Brie Cheese: Gluten-Free or Not?
January 17, 2012
Question
Is brie gluten-free?
From,
David
Answer
Hi David. Thanks for your question! In regards to cheeses, the question I get asked most is if blue cheese is gluten-free. (Answer: almost always, yes, but not 100% depending if the growth medium for the mold spores was grown on wheat or rye bread. Even then, it would be highly unlikely the final product would contain more than 20 ppm gluten.)
As for brie, the creamy and delicious cheese itself should absolutely be gluten-free. The rind is also very likely to be gluten-free; however, some have questioned if the rind contains gluten due to the method of making it (i.e. if the mold spores used to make the brie were grown on wheat or rye bread.)
As with blue cheese, even if this was the case, it would be very unlikely the brie would contain 20 ppm or more gluten. Indeed, a 2009 study conducted by the Canadian Celiac Association found no detectable levels of gluten (using three different ELISA test kits) on three samples of blue cheese that were made from mold grown in gluten-containing media.
So, go ahead and enjoy some brie with some fruit and your favorite gluten-free crackers!
In good health,
EA Stewart, MBA, RD
References
- Tricia Thompson, MS, RD Gluten Free Dietitian: Blue Cheese, February 3, 2011
- Canadian Celiac Association: Blue Cheese in the gluten-free diet-A research update. 2009, Canadian Celiac Association
