Can I Have Malt Vinegar On A Gluten Free Diet?

If you’re making a marinade at home for some meat or in a chutney or preserve, you might be wondering if malt vinegar is gluten-free despite its name.

Malt vinegar is not typically gluten free since it contains barley, however, some people argue that malt vinegar has a very small of gluten due to the fermentation.

In our guide below, we will take you through the difference between vinegar and barley malt extract and which contains gluten.

What’s The Difference Between Barley Malt Vinegar & Barley Malt Extract? 

If your looking into barley malt vinegar and gluten, you might have also come across barley malt extract and wondered what the difference is.

Barley malt extract is part of what happens during the fermentation process for beer, but instead of being put in beer, it gets separated. You can often find barley malt extract in cereals and chocolates to help enhance flavors. 

What Is Barley Malt Vinegar?

Barley malt vinegar is the same as barley malt extract at the beginning except it goes through the malt vinegar production process, during the fermentation the gluten is broken down into hydrolysed pieces which means it’s left with a very small amount of gluten, less than 20ppm which is considered a safe amount of gluten for people with gluten intolerance.

Does Barley Malt Extract Have Gluten? 

As we mentioned above, during the brewing process and fermenting barley malt extract, it typically has a small amount of gluten protein left in the extract, plus a tiny amount of it is used in products. 

However, to be on the safe side, we would always check the label to make sure it has less than 20 ppm and that it is legally gluten free for clarity.

Find out here Is Malt Flavoring Gluten Free?

What Vinegar Is Gluten Free Friendly?

If you don’t want to risk using barley malt vinegar then you might be better off using other types which do not contain any gluten. 

We’ve listed which kinds of vinegar are considered gluten free below as substitutes.

• Balsamic vinegar – Balsamic vinegar is typically okay to have on a gluten free diet, there could be a slight risk of contamination from the casket but very little chance.
• Red wine vinegar.
• Apple cider vinegar – This is simply based on apple and cider, no grains included.
• Distilled white vinegar – The distilling of white vinegar should make it safe for gluten-free folks but take caution with this since it’s not the same for all people.

Frequently Asked Questions About Malt Vinegar & Gluten

How many ppm of gluten is considered safe?

Most of the time manufactures consider a product which has under 20 gluten ppm safe.

Is barley malt extract used in the form of beer?

Yes, before the brewing process, barley malt extract is used in the starting production of beer which is partly why beer is not gluten-free, barley is a preferred starting brewer for most.

This grain then ferments into sugars and helps enhance the bitter flavour of beer.

Final Words

Overall, malt vinegar is not classed as gluten-free since it contains barley, however, this is at very low levels due to the fermentation process. Most barley malt extracts and vinegar will have below 20 ppm of gluten. 

To be on the safe side, we would still recommend checking labels of vinegar and any product with barley malt extract to make sure they are certified gluten-free, you never know how sensitive your body will be to gluten proteins.

Looking for vinegar alternatives? Then this next article is for you! Is Apple Cider Vinegar Gluten-free?