Discovering what you can and cannot eat on a gluten-free diet is exhausting. You have to constantly read labels and check ingredients, even if it's a food you've eaten before. While most aged cheeses, such as cheddar and Swiss, are naturally gluten-free, the same cannot be said for processed cheeses like sliced American cheese.
Gluten
Gluten is a protein found in some grains, including wheat, barley and rye. If you are diagnosed with celiac disease, you need to avoid foods that contain gluten. Celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder, and when people with celiac disease consume foods that contain gluten their immune system reacts by attacking the villi in the small intestines, causing malabsorption. If left untreated, people with celiac disease can become severely malnourished. Treatment does not require medication or any special procedure, but the complete avoidance and elimination of gluten from the diet.
Gluten-Free Diet
A gluten-free diet is exactly that, eliminating gluten and all foods that contain gluten from your diet. While it is easy to spot the obvious foods that contain gluten, such as bread, pasta, crackers and most ready-to-eat cereals, gluten is also found in a number of processed foods that may not seem so obvious, such as sausage, soup and American cheese. When following a gluten-free diet, it is important to read the food ingredients list of processed foods to help you identify foods that may contain gluten. Ingredients such as artificial flavors, caramel coloring and emulsifiers may be a hidden source of gluten.
American Cheese
American cheese is a processed cheese made from a combination of natural cheeses, stabilizers, emulsifiers and flavor enhancers. As a processed cheese, you may not be able to eat all brands of American cheese on a gluten-free diet. In addition to reading food labels, you may also want to contact your favorite American cheese maker to determine if your brand is safe to eat. Consuming even a small amount of gluten when you have celiac disease can cause damage to your small intestines.
Gluten-Free American Cheese
Without contacting the company directly, it may be difficult for you to find a gluten-free brand of American cheese reading just the ingredients list or food label. However, Boar's Head Brand reports that all of its products, including its sliced American cheese, is gluten-free. Given this information, it is safe for you to eat Boar's Head Brand sliced American cheese if you follow a gluten-free diet.
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