Are oats gluten-free

Pure oats do not contain gluten, but commercially available oats does contain gluten as they are often grown alongside other crops.

This because of cross-contamination happens if one of the crops contain gluten and also as the same equipment is used mostly by farmers to harvest the crops in neighboring fields.

Any edible product made with oats is also usually processed in the same facilities as gluten-containing products, and are prepared and packaged with the same equipment.

As a result studies done on oat products have found gluten levels far exceeding the standards for gluten-free foods.

One study analyzed 109 oat-containing products on the market in the US, Canada and Europe and found that the products, on an average contained over 200 parts per million (ppm) of gluten.

It is important to know that just 20 ppm of gluten is enough to cause a reaction in someone with celiac disease.

This means it is not safe to include conventionally grown and processed oats in a strict gluten-free diet.

For this reason many companies now grow oats in farms that do not come into contact with other crops containing gluten and process oats with designated equipment. These oats are marketed as gluten-free, and they contain less than 20 ppm of gluten.

All gluten-free labels may not be 100% reliable as one study found that only 95% of products labeled gluten-free actually had safe levels.

But 100% of the oat products passed the test meaning that certified gluten-free labels on oats and oatmeal are safe to consume.