Gluten Content – the 10 mg Limit
How much gluten is in wheat, spelt, rye, oats, or beer? This gluten table provides an overview of the gluten content of various grains, flours, grain-containing foods, and beers. It also shows what quantity of a food can already contain approximately 10 milligrams of gluten. The values are particularly relevant for people with celiac disease, gluten sensitivity, gluten intolerance, or wheat allergy. While some people with gluten sensitivity can tolerate small amounts of gluten, a strict gluten-free diet is necessary for celiac disease. Therefore, the gluten content in grains table below helps to better classify gluten-containing foods and identify potential risks in everyday life.
Understanding Gluten: What Exactly Is Gluten?
Gluten is a collective term for storage proteins in wheat, rye, barley, and other cereal grains. This section explains which proteins are involved, why gluten is also called "sticky protein," and what role oats play in this context.
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Gluten-Containing Foods and Gluten-Free Alternatives
Many foods contain gluten if they are made from wheat, spelt, rye, barley, or related grains. At the same time, there are gluten-free foods and alternatives such as buckwheat, quinoa, millet, or amaranth.
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Properly Categorizing the 10 mg Limit
For people with celiac disease, even small amounts of gluten can be relevant. The 10 mg limit helps to better understand the gluten content of various foods and to classify the tables meaningfully.
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Gluten Content in Grains Table: Values at a Glance
The tables show how many milligrams of gluten are contained per 100 g of food and what quantity of a food provides approximately 10 mg of gluten. This allows for better comparison of grains, flours, products, and beer.
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Understanding Gluten: What Exactly Is Gluten?
Gluten as a Collective Term for Storage Proteins
In the field of gluten intolerance, such as gluten sensitivity or celiac disease, gluten is a collective term for storage proteins found in wheat, rye, barley, and other grains. Specifically, these proteins are referred to as gliadins and glutenins in wheat, secalins in rye, and hordeins in barley.
Colloquially, gluten is often also called "Klebereiweiß" (sticky protein). It ensures that doughs become elastic and baked goods retain their typical structure. Therefore, gluten is primarily found in classic baked goods and pasta products such as bread, rolls, cakes, pastries, pizza, and noodles.
Oats, Avenin, and Cross-Contamination
Avenin, a protein found in oats, is not considered gluten. Although avenin is structurally similar to gluten and can trigger reactions in some people with celiac disease or gluten intolerance, it differs from the gluten found in wheat, barley, and rye.
Oats are naturally gluten-free. However, the presence of avenin and potential cross-contamination with gluten-containing grains during processing can still pose a problem for people who maintain a strict gluten-free diet.
Why Gluten is Often Difficult to Avoid in Everyday Life
Gluten is not only found in obvious grain products. Many processed foods can also contain gluten-containing ingredients or traces of gluten, for example, through flours, binders, breadings, wheat starch, or production processes.
For people with celiac disease, gluten intolerance, or wheat sensitivity, it is therefore important to pay attention to ingredient lists, labeling, and potential cross-contamination. Especially with manufactured foods, it is not always immediately apparent whether gluten is present.
Gluten-Containing Foods and Gluten-Free Alternatives
Which Foods Contain Gluten?
Many foods contain gluten if they are made from gluten-containing grains. These primarily include wheat, rye, barley, spelt, green spelt, and related grains such as emmer, einkorn, or khorasan wheat (Kamut).
Typical gluten-containing foods are bread, rolls, toast, cakes, pastries, pasta, breadcrumbs, seitan, and many processed foods. Beer can also contain gluten, as it is often made from barley or wheat.
Gluten-Free Foods and Pseudocereals
In addition to gluten-containing products, there are many naturally gluten-free foods and gluten-free alternatives. Naturally gluten-free foods include, for example, rice, corn, potatoes, fruits, vegetables, meat, fish, eggs, and many dairy products.
Gluten-free grains and pseudocereals can also be used in a gluten-free diet. These include buckwheat, quinoa, millet, and amaranth. However, it is important that these foods have not been contaminated with gluten-containing grains.
Check the Label on the Packaging
For unprocessed foods, classification is usually simpler. For manufactured foods, convenience products, flour mixes, or baked goods, labeling is particularly important because gluten-containing ingredients must be declared on the packaging.
