My diet:

Rice flour

No E-numberFlour treatment agentsOrigin: Plant
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Pick your family’s diets in the bar above.

Every diet

VeganYes

Rice flour is milled rice.

Gluten-freeYes

Rice has no gluten. A blend can still add wheat.

HalalYes
KosherYes

Rice is kitniyot for some Passover customs.

KetoNo

Rice flour is starch.

Low-FODMAPYes

Rice flour is low FODMAP in a normal portion.

The short answer
Rice flour is a gluten-free grain flour. It is not keto. It is low FODMAP in ordinary amounts. The word glutinous on sweet rice flour means sticky, not gluten.
Use in moderation

Safe in small amounts; may bother some people or raise blood sugar.

E-numberNone
Comes fromPlant
What it doesFlour treatment agents
Glycemic index72
Daily limitNot set
Also calledRice flour, White rice flour

Rules by country

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

Rice flour is a food, not an E-number. It is gluten-free by the grain. Brown rice carries more inorganic arsenic than white rice, and a diet built mostly on rice products is where that exposure adds up.

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

What is it?

White rice flour bakes into a sandy crumb unless a binder such as xanthan or egg is there. Sweet rice flour turns stretchy when heated and is the flour in mochi. Brown rice flour tastes nuttier and goes rancid sooner.

Where it comes from: Rice flour is milled rice. White rice flour is the starchy endosperm. Brown rice flour keeps the bran. Glutinous rice flour, despite the name, is sweet rice and does not contain gluten.

Why it’s in food

  • Lightens a gluten-free blend
  • Thickens a sauce
  • Makes mochi
  • Coats fried food

Often found in

Gluten-free breadRice noodlesMochiTempuraShortbreadNoodle soups

Also listed as: Rice flour, White rice flour, Brown rice flour, Sweet rice flour, Glutinous rice flour

Health & gut impact

Inorganic arsenicUnder study

Rice takes up arsenic from soil and water. Brown rice flour keeps the bran, where more of that arsenic sits. A varied diet keeps the exposure smaller than a diet of rice flour at every meal.

FDA guidance on arsenic in rice and rice products

The sticky-rice nameBenefit

Glutinous rice flour is gluten-free. The adjective is about the sticky starch, amylopectin, not about wheat protein.

Starch composition of glutinous rice

What can I use instead?

Oat flour

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

Best for: Pancakes

Potato flour

Ratio: Another gluten-free thickener, from the tuber rather than the grain

Best for: Sauces

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 avoidBarleyBarley 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

Common questions

Is glutinous rice flour safe for celiac disease?

Yes, if nothing else was added. Glutinous means the rice is sticky. It does not mean the flour contains gluten.

Why does rice flour make gritty bread?

White rice flour has no gluten to stretch. Gluten-free loaves add a binder.

Is Rice flour safe?

Use in moderation (74/100). Rice flour is a food, not an E-number. It is gluten-free by the grain. Brown rice carries more inorganic arsenic than white rice, and a diet built mostly on rice products is where that exposure adds up.

Is Rice flour vegan?

Yes. Rice flour is milled rice.

Is Rice flour gluten-free?

Yes. Rice has no gluten. A blend can still add wheat.

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Scientific sources & regulatory citations
  • FDA guidance on arsenic in rice and rice products
  • Starch composition of glutinous rice