What is the gluten-free diet?
The gluten-free diet consists of foods free of gluten. 

What is gluten?
Gluten is the protein contained in all forms of wheat, rye and barley.
(Names of Wheat)

Protein in soy sauce? rice krispies? beer? 
Yes, chemistry lessons aside, these foods contain ingredients made from wheat, rye, or barley.  
When it comes to gluten content, how a product is made is important.

Most foods are safe and naturally gluten-free. 
Rice,  Corn,  Nuts,  Potato,  Beans - are all gluten-free! 
All other proteins are gluten-free!  
Meat, eggs, fruits, vegetables, roots - are all gluten-free!

If food is not known to be gluten-free, it must be assumed to contain gluten. 
"When in doubt, leave it out."  If you eat something and you feel unwell, trust that! 

Safe foods can be cross-contaminated during preparation.
When a food is grown, prepared, plated, or stored with food or food equipment 
containing gluten, it is not gluten-free unless it is tested and shown to be uncontaminated.

Why follow a gluten-free diet? Celiac disease or gluten intolerance.        
Whenever some people eat food with even a tiny amount gluten in it, the Immune System attacks the gluten as a poison or infection invading the body. The digestive system  (intestinal lining), as well as other systems, are affected.

Over time, the immune system response leads to malnutrition, tumors and cancers, diseases of the lymphatic system, bone, blood, lungs, heart, and more. 
The solution is to stop the attacks by avoiding gluten!  

Know & Confirm: Gets easier all the time!
So which products and ingredients contain gluten or might be contaminated from gluten? Here is where labels and manufacturer cooperation come in handy! 

Safe Foods Lists (manufactured food products and ingredients) have expiration dates!
Lists are updated on a regular basis, because food processing and manufacturing environments change, and must be verified to be safe.  

That is why we do not have lists here. Instead, we link to published lists and sources of information. Updates to lists are necessary.

Note: The standards and rules for gluten-free levels and labeling are not set.
These are still in-the-works, and there are controversies. A label may mentioned something about safe practices. A label may have the statement "Processed in a facility handling wheat / gluten", but these are not required or regulated by law at this time.  

Wheat, barley and rye - many names:    

Names of Wheat  - Read Labels Carefully!

Durum wheat Triticale (wheat and rye blend) White flour All-purpose flour Wholewheat flour Semolina  Couscous   Kamut Spelt Graham flour Bulgar (partially cooked and toasted cracked wheat) Wholemeal flour Plain and self-raising flour Barley (extract, flavour, flour, malt) Farro Farina Vital Gluten Wheat can be found in many various forms: Food starch Starch / modified starch corn starch food starch special edible starch Cereal filler / extract cereal binders cereal protein cereal starch edible starch wheat protein wheat starch wheat berries wheat bran wheatmeal thickening agent / thickener hydrolyzed vegetable protein (HVP) MSG Binder Rusk