In addition, the symbol of the crossed-out ear of wheat can provide guidance when shopping. However, especially for people with celiac disease, this guidance does not replace a careful look at ingredients, trace warnings, and individual tolerance.
Understanding the 10 mg Limit
Gluten Sensitivity and Personal Tolerance
People with gluten sensitivity can often tolerate small amounts of gluten without developing symptoms. For this group of people, the goal is to find their personal tolerance limit so that no symptoms occur.
This is often a long process and requires a lot of patience as well as extensive knowledge of how much gluten is present in which foods. Possible complaints due to gluten intolerance or another intolerance can vary greatly and should be medically clarified if symptoms recur.
Celiac Disease and Small Amounts of Gluten
In contrast, even the smallest trace of gluten has consequences for people with celiac disease. Scientists agree that even a few milligrams of gluten can damage the intestinal lining.
For very sensitive individuals, just one milligram per day is enough to cause chronic inflammation and damage. A strict gluten-free diet helps control symptoms so that the damaged intestine can heal.
Unintentional Gluten Intake in Everyday Life
Re-consuming any small amount of gluten leads to further damage in celiac disease. Therefore, celiac patients should do everything possible to avoid gluten intake.
However, gluten is often consumed unconsciously, for example through cross-contamination or residual gluten in products labeled as gluten-free. Studies show that even with a supposedly gluten-free diet, unintentional gluten intake can range from 150 mg to 400 mg per day.
How Much Gluten is Considered Safe?
10 milligrams of gluten per day is generally considered a safe amount by many experts for the majority of people with celiac disease. There are still different opinions on how much gluten can be considered safe for people with gluten intolerance, as each affected person is sensitive to different degrees.
Therefore, there are countries like Australia, which do not specify 20 ppm as the limit for gluten-free products, as in Germany, but 0 ppm or the detection limit. If gluten can be detected, the product may not be labeled as gluten-free there.
FDA's Assessment of Tolerable Amounts
In 2011, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration published an assessment of the health risks of gluten in individuals with celiac disease. This was based on a comprehensive review of the literature available at the time.
The report concluded that the safely tolerable amount for an adult with a body weight of 70 kg with chronic gluten exposure is 7 mg daily to avoid histological changes. To prevent symptoms, a value of 1.05 mg per day was mentioned.
Gluten-Free Products and Labeling
What does "gluten-free" mean?
There are more and more products available that are declared as "gluten-free". "Gluten-free" means that a maximum content of 20 mg of gluten per kg of food is adhered to.
Similarly, according to EU regulations, a "very low gluten content" means that products do not exceed the limit of 100 mg of gluten per kg of food. This information can provide guidance when shopping, but should always be considered in the context of the individual's situation.
Why labeling doesn't solve everything
Unfortunately, for both gluten levels, the product may be labeled according to Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 828/2014 of 30 July 2014 as "Specifically formulated for people with gluten intolerance" or "Specifically formulated for people with celiac disease."
From our perspective, this is not correct, because it is still unclear what amounts of gluten per day are considered safe for sensitive individuals. We would prefer the limit of detection as the threshold.
What does this mean for a gluten-free diet?
For people with celiac disease or a strict gluten-free diet, it remains crucial not only to pay attention to the "gluten-free" label. Ingredients, trace indications, and possible cross-contamination should also be considered.
For people with gluten sensitivity, however, personal tolerance can vary. Small amounts of gluten may be tolerated in some cases, but should be consciously evaluated and medically clarified if symptoms persist. Those who follow a low-gluten diet should still know which gluten-containing products are particularly relevant.
Step by step: How to use the gluten chart
Select food group
First, it should be checked to which food group the product belongs. The tables differentiate between cereals and flours, cereal-containing products, and various beers. This classification helps to compare similar foods with each other. For example, wheat, spelt, rye, and barley can be classified differently from finished baked goods, pasta, or beer.
Check milligrams of gluten per 100g
The first column of values shows how many milligrams of gluten are contained on average in 100 g of the respective food. This makes it easier to compare cereals, flours, baked goods, pasta, and beer. A high value means that even small amounts of the food can be relevant. Therefore, precise classification is particularly important for gluten-containing cereals and products made from them.
