So earlier today I’m cleaning out my spice cabinet when I notice my nutmeg jar doesn’t have any gluten-free label on it. Suddenly I’m like – wait, could this contain gluten? My cousin got gluten sensitivity so I figured I should test this myself.
What I did first:
I grabbed my phone right there by the spice rack. Typed “does nutmeg have gluten” into my search bar and started scrolling through like fifteen different websites. Seriously, who knew something so simple needed this much research?
Getting more confused than ever
Some sites straight up said yes it’s gluten-free, others warned about cross-contact risk. Then I remembered – packaging info might help! Grabbed the spice bottle, scanned every inch: no factory processing details anywhere. Great. This always happens – zero clear info right when you need it.
- Called the customer service number – got automated messages
- Email support? Auto-reply said 7 business days response time
- Checked three different food safety websites – conflicting info everywhere
Ended up digging through FDA documents online. Found this confusing chart about spice processing risks that nearly put me to sleep. Finally spotted one tiny line saying pure spices are naturally gluten-free. Got hopeful but still needed proof.
My own kitchen experiment
Felt like a mad scientist mixing nutmeg into gluten-free pancake batter. Used my leftover gluten detection strips – the kind that turn purple with gluten traces. Hands shaking while waiting for the result timer…
BIG SIGH OF RELIEF
Test strip stayed white! No trace of gluten! So yes – pure nutmeg is naturally gluten-free but here’s the catch:
- Spices get contaminated if facilities also handle wheat products
- Cheaper brands probably have higher risk
- ALWAYS check your specific jar’s “produced in” facility warnings
Been using nutmeg in my grandma’s pumpkin pie recipe for years without knowing this stuff. Feel kinda dumb not checking earlier but hey – at least now I know for sure. If buying nutmeg for someone with celiac? Get the stuff that actually says “certified gluten-free” on the label. Saves all this headache.