Gluten free diets have become increasingly common, and for good reason. According to Canadian Health Digestive Foundation, 1% of Canadians have celiac disease, and 90% of these people are undiagnosed. For these individuals, avoiding any amount of gluten at all times is a must. However, since gluten is a protein found in wheat, rye and barley, some people wonder why oats—which are naturally gluten free—have conventional and gluten free options. Is it worth seeking out gluten free oats? At Bob’s Red Mill, this is a question we get nearly every day. The short answer is, if you cannot tolerate any amount of gluten, gluten free oats are a must.

Oats and Cross Contamination

Oats are indeed naturally free from gluten, and if you walked into a perfect field of oats and picked just one groat, chances are pretty good that it would be completely gluten free. However, many farmers rotate their crops to replenish the nutrients in the soil, which means they may have had wheat, barley or rye growing there recently, which means a stray seedling could creep into the crop and get mixed in, cross-contaminating the entire field.

 Taking Oats from Farm to Table—Safely

However, even away from the fields, there are several points of possible cross contact from farm to table. Basic agricultural products like grain commodities are processed in enormous batches, moving from field to truck, to silo to truck again, and from silo to cleaning and packaging. If the equipment and facilities aren’t strictly gluten free, these oats could easily come into contact with gluten-containing grains while in transit. In addition, oats and wheat berries are quite similar, which means special color sorting equipment is needed to make sure they are separated, an extra layer of expense.

Bob’s Red Mill Is Dedicated to Gluten Free Oats

At Bob’s Red Mill, we work with our suppliers and educate them on the risks of cross contact, and we make sure they understand how important it is to us (and our customers) that our oats are indeed gluten free. We also have a 100% gluten free facility for processing and packaging, and we ensure all of our gluten free products meet industry-leading standards of safety before we send them out to our customers.

Uses for Gluten Free Oats

Now that we’ve extolled the need for truly gluten free oats, what should you do with them? Of course, Bob loves a bowl of our Gluten Free Old Fashioned Rolled Oats for breakfast. He sprinkles them with a little flaxseed for extra nutrition and enjoys a range of toppings, from bananas to blueberries. However, this type of rolled oats is also ideal for baked goods, from traditional oatmeal raisin cookies to muffins, cakes, veggie burgers and more.

Gluten Free Oats and Nutrition

Besides their delicious flavor and texture, our customers value our Gluten Free Old Fashioned Rolled Oats for their nutritional content. They’re a good source of fiber and iron, and one serving contains 6 satisfying grams of protein.

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