Classify quantity per 10 mg of gluten
The second column shows how many grams of a food contain approximately 10 mg of gluten. The lower this value, the faster the 10 mg limit is reached. This value makes the table particularly practical for everyday use. It not only shows the gluten content per 100g, but also how small the amount of a food can be that already provides 10 mg of gluten.
Note additional marking
The gluten table serves as a guide but does not replace the labeling on the packaging. Especially for gluten-free products, processed foods, and possible traces, the packaging should be carefully checked. This applies particularly to products that consist of several ingredients or are processed in facilities where gluten-containing grains are also present. Here, possible cross-contamination can be relevant.
Consider individual circumstances
For people with gluten sensitivity, individual tolerance levels can vary. Some affected individuals can tolerate small amounts of gluten, while others react to very small amounts. For people with celiac disease, however, a lifelong gluten-free diet is necessary, where even small amounts of gluten can be relevant. The table therefore serves as a guide but does not replace medical advice.
Gluten Content in Grains Table: Overview of Values
Method for Determining Gluten Content
A liquid chromatographic method was used to quantify gluten in grain flours and grain products. For beers, the antibody-based detection method "Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay" (ELISA) was used. The following tables show the average gluten content per 100 g of food and the amount of food that contains approximately 10 mg of gluten. This allows the values to be classified not only scientifically but also practically.
Gluten Content in Grains and Flours
The first table shows the gluten content of various grains and flours. It clearly shows that wheat, spelt, and flours made from them have high gluten content. The second column, showing the amount per 10 mg of gluten, makes it clear how quickly the limit can be reached for some types of grain. Such values are particularly relevant for people with celiac disease or a strictly gluten-free diet.
| FOOD | Amount in milligrams of gluten per 100 g of food – AVERAGE | Amount in grams of food per 10 mg of gluten – AVERAGE |
|---|---|---|
| Wheat (whole grain) | 7700 | 0.130 |
| Spelt (whole grain) | 9894 | 0.101 |
| Rye (whole grain) | 3117 | 0.321 |
| Oats (whole grain, hulled) | 4557 | 0.219 |
| Barley (whole grain, hulled) | 5624 | 0.178 |
| Green spelt (whole grain) | 7100 | 0.141 |
| Wheat flour Type 405 | 8660 | 0.115 |
| Wheat flour Type 550 | 7520 | 0.133 |
| Wheat flour Type 630 | 9359 | 0.107 |
| Wheat flour Type 812 | 9420 | 0.106 |
| Wheat flour Type 1050 | 8740 | 0.114 |
| Whole wheat flour | 8300 | 0.120 |
| Wheat bran | 4660 | 0.215 |
| Wheat semolina | 8680 | 0.115 |
| Spelt flour Type 630 | 10300 | 0.097 |
| Whole spelt flour | 9460 | 0.106 |
| Whole green spelt flour | 8975 | 0.111 |
| Rye flour Type 815 | 3200 | 0.313 |
| Rye flour Type 997 | 3180 | 0.314 |
| Rye flour Type 1150 | 3483 | 0.287 |
| Rye flour Type 1370 | 3300 | 0.303 |
| Rye meal (whole grain) | 3450 | 0.290 |
| Oat flour (whole grain) | 5600 | 0.179 |
As expected, wheat and flours made from it contain the highest gluten content. Only spelt and spelt flours show higher values.
Gluten Content in Grain-Containing Products
The second table shows the gluten content of selected grain-containing products, including bread, rolls, crispbread, pasta, butter biscuits, and cake bases.
The higher the proportion of wheat in the product, the higher the gluten content tends to be. These values can help to better compare baked goods, pasta, and other manufactured foods.
| FOOD | Amount in milligrams of gluten per 100 g of food – AVERAGE | Amount in grams of food per 10 mg of gluten – AVERAGE |
|---|---|---|
| Oat groats | 4850 | 0.206 |
| Oat flakes | 5660 | 0.177 |
| Barley groats | 4700 | 0.213 |
| Roll (light bread roll) | 9183 | 0.109 |
| Wheat toast bread | 6900 | 0.145 |
| Wheat flour bread (white bread) | 5780 | 0.173 |
| Whole wheat bread | 6500 | 0.154 |
| Wheat mixed bread | 3840 | 0.260 |
| Crispbread | 3600 | 0.278 |
| Rye mixed bread | 3300 | 0.303 |
| Rye bread | 1200 | 0.833 |
| Whole rye bread | 1580 | 0.633 |
| Egg pasta uncooked | 9040 | 0.111 |
| Egg pasta cooked, drained | 4300 | 0.233 |
| Butter biscuit | 5240 | 0.191 |
| Cake base | 2160 | 0.463 |
Gluten Content in Various Beers
The third table shows the gluten content of various beers. Beer can contain gluten as it is often made from barley or wheat.
