Gluten is the combination of two protein groups: gliadin and glutenin. When these proteins are combined they form gluten.
Gluten is found in wheat, barley, malt, rye, triticale and oats. Oats are a topic for debate, but is on the list mainly due to the way it is processed. There are gluten free oats available, check labels to be sure that what you are buying is gluten free.
Gluten is used in a variety of foods and products. In addition to learning how to read labels searching for hidden sources of gluten, use our mobile app, Now Find Gluten Free to help ensure that the foods you are buying are free of gluten.
Commercially processed products have a higher probability of being processed in a facility where cross contamination could potentially be an issue. By limiting processed foods, you decrease your chance of being accidentally glutenized.
This is precisely the reason I abandoned most processed foods and adopted the five ingredients or less rule.