Although we often think about gluten in the context of food allergies, gluten in and of itself is not a “gluten aller”. Gluten is a protein that is found in the gluten family. This includes wheat, barley, and rye. Gluten proteins are very similar to gluten found in wheat, however they are not identical. Gluten is a protein found in most grains, including wheat and barley.

There are two types of gluten proteins, glutelin and gliadin. The former is the main protein found in wheat and barley and is composed of 10-12 amino acids. The latter is similar to the proteins found in wheat and barley but is composed of 20-30 amino acids. Gliadin is found mainly in oats, teff, and some other cereals.