For people who are gluten intolerant, choosing a diet that is safe from gluten can be a bit of a task, especially because we don’t always get to prepare our food or monitor the entire process. Hence, the need to pay extra attention to the products we buy.
One of these household necessities is turkey, especially during the holiday season. Nobody wants to ruin the festive excitement with the wrong food choice or purchase.
Most likely, you are considering getting a pack of turkey from Shoprite and you need the right answer to make a decision. Is shop-rite turkey gluten-free? How do you know this? Hang on because this is what this write-up is about. In this article, we’d briefly explain what gluten is (focusing on its sources), examine if turkey contains gluten, and then proceed to consider whether Shoprite turkey has a brand.
Deciding if any brand of turkey is gluten-free can be a herculean task, particularly when it is not labeled “Gluten-free”. However, some signs can give you the clue as long as you know the details to note and pay attention to them.
Summary: Shoprite turkey may not be gluten-free because it contains flavorings as an ingredient and doesn’t have a “gluten-free” label.
Keep reading to know how to identify turkey brands that contain gluten and why Shoprite turkey may be one of them.
Gluten Explained
Gluten is the protein found in wheat; all forms of wheat like Kamut and some other grains including rye, barley, and a wheat hybrid called triticale (a combination of rye and barley).
Gluten has a natural source, but can be further extracted and added to food products to enhance their protein content, texture, and flavor. This is why it is present in almost every daily consumable like bread and pasta.
A problem arises with gluten when it is undigested in some people and results in a severe autoimmune response, which is celiac disease.
Does Turkey Contain Gluten?
Gluten is a plant protein and not an animal protein. However, turkey naturally does not contain gluten, until they come in contact with it while they are being processed. This is to say that if gluten-containing ingredients are not added to turkey, there is no way they will contain gluten. Gluten is a food ingredient that can be passed to turkey and other food items through a process called ‘cross-contamination’.
Cross-contamination occurs if either the ingredients used in preserving or processing turkey, the equipment used in the process, or the environment where the process took place contains gluten.
The simple truth is that turkey and its meat are generally gluten-free and safe to consume for individuals with gluten sensitivity, but many brands that sell turkey add seasoning or preservatives that may contain gluten.
Processed turkey is usually at a larger risk of containing gluten since they are mostly an end-products that contain preservatives, seasoning, and flavor enhancers. Most of these additives are gluten carriers. Sadly, any little trace of gluten contaminates the whole turkey with gluten. In a case where you’re buying an already prepared turkey, most of the stuffing (spices, broth, stock) usually contains gluten too.
Therefore, the question of if Shoprite turkey contains gluten is strongly a question of what type of preservations were used on the turkey and what type of environment they were prepared in.
How Do You Know If A Brand Of Turkey Contains Gluten?
Even though it may require extra effort and patience to determine if any product contains gluten, the signs are always there, no matter how unnoticeable they can be. The following are things you should do to ascertain if a brand of turkey contains gluten or not.
1. Read The Label
The easiest way to know if any brand of turkey is gluten-free is by looking for the words “Gluten-free” on the pack. Sadly, not all manufacturers include this in their products, especially if the national food agency does not make it mandatory. It is however advised to go for products that clearly state their products are gluten-free. This guarantees you more safety.
2. Check The List Of Ingredients
Food additives serve important purposes like enhancing food flavor, shelf-life, or taste. Unfortunately, they may also be dangerous when it comes to gluten intolerance. Another way to know if a brand of turkey contains gluten is to check the list of ingredients. If the section includes flavorings, then you should have a second thought before getting that turkey.
This is because you cannot be sure the flavorings used do not contain gluten, especially if it is not clearly labeled on the pack that the turkey is gluten-free. You should also check for ingredients that contain wheat or wheat-related sources. For instance, if the turkey is crusted with bread, you shouldn’t buy it because most breaded meats are made from wheat flour.
If you can look closely at the list of ingredients, you’ll most likely not make a mistake.
3. Allergy Warnings
Allergy warnings are a way of notifying prospective consumers about risks that may be associated with consuming a particular product. In the case of gluten, brand products that use gluten ingredients in their products are supposed to warn prospective customers about the presence of wheat or other sources of their already. This serves as guidance; helping consumers make the right purchase.
4. Consider Certifications
It is safe to say that this is the most trustworthy way to know if a brand’s turkey is gluten-free. If some brands decide to mislead their customers by claiming their products are gluten-free, a certification from a national food agency is more justifiable. All you need to do is check a list of certified gluten-free turkey brands. That way, you can make your purchase with full confidence.
5. Ask The Manufacturer
Sometimes, the only way to know if a product contains gluten is to contact the manufacturer, especially when you are not able to tell from the ingredients, and there is no “gluten-free” label and product certification.
This is also a wise thing to do when there’s an ambiguous word or term in the list of ingredients we cannot seem to place under gluten or not. The manufacturer knows what ingredients were added during the preservation and under what conditions the turkey was produced.
Is Shoprite Turkey Gluten-Free?
Going by the foregoing factors, Shoprite turkey may contain gluten resulting from the ingredients and additives added. However, we have taken out time to show you the reasons Shoprite turkey is not considered gluten-free.
1. No “Gluten-Free” Label
Shoprite turkey packs don’t have “gluten-free” labels like other brands whose products do not contain gluten. This increases the curiosity about its chances of containing gluten.
2. Presence of Gluten-Containing Ingredients
If you go through the list of ingredients on a Shoprite turkey pack, one of the listed ingredients is flavorings.
This is ambiguous because the exact types of flavors used were noted stated. On the Shoprite executive breast, for instance, it is clearly stated by spoonfulapp.com that the product lists one ingredient that contains gluten.
Under the Shoprite turkey and gravy ingredient listing, the site states that the product contains one ingredient that contains gluten and two ingredients that may contain gluten. Source
3. No Allergy Warning
Shoprite turkey has no allergy warning. For instance, according to spoonful app.com, it is stated in the allergen section, “No allergen statement found for this product. Please double-check the label if you have a severe food allergy”. The fact that it warns consumers to double-check labels without proper statements of allergen heightens the skepticism about the product being gluten-free.
4. No Certification
Shoprite turkey is not one of the turkey brands listed as gluten-free. According to celiac. m, the following brands of turkey are gluten-free:
- Jennie-O Brand Gluten-Free Turkey Products
- Butterball Gluten-Free Turkey
- Diestel Family Turkey
- Empire Kosher Brand Gluten Free Turkey Products
- Foster Farms Turkey
- Shelton’s Brand Gluten Free Turkey Product.
Final Summary
Asides from preservatives, seasonings, and flavorings, turkeys do not contain gluten.
However, a simple way to know if a brand of turkey contains gluten is from a “gluten-free” label. This is because any prospective consumer is saved from the stress of checking through the list of ingredients, especially when there can be ambiguous terms.
Once it is not clearly stated on the product through the label or allergy warnings that the turkey does not contain gluten, it is safe not to purchase such a brand of turkey. Conclusively, Shoprite turkey may contain gluten because it asserts all factors that point to the fact.
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