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Nutrition FAQ

Nutrition Frequently Asked Questions

Find out the answers to some of our most frequently asked questions, such as Can a product that contains wheat also be gluten free?

Can a product that ‘contains wheat’ also be ‘gluten free’?

Allergens must be declared on the label. There are however some labelling exemptions, for example, wheat derived from glucose syrup where the gluten content is below 20ppm does not need to label for wheat on the label.

There are other ingredients e.g. soy sauce powder and caramel colour, derived from wheat that are so highly refined that there is no detectable gluten in them. These ingredients must still be labelled as ‘contains wheat’ but they can be considered suitable for a gluten free diet because there is no detectable gluten present in the final product.

Remember: a ‘Gluten Free’ claim overrides the ingredient list because processing can mean that even though wheat may be declared in the ingredient list, a product can still be free of gluten and therefore suitable for a gluten free diet.

When sourcing your gluten free ingredients remember:

  1. If you are using a trusted supplier, a gluten free claim will always mean no detectable gluten, regardless of the presence of wheat derived ingredients in the ingredients list.
  2. Look for ‘gluten’ in the nutrition information panel to validate a gluten free claim.
  3. Check for ‘May Contain Gluten or Wheat’ statements and avoid products containing these.

A product example is MAGGI Beef Flavoured Booster. MAGGI Beef Flavoured Booster is gluten free and carries a ‘contains wheat’ statement. MAGGI Beef Flavoured Booster is gluten free. Nestlé Professional batch test each production run at the factory to ensure no gluten is detected (less than 3 parts per million of gluten for every single batch made), and the product is endorsed and certified by Coeliac Australia & New Zealand.

The soy sauce powder and vegetable protein ingredients in the product is derived from wheat, however it is highly refined and does not contain any gluten.

The Food Standards Code require all manufacturers to declare wheat, even when the ingredient is derived from wheat, and the ingredient is so highly refined that there is no gluten left in the ingredient.

For more information check out our Gluten Free Resources