Kraft Parmesan cheese in a can is gluten-free. Kraft clearly labels their Parmesan cheese products that contain gluten, and the canisters of grated Parmesan do not have any gluten-containing ingredients.
What is Gluten?
Gluten is a group of proteins found in grains like wheat, barley, and rye. People with celiac disease or non-celiac gluten sensitivity cannot tolerate gluten and need to follow a strict gluten-free diet. For people who must avoid gluten, checking labels for gluten-containing ingredients is essential.
Why Check if Parmesan Cheese Has Gluten?
Cheese is naturally gluten-free, being made from milk. However, during processing, cheese can potentially come into contact with gluten-containing ingredients. For example, wheat flour might be added as an anti-caking agent. People who require a gluten-free diet need to check labels carefully even when purchasing something like Parmesan cheese.
Evaluating Kraft Grated Parmesan Cheese
When checking if Kraft grated Parmesan cheese in a can is gluten-free, it’s important to read the ingredient list and nutrition labels closely. Here are the key details:
- Ingredients: The canister of Kraft grated Parmesan lists only “Parmesan Cheese (pasteurized part-skim milk, cheese cultures, salt, enzymes)” in the ingredients. No gluten-containing ingredients are listed.
- Allergen warnings: Kraft labels their products that contain major allergens like wheat. The Parmesan cheese canister has no allergy warnings about containing wheat or gluten.
- Nutrition facts: The nutrition label also does not indicate the product contains any gluten. It lists 0g protein per serving, while wheat-based ingredients would contribute gluten protein.
Based on careful inspection of the ingredient list, allergen statements, and nutrition facts, Kraft grated Parmesan cheese appears to be gluten-free.
What About Cross-Contamination Risk?
One remaining concern could be cross-contamination during manufacturing on shared equipment. Kraft does process some gluten-containing products on shared lines. However, Kraft states that their Parmesan cheese is produced in a gluten-free facility.
Kraft also specifically states that their grated Parmesan in a can is gluten-free on their FAQ page. They test the product to verify it meets the FDA definition of gluten-free, meaning it contains less than 20 parts per million gluten.
What About Other Kraft Parmesan Products?
While the grated Parmesan cheese sold in the green canisters is gluten-free, Kraft offers some other Parmesan products that do contain gluten:
- Kraft Parmesan Romano Cheese: Contains wheat flour
- Kraft Asiago Parmesan Cheese: Contains wheat flour
So you need to read labels carefully and look specifically for the green can of 100% Grated Parmesan Cheese to ensure you are purchasing the gluten-free option.
Is Other Brands of Grated Parmesan Gluten-Free?
It’s important not to assume all brands of grated Parmesan cheese are gluten-free. For example:
- Sargento Artisan Blends Parmesan: Contains wheat flour
- Kroger grated Parmesan: Contains anti-caking agents that have gluten
To ensure you are purchasing a gluten-free product, you need to read the label on each brand carefully and look for a gluten-free certification symbol if you want confirmation.
What If Parmesan Cheese is Not Labeled Gluten-Free?
If you encounter a Parmesan cheese product that does not explicitly state it is gluten-free, here are some steps you can take to try to determine if it is safe to consume on a gluten-free diet:
- Carefully read the ingredients list and look for any gluten sources like wheat, barley, rye or malt.
- Check for any allergen statements on the label that indicate the product contains wheat or gluten.
- Contact the manufacturer to ask about their manufacturing process and whether they test for gluten.
- Research online to see if you can find any info from the company about whether the product is gluten-free.
- Use your best judgement based on your research to decide if the product seems safe to consume on a gluten-free diet.
When in doubt, choose another product that you can confirm is gluten-free rather than risking exposure to gluten.
Conclusion
Checking labels is an essential step for anyone who needs to follow a gluten-free diet. Kraft grated Parmesan cheese sold in the green canisters specifically labeled “100% Grated Parmesan Cheese” is labeled as gluten-free and safe to eat for people who are sensitive to gluten.
Other Kraft Parmesan products contain gluten, so it’s important to read labels carefully even when purchasing a product like Parmesan cheese. When in doubt, contact the manufacturer or choose another product with clearer gluten-free labeling to be safe.
