permitted” on gluten free diet ..!!!!!!!?????????! My god if you are not coeliac why put yourself through this misery. Attention seeking perhaps? Like bloody vegetarians et al .
Author
Hi James, thanks for stopping by and commenting. I’m afraid I don’t really get your point? According to Coeliac UK, Branston Pickle is gluten free:
Branston Pickle states it contains barley malt vinegar in the ingredients list, why is it listed in the Food and Drink Directory?
Branston Pickle states it contains barley malt vinegar in the ingredients list, why is it listed in the Food and Drink Directory?
Branston Pickle contains barley malt vinegar, if it is used in a food product the manufacturer must list the word ‘barley’ in the ingredients list in line with European Union wide allergen labelling law.
Barley malt vinegar is made using a fermentation process. This means that the amount of barley, and therefore gluten, in the end product is extremely small and is well below a level which is safe for people with coeliac disease.
Heinz Ploughans pickles genuinely gluten free as it contains Spirit Vinegar. Branson uses Barley.
Surely it is not theBarley Malt Vinegar but the Roasted Barley Malt Extract that makes Branston pickle NOT gluten free?
Agreed
Also Coeliac UK have revised their view and have removed Branston Pickle from their list of GF foods
https://www.coeliac.org.uk/document-library/6873-december-2020-food-and-drink-information-updates/december-2020-updates.pdf
Coeliac UK have revised their list of GF food and have removed Branston Pickle from their list, so they’re not calling it GF any more: file:///C:/Users/lizbl/Downloads/december-2020-updates.pdf