Whole, unprocessed fruits, vegetables, meats, eggs, and a lot of dairy are gluten free. Anything processed will have to be verified.

Take a look at the link below for more info.

Here is a link that might be useful: Gluten free guidelines

It also depends on for what purpose. Some people have extremely serious gluten allergies, and just a tiny bit of flour landing on the sliced fruit in a non-gluten free kitchen could give them reactions. Some with Celiac disease (gluten makes them sick) are that bad, but some are fine with that kind of random contamination, and can eat from kitchens where foods containing gluten are used so long as they avoid the gluten containing foods themselves. Some people are just on a gluten free diet for general principles, and would have to eat more than a little soy sauce, or a sauce thickened with barley flour, to notice that they'd eaten gluten.

The grains with gluten are wheat, rye, barley and triticale (this may not be comprehensive). Wheat includes all forms of wheat such as durum semolina, farro, spelt, einkorn, emmer, etc. Bulgar is a par-cooked wheat. There are a lot of other names that are used for things that are wheat. Some people call couscous a grain, but it's actually a wheat pasta. So if you're concerned, it's important to know what's in what.

Regarding your sandwich, what's in it? Say turkey and swiss with lettuce, tomato, mustard and mayo. Standard deli sandwich. Does the turkey have gluten? Turkeys don't. Cooked turkeys can. Even if it was home roasted on site, what was put on it? A seasoning mix which has flour in it for bulk? What about the mustard and mayo? It's not a standard ingredient, like with soy sauce, but you can't be sure.

That's what those funny ingredients labels that say the egg salad "may contain: eggs" are about. The "may contain" is the note to people with allergies, and then the common allergens are listed, even if they're the number one on the ingredients list. There's also "prepared in a facility that processes X". That means that they cleaned up after processing X, but that a trace amount still could have gotten in. If it says "wheat" you know to avoid it, but I don't think rye and barley are on the list of common allergens, so there might be trace gluten and it not be listed. If there was more than the threshold amount, the ingredients list would say, though. It's that part in between, where it's small enough not to be listed and not on the "may contain" or "processed with" lists that you run into trouble.

Thank you for all the information. I really wanted to know and to get it right for myself and other instances of needing it to be right. I'd never thought cooked turkey could have it in it, but I see how it can now. You really helped!

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That said, it's deli sandwiches, so yes, it could be glutinous. It's a couple of irritants at work who really aren't celiacs, just trendy folk, if you know what I mean. But for someone else, I want to get it right. I will get the trendies their own this time, but what I really think is, if you're going to have particular issues, bring your own lunch. I wouldn't make the person change their menu who offered me a free lunch!

;)

UPDATE: even the salads at the sandwich place warn against gluten. And say, when you click on it, "may contain wheat". I get croutons doing that, but didn't think somthing like a thai chicken salad would do that? Floured chicken ahead of time? I dunno. But clicking "gluten" on the website removes all salads. Who knew?

Anything pre-made will be suspect, should be verified, and there's a chance of cross-contamination.

I agree. If one was truly sensitive to gluten.

And the person about whom I writing just said they'd pick off the offending elements. Doesn't sounds very sensitive to wheat that I can tell!

Vinegar has long been a suspect ingredient, because it can be made from anything.

Here is a link that might be useful: gluten-free vinegar

Amen Sushi! There's a plethora of foods containing "modified food starch" and BINGO--There you go! I test wheat and yeast "allergic", but even though I don't have an anaphylactic reaction nor celiac disease, I still have some type of reaction. It makes me ill, achy or at least, itchy depending upon the degree of exposure.
As Grainlady has pointed out before, there's also a cross contamination issue with some grains including yellow corn.

Rob, whatever salads you are providing, just be aware that dressing should be on the side. From then on, it's their decision!

For Deli meats Boars Head are gluten free.

Hormel will have GF marked on the products that are Gluten Free. BJ's Wellesley brand is GF for most lunch meats. Jenny O also has a lot labeled GF now. And as stated earlier Boars Head also has many of their products GF. Applegate Farms, Ians . . . You can find GF breads and cookies at Aldi's and Walmart now!

Sandwich shops are risky -- Jimmy Johns near me does a good job but I have been getting lettuce wraps from them since I discovered I had Celiac. They get clean sheets of wrap paper and get clean gloves on and build my wrap from fresh ingredients from the fridge instead of the prep line.

Beware of condiments that have been used previously -- you dip, spread and dip again for the next sandwich? You just contaminated the container of mayo or mustard. The pickle on the side may not be GF as well!.

Salads may be OK but some shredded cheese is wheat coated to prevent it from clumping . . .

IF you are preparing food for a group then make the food for the GF person (if allergy or Celiac) first wrap and secure away from other prep. But, you might want to do a set up with fresh fruit and veggies to dip, cheeses too to nibble on -- no need for crackers or bread actually if you have sandwiches later . . . but the more "normal" the GF meal is the more relaxed that 1 person may feel knowing that they don't have to worry about bread or crackers being dipped instead of veggies -- take it from me, feeling normal at a buffet is very unusual. Having to be at the front of a line and knowing that going for a second taste of anything isn't gonna happen is just part of my life now.

"bread or crackers being dipped instead of veggies"

Oh. I hadn't thought of that. That is a very good point. I am glad you are finding ways of getting around, what is very obviously, true Celiac.

I think I may be more irritated that there are folks out there who are saying they are gluten free, when really, they aren't. Or, maybe, there are more food products than ever before which are increasing the problems to those who were merely sensitive before. Now they are being bombarded? Maybe. It does seem to be more of a trendy thing. It bothers me they'd make gluten free become a trite phrase, and people who are truly having problems could end up not being taken seriously anymore.