I have never lost an opportunity to describe my love for tartar sauce in words. It’s not a condiment that instantly becomes anyone’s favourite, but if you have a knack for savoury dishes, I bet you can’t help but love this sauce.
However, some of us need our meals to meet certain dietary conditions: dairy-free, gluten-free, low FODMAP, etc. However, this shouldn’t feel like a cage.
I have been gluten-free for so many years now… I have constantly recreated foods, drinks, or condiments that call for gluten ingredients. But sometimes, we may not have that time to make stuff from scratch.
Which is why I thoroughly examined Kraft’s tartar sauce to determine whether you should stock up on it on your next stop at the corner shop. Here is what you should know:
Is Kraft Tartar Sauce Gluten Free
Kraft’s tartar sauce is considered gluten-free, as it doesn’t list wheat, barley, or rye as ingredients. However, this does not guarantee that there is no cross-contamination; hence, further investigation was conducted.
When a product doesn’t list gluten-containing ingredients and doesn’t bear a gluten-free stamp on its label, it’s either because the company hasn’t carried out a gluten test on the products or uses a shared production line with gluten-containing products (which they usually indicate below the ingredient list as “May contain wheat” or other allergens).
Kraft Heinz tartar sauce is manufactured on the Heinz site in Canada and the US. This means it may use shared production lines. However, Kraft follows a strict allergen labelling policy and cleans equipment between runs.
They further prevent cross-contamination by strategic product sequencing, change-over flushing, and isolated storage for allergenic ingredients, as detailed in their Supplier Quality Expectation Manual.
In products like these, without an explicit ‘gluten-free stamp’, I usually worry about the source of vinegar and modified starch used to control the sauce’s viscosity.
Looking at Kraft’s tartar sauce ingredients, I can see distilled vinegar and white vinegar as secondary ingredients for the pickles. I also see modified starch with no source.
However, irrespective of the vinegar’s grain, the distillation process usually eliminates proteins such as gluten. As for the modified starch, in North America, modified starches are usually gotten from corn. If they had gotten it from a gluten-containing source, Kraft’s strict labelling policy would have required them to indicate that on the ingredient list.
Explicitly labelled gluten-free alternatives to Kraft
Kraft’s tartar sauce may be lacking a gluten-free stamp, but it’s quite promising for people with coeliac disease. However, if you prefer products with gluten-free stamps, then we have put together some of the best ones for you.
Tracklements Creamy Tartare Sauce
This sauce excites all texture lovers around me. Its gherkins, silverskin onions, and capers are identifiable, making the sauce look like a homemade experiment that turned out well. It is not overly sweet, and it spoons well. It leans more towards tangy than sweet. If your recipe calls for a sweeter tartar sauce, then this isn’t for you. However, it is my favourite on this list.
Biffi Tartare Sauce
If you’re looking for something different from the typical Canadian, American, or British tartar sauce, then this is for you. It leans toward Italian-style tartar sauce, combining sunflower oil and eggs alongside gherkins, celeriac, carrot, capers, and pepper. It is explicitly gluten-free!
Humble & Frank Original Tartar Sauce
This is another explicitly labelled gluten-free option. It is formulated with the basic tartar sauce ingredients. It has a hard-to-miss dill and lemon character and is best eaten with fish and chips, fried fish, sandwiches, burgers, and wraps.
Final Thoughts
Kraft Tartar Sauce does not bear the gluten-free stamp, but it follows strict allergen naming and cross-contamination prevention procedures as detailed by the company. This makes the condiment promising for individuals living with coeliac disease.
However, if you prefer products with gluten-free stamps, consider Bifil, Traclements Creamy Tartar Sauce, Humble and Frank, or any other option that catches your eye.