Is Ricotta Cheese Gluten Free?

I know by reading ingredient labels that ricotta cheese doesn’t contain any gluten. However, I wanted to find a brand that was free of cross-contamination/cross-contact of gluten. I performed several Google searches for “ricotta cheese gluten free”. Then I researched two major brands, and I share the information with you as well as a recipe for gluten-free ricotta cheese.

I see that Organic Valley’s statement expresses that they cannot guarantee their end product is free of cross-contamination. See below for a quote from a page on their website:

All of the products listed on this page are naturally gluten-free.  However, this does not preclude the possibility of cross-contamination during the production process.

Yesterday, I contacted Gilbani to find out if their ricotta cheese is gluten-free. See below for their reply,

Thank you for your recent inquiry regarding the presence of gluten in our products.  Many of the products we manufacture are from ingredients considered to be gluten free, but we cannot make such a claim at this time for our finished products.

The grain and starches currently used in our products are allowed for people with gluten intolerance concerns (for more information, please visit the website for the Gluten Intolerance Group), but changes may occur that could affect a gluten-free claim.

We are aware of the special needs of some of our consumers and if the ability to monitor ingredients to ensure a gluten-free product becomes available, we would consider a gluten-free claim at that time.

My guess is that if the product does not contain any gluten, but it does experience cross-contact with gluten, it most likely is still under the legal limit, less than 20 parts per million (ppm) gluten.

I recently contacted Sargento and will update you shortly about their reply.

However, to be safe, make your own ricotta cheese. Get the recipe – Gluten Free Ricotta Cheese Recipe. It is between ricotta cheese and creme fraiche, actually curds from a creme fraiche type of mixture, but with less fat. It’s the closest you can get, but much safer than the alternative if you are highly sensitive to gluten.

Meanwhile, if you have found a ricotta cheese that is gluten free and free of cross-contamination (now known as cross-contact), please leave a comment at the bottom of this article.

Stay tuned in for my upcoming homemade recipe for dairy-free ricotta cheese.