In order to get back to them with confidence, we’ve asked some knowledgeable people and our suppliers for the facts. Here’s a breakdown of the gluten status of each of the ingredients in the coffees we sell and serve at Sample Coffee:
COFFEE
Penny Dellsperger, a Bachelor in Nutrition and Accredited Practising Dietitian at Coeliac Australia, corroborated that coffee is “certainly gluten-free and suitable for those on a gluten-free diet (thank goodness!).” This is supported by a paper published in 2017 titled Coffee and autoimmunity: More than a mere hot beverage!
“The only coffee type products that could contain gluten are sachet products containing multiple ingredients—these occasionally contain wheat starch.”
This means our retail coffee (whole beans and ground) and the black coffee we serve at our cafes do not contain any gluten. Plus, our coffee roasting/packaging/brewing processes do not interact with other types of beans or seeds during production.
COW MILK by Sungold Milk
The supplier of the delicious Jersey cow milk we serve in our cafes (full cream and light) confirmed that “There is no gluten in milk. We have no additives.”
Expanding on the latter, “Generally, the only time you’ll see an additive in any milk is if it’s a ‘Froth… Crema… Extra Creamy…’ type, which has added protein powder (which comes from milk) to help it stretch.”
So lattes, piccolos, macchiatos at ours are good to go for coeliacs or intolerants.
OAT M*LK by Minor Figures
It may seem obvious that oat milk contains gluten, but, just for the record, here’s what Minor Figures’ say on their website:
“Our products are not gluten-free but they contain very small amounts of gluten and are categorised as being low in gluten - we also have strict requirements to monitor and minimise contamination, which means we are able to ensure that all of our Oat M*lk based products contain less than 100ppm gluten from rye, wheat and barley.”
SOY MILK by Bonsoy
On their website, they say “There is no gluten in any of the ingredients used to make the Bonsoy soymilk. We have Bonsoy tested regularly for Gluten and are happy to share the results with those that may be concerned.”
However, they wrap up the FAQ with “Please note that we don’t claim Bonsoy soymilk as Gluten Free.” This is likely linked to the legal use of “Gluten Free” claims in packaging, which are regulated by different standards in different countries with varying requirements. (Australia is one of the strictest according to Coeliac Australia.)
So in the practice, it’s probably fine for those who worry about gluten. But we shall keep that disclaimer in mind…
RAW SUGAR by CSR
Sugar is gluten-free, and just in case, this is confirmed by the Australian Sugar Milling Council (ASMC).
COCOA POWDER by Black Gold Cacao
For those who love their cappuccino or hot choccy, this is an important matter. Our supplier said that “Yes, it’s vegan and gluten-free!”. So it’s all good to go!