Some say spelt is gluten free, some say it isn – what is the truth?
There is basically no real agreement about this. It seems that spelt, which is a close relative of wheat, has a similar protein, not identical to gluten, and that some people are affected by it, and others are not. So, in my opinion, you are probably better off avoiding it, as there are plenty of safe substitutes available, for example, buckwheat (which is from a completely different family, despite the name), rice and quinoa flours. Another close relative of spelt and wheat is triticale, and there is similar controversy surrounding this. Oats have a similar mixed reputation. At one time it was thought it was another grain which was tolerated only by some gluten intolerants, and not others. But it now seems that the problem was caused by the processing in some countries (such as the US) in facilities where wheat, barley or rye were also processed, resulting in cross-contamination. Although oats are naturally gluten free, you will see packets of oats with the label “gluten free” and thi
