Kombucha has been enjoyed by millions of people for centuries around the world, yet many people aren’t quite sure how kombucha is made or what’s in it. For anyone with Celiac disease or gluten sensitivity, knowing if a product has gluten is critical. That’s why we’re often asked, “Is kombucha is gluten-free?”While we can’t speak for every kombucha on the market or homemade in personal kitchens, we can, however, unequivocally say that Brew Dr. Kombucha is 100 percent gluten-free. It’s not that we remove the gluten or find a special way of making kombucha without gluten. It’s simply because we make our kombucha with organic tea leaves, none of which contain gluten.We don’t use any grains in our kombucha. Just gorgeous, organic tea leaves harvested by hand from our local purveyors around the world. Depending on the brew, we add a variety of organic herbs, spices, fruit and flowers to give our kombucha its unique, clean and refreshing taste. No gluten anywhere there, either.
Finally, we go an extra step to ensure no gluten ever comes near our brewing facility. We would never want to risk cross-contamination. So, no matter which Brew Dr. Kombucha you enjoy, you won’t ever have to worry if our kombucha is gluten-free.
Celiac.org says celiac disease affects 1 in 100 people worldwide with the number of people affected doubling every 15 years. If you’ve suffered with gluten allergies or sensitivities, you understand how challenging it can be to ensure gluten never touches your lips (or anywhere else, for that matter). It can be difficult to read every label correctly, not to mention how hard it is to know if a restaurant even understands the dangers of cross-contamination.Some products are easy to identify as containing gluten. Most of us know that anything made with wheat, rye or barley flour will contain gluten. But what about malt and all of its derivatives, brewer’s yeast, and some starches that are added to foods? Unfortunately, according to the Celiac Disease Foundation, those also need to be avoided. And they are everywhere. Sauces and gravies often contain wheat flour or wheat starch as thickeners. Even seemingly-safe corn flakes and rice puffs can contain malt. Certain vinegars also contain malt, making some off-the-shelf salad dressings and marinades a no-no.If only this short list of off-limits foods was all that gluten-avoiders had to know. Energy and granola bars, french fries, potato chips, processed lunch meats, candy and soup are just a few of the products that can contain gluten either in their ingredients or be cross-contaminated during preparation or packaging.
While the FDA has made some strides in helping consumers know what’s in their foods, they have yet to mandate “gluten-free” labeling for food manufacturers and distributors. At this point, it’s only voluntary for companies to label their foods as containing or not containing gluten.For anyone with Celiac, it’s vital to check for this labeling and choose only the products that comply. Get educated on the sources of each ingredient and if it naturally gluten-free. This will help you be able to read any food or beverage label and decipher for yourself if it’s safe to eat.So we come back to, “Is kombucha gluten free?” Ours sure is. We hope you can feel confident that you can pick up any of our amazing brews and never worry if it is gluten-free. While you may have to read other labels, we assure you that you’ll never find a concerning ingredient on our labels. Our kombuchas are not only amazing straight from the bottle, but incredible in various recipes, too. From cocktails to desserts and everything in between, kombucha can brighten and deepen recipes for that “wow” factor. Give it a try and let us know what you think!
