My diet:

Barley

No E-numberFlour treatment agentsOrigin: Plant
Get a personal answer

Pick your family’s diets in the bar above.

Every diet

VeganYes

Barley is a grain.

Gluten-freeNo

Barley contains gluten.

HalalYes
KosherYes
KetoNo

Barley is a starchy grain.

Low-FODMAPNo

Fructans are why a low-FODMAP diet leaves the barley berry out.

The short answer
Barley is a gluten grain with a low glycemic index when it is eaten as the whole or pearled berry. The barley berry fails a gluten-free diet, a keto diet and a low-FODMAP diet. It is vegan. Sprouted barley is the start of malt, which is a different ingredient line.
Generally safe

Fine for most people at normal amounts.

E-numberNone
Comes fromPlant
What it doesFlour treatment agents
Glycemic index28
Daily limitNot set
Also calledBarley, Pearl barley

Rules by country

🇺🇸 US FDANot evaluated as an additive
🇪🇺 European UnionNot evaluated as an additive
🇨🇦 Health CanadaNot evaluated as an additive
CaliforniaNo extra rules

Barley is a food, not an E-number. It is one of the three gluten grains, with wheat and rye. Beer, malt vinegar and malt syrup inherit that gluten. A gluten-free beer has to say how the gluten was handled.

Daily limit: Experts haven’t set a number because normal food amounts are far below any level of concern.

What is it?

Hulled barley is the berry with the inedible hull removed. Pearl barley is tumbled until the bran goes too. Pot barley sits between them. None of those processes removes gluten.

Where it comes from: Barley is a cereal grain. Pearl barley has had the bran polished away. Hulled barley keeps more of the outer layer. Both are barley, and both contain gluten. Malt is this grain after sprouting.

Why it’s in food

  • Thickens a soup
  • Fills a grain bowl
  • Feeds a maltster
  • Extends a stew

Often found in

Beef barley soupGrain saladsMushroom barleySome breadsScotch brothPilafs

Also listed as: Barley, Pearl barley, Hulled barley, Pot barley, Barley groats, Barley flakes

Health & gut impact

Gluten in every cutConcern

Pearling removes bran, not gluten. Hulled, pot and pearl barley are all unsafe in celiac disease.

Celiac disease and barley

A lower glycemic indexBenefit

Pearl barley is one of the lower-GI staple grains, often listed around 28. That is a blood-sugar fact, not a gluten exception.

University of Sydney glycemic index of pearl barley

What can I use instead?

Oats

Ratio: A gluten-free grain only when the oats are certified

Best for: Breakfast

Barley malt syrup

Ratio: The sweet extract of sprouted barley, still with gluten

Best for: Baking

Related

More flour treatment agents:

Almond flourAlmond flour is ground almonds. Almond flour is vegan, and the nut itself contains no gluten. It is one of the few baking flours that fits a keto pattern. Large servings are high FODMAP because almonds are.Generally safeAlpha-amylaseAlpha-amylase is the enzyme that clips starch so bread can rise and brown. Baked goods often list it only as enzymes. Fungal amylase is gluten-free. Amylase from barley malt is not.Generally safeAzodicarbonamide (ADA) E927aAzodicarbonamide (ADA, E927a) is a dough conditioner that's banned in the EU but still legal in US bread. Baking turns some of it into semicarbazide, a possible carcinogen, so it's one to avoid.Best to avoidBenzoyl peroxide E928Benzoyl peroxide (E928) bleaches flour white overnight. It's legal in the US and Canada but banned in the EU, and it destroys some of the vitamin E in flour. It's not on the label in most cases.Use in moderation

Common questions

Does pearling remove the gluten?

No. Pearl barley is still barley. The polish changes the fiber, not the protein.

Is barley malt the same as this grain?

Malt is barley that has been sprouted and then extracted or dried. It is still gluten. This page is the grain itself.

Is Barley safe?

Generally safe (88/100). Barley is a food, not an E-number. It is one of the three gluten grains, with wheat and rye. Beer, malt vinegar and malt syrup inherit that gluten. A gluten-free beer has to say how the gluten was handled.

Is Barley vegan?

Yes. Barley is a grain.

Is Barley gluten-free?

No. Barley contains gluten.

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Scientific sources & regulatory citations
  • Celiac disease and barley
  • University of Sydney glycemic index of pearl barley