Wheat beer, in particular, is forbidden for celiac patients. A Pilsner lager with 1.2 mg per 100 g might be acceptable for gluten-sensitive individuals, but for safety reasons, only beer labeled as gluten-free should be consumed.
| FOOD | Amount in milligrams of gluten per 100 g of food – AVERAGE | Amount in grams of food per 10 mg of gluten – AVERAGE |
|---|---|---|
| Pale full-strength beer | 2.7 | 370.370 |
| Dark full-strength beer | 4.6 | 217.391 |
| Wheat beer | 274 | 3.650 |
| Pilsner lager beer | 1.2 | 833.333 |
| Non-alcoholic beer (draught beer) | 3.2 | 312.500 |
| Malt beverage | 3.3 | 303.030 |
Frequently asked questions about the gluten chart
Many foods made from wheat, spelt, and flours derived from them contain particularly high amounts of gluten. These include, among others, bread, rolls, pastries, cakes, pasta, and many other baked goods and dough products.
Naturally gluten-free foods include, for example, rice, corn, potatoes, fruits, vegetables, meat, fish, eggs, and many dairy products. Buckwheat, quinoa, millet, and amaranth are also considered gluten-free alternatives, provided they have not been contaminated with gluten-containing grains.
Oats are naturally gluten-free but contain the protein avenin. Additionally, cross-contamination with gluten-containing grains can occur during cultivation, processing, or packaging. Therefore, specially labeled gluten-free oats are important for people with celiac disease.
The gluten table shows, on the one hand, how many milligrams of gluten are contained in 100 g of a food. On the other hand, it shows what quantity of the respective food contains about 10 mg of gluten. The lower this second value is, the faster the 10 mg limit is reached.
Products declared as gluten-free may contain a maximum of 20 mg of gluten per kg of food. While the labeling provides guidance, for celiac disease, it does not replace checking ingredients, allergen traces, and potential cross-contamination.
For people with celiac disease, even small amounts of gluten can be relevant. The 10 mg limit helps to better classify the gluten content of foods and to understand why even very small amounts of certain gluten-containing products can be problematic.
The gluten table shows how varied the gluten content can be in grains, flours, grain-containing products, and beer. Wheat, spelt, and baked goods and pasta made from them, in particular, contain high amounts of gluten, while many unprocessed foods and alternatives such as buckwheat, quinoa, millet, or amaranth are naturally gluten-free. For people with celiac disease, it is crucial not just to look at individual values, but to consistently adhere to a strict gluten-free diet, correct labeling, and be aware of potential cross-contamination.
Sources
- G. Andersen / H. Köhler in collaboration with M. Rubach / W. Schaecke (2015): Annual Report of the German Research Institute 2014, Freising, pp. 136–139.
- Slot, I., Bremer, M.G.E.G., Hamer, R.J., and Van der Fels-Klerx, H.J. (Ine). (2015). Part of the celiac population is still at risk despite current gluten thresholds. Trends in Food Science & Technology. 43. 10.1016/j.tifs.2015.02.011.
- Cohen, Inna & Day, Andrew & Shaoul, Ron. (2020). Should the Glu Be Ten or Twenty? An Update on the Ongoing Debate on Gluten Safety Limits for Patients with Celiac Disease. Gastrointestinal Disorders. 2. 202–211. 10.3390/gidisord2030021.
- Reid, J., Allen, K., & McDonald, S. (2016). Systematic review of safe levels of gluten for people with celiac disease. Cochrane Australia. http://www.coeliac.org.au/research/
- Food and Drug Administration. Health Hazard Assessment for Gluten Exposure in Individuals with Celiac Disease: Determination of Tolerable Daily Intake Levels and Levels of Concern for Gluten. 2011.