Gluten is in everything, from processed food products to makeup, hair care products and even lip balm. The list of products with hidden gluten is long, making it difficult for those with celiac disease to know what is safe and what is not.

Learning to spot potential hidden gluten in the foods you buy or consume will go a long way to keeping you healthy. Things to look for on the label include anything that says food starch, vegetable food starch, malt, graham or spelt. Baking powder, baking soda, bouillon cubes, butter, prepackaged broth and any kind of cheeses or yogurts are all potentially unsafe foods containing hidden gluten. Even colorings and flavorings whether they are natural or synthetic can often contain gluten.

Many spices use flour as an ant-clumping agent, and many products that contain tomato paste may have gluten in them such as pizza and spaghetti sauces. Often it is easier to identify which products are safe rather than trying to identify the many products that are either not safe or are simply not verifiable at all.

While the law does require manufacturers to disclose ingredients contained in their products, they do not have to tell you what is in those ingredients. So if you buy a product that has tomato paste in it, they do not have to tell you whether that tomato paste has gluten in it, you will simply need to assume it does, unless you can find a reliable source somewhere that tells you otherwise. Companies cannot claim a product is gluten free however unless they know for sure that it is, so if a product is labeled gluten free, you can be sure that it is.

To make your task even harder you will need to go thru all of your personal care products as many of them will contain gluten as well. Soaps, shampoos, toothpaste, mouthwash, lipstick and lip balm are all potentially contain hidden gluten. You will also want to check all your medicines from the pharmacy, as many of them can contain gluten as well. Finally do not lick those envelopes, and stamps, because they too often have gluten in them.

Finding a reputable site online that maintains a list of safe and unsafe products is a really good idea, be sure you look for one that is updated regularly because manufacturers often change their recipes.

Because companies do change recipes, you should always continue to read labels and never become complacent about a product you have always bought. It is not uncommon for companies to add something to product for taste, or cost reasons, and often that ingredient will include gluten.