Tartar sauce is one of those condiments: once discovered, you won’t rest until you’ve abused it. I have used it on my burgers and sandwiches; I even use it in shawarma. I mean, there is no rule on what I can do with it.
However, being on a gluten-free diet means that not everything that pleases the eyes or the tongue is allowed to pass through your oesophagus.
Secondly, not everyone has the time to make these sauces from scratch. This means we have to vet store-bought options and determine what to stock up on. Here is a proper guide that walks you through the ingredients and gluten-free tartar sauce brands.
Is Tartar Sauce Gluten-Free?
Traditionally, tartar sauces are gluten-free, as the recipe doesn’t call for wheat. However, some store-bought options may contain wheat or use a shared production line, which can introduce gluten to the sauce.
The base for every tartar sauce is mayonnaise. It is basically egg, lemon juice or vinegar emulsified with vegetable oil. It calls for no wheat at all. It creates that creamy texture.
When checking the ingredient list, pay attention to the type of vinegar used. Most tartar sauces use distilled vinegar, which is safe for a gluten-free diet, but some others use malt vinegar, which is not gluten-free.
Another ingredient to check for is modified starch. It is used to thicken and stabilise commercial tartar sauce. Be sure that the source of the modified starch is listed. It should not be barley, rye, or wheat.
Is Store-Bought Tartar Sauce Gluten-Free?
Most store-bought tartar sauce in the UK, CA, and US is gluten-free based on their ingredient list. Only a handful of tartar sauces carry a gluten-free stamp, but this doesn’t mean the others may not be gluten-free. Here is a gluten status analysis of popular store-bought tartar sauces:
Is Frisch’s Tartar Sauce gluten free?
Frisch doesn’t list an obvious source of gluten among its ingredients. It’s formulated with eggs, soybean oil, pickles, water, onions, distilled vinegar, spices, and calcium disodium, which are all gluten-free.
In products like these, gluten usually sneaks in through vinegar. However, the vinegar used here isn’t malt vinegar but distilled vinegar, which is suitable for gluten-free diets. Sometimes, wheat may be included to improve the consistency of the sauce, but a careful examination of the ingredient section reveals no wheat.
This means cross-contamination is likely the only possible source of gluten in this sauce.
However, I did in-depth research on its production line. I discovered that Frisch tartar sauce is made by Food Specialties Co. — and that’s their only product. Since they don’t make other items besides tartar sauce, the chances of cross-contamination are very low.
Is Heinz Tartar Sauce gluten free?
Heinz tartar sauce in the UK, CA, and US lists no obvious gluten-containing ingredients, making it gluten-free if there is no cross-contamination.
However, if you scan through the ingredient list, you will stumble upon modified cornflour. I only have a problem when the manufacturer lists starch or modified starch without the source. Heinz lists modified corn starch, which is naturally gluten-free.
Keep in mind that Heinz doesn’t slap a gluten-free stamp on its tartar sauce label. And this is fine. It is a voluntary act for companies to test the product for gluten and specify the status on the label. Some companies, such as Cadbury, will never use the gluten-free stamp on their labels, but they will bold or capitalise any allergens used.
This means a product can still be gluten-free but not indicate it in an obvious manner on its label.
Is Louisiana tartar sauce gluten free?
Louisiana Fish Fry Tartar Sauce is formulated with classic ingredients; it is gluten-free. The manufacturer lists modified starch but clarifies it is from corn. The product also uses distilled vinegar over malt vinegar. It is safe to say no obvious gluten ingredient was used.
Is McCormick tartar sauce gluten free?
McCormick has an allergen-labelling policy that specifies when its products are formulated with gluten-containing grains. McCormick tartar sauce lists no gluten-containing ingredients; it is gluten-free.
It lists distilled vinegar, modified corn and tapioca starch, which are gluten-free. Cross-contamination may still occur. However, the McCormick allergen policy page reveals that all their facilities follow strict Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs) to prevent cross-contamination.
Gluten-free tartar sauce brands
This list of tartar sauces has an explicit gluten-free mark:
- Biffi tartare sauce
- Stokes Tartare Sauce
- Paladini Tartar sauce
- Sau-Seas Classic Tartar Sauce
- Humble & Frank Original Tartar Sauce
Final Thoughts
The tartar sauce recipe is gluten-free; however, commercial versions are not identical and may include modified starch from wheat. Check the label to ensure no gluten-containing ingredients are listed before you pay at the till.