My diet:

Triticale

No E-numberFlour treatment agentsOrigin: Plant
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Every diet

VeganYes

Triticale is a grain.

Gluten-freeNo

Triticale is a wheat-rye cross and contains gluten.

HalalYes
KosherYes
KetoNo

Triticale is a cereal grain.

Low-FODMAPNo

Triticale inherits the fructans of wheat and rye.

The short answer
Triticale is a wheat-rye hybrid. Triticale fails a gluten-free diet, a keto diet and a low-FODMAP diet. It is vegan. You will see it in some multi-grain breads and as a cover crop more often than as a family flour.
Generally safe

Fine for most people at normal amounts.

E-numberNone
Comes fromPlant
What it doesFlour treatment agents
Glycemic index—
Daily limitNot set
Also calledTriticale, Triticale 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

Triticale is a cereal food, not an E-number. It is sold as berries, flour and animal feed. Food use is smaller than wheat. The gluten status is not ambiguous: both parents are gluten grains.

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

What is it?

The grain looks like a long wheat berry. Flour from it behaves between wheat and rye, with a weaker dough than bread wheat. Feed-grade triticale is not milled for a kitchen.

Where it comes from: Triticale is a human-made cross of wheat and rye. Breeders wanted the yield of wheat and the hardiness of rye. The grain contains gluten from both parents.

Why it’s in food

  • Extends a multi-grain loaf
  • Adds a rye note
  • Fills a pilaf
  • Shows up in seeded breads

Often found in

Multi-grain breadHot cerealPilafCrackersSome imported floursSeed mixes

Also listed as: Triticale, Triticale flour, Triticale berries

Health & gut impact

Both parents have glutenConcern

A hybrid does not average away the protein. Triticale contains gluten and is unsafe in celiac disease.

Taxonomy of triticale as a wheat-rye cross

A minor food grainBenefit

Most triticale is grown for feed and forage. When it is milled for people, it is still just a cereal grain, not an additive.

Agricultural use of triticale

What can I use instead?

Wheat flour

Ratio: The more common parent grain

Best for: Bread

Rye flour

Ratio: The other parent, for a denser loaf

Best for: Sourdough

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 triticale an ancient grain?

No. It was bred in the modern era by crossing wheat and rye.

Is triticale gluten-free?

No. Wheat and rye both contributed gluten.

Is Triticale safe?

Generally safe (86/100). Triticale is a cereal food, not an E-number. It is sold as berries, flour and animal feed. Food use is smaller than wheat. The gluten status is not ambiguous: both parents are gluten grains.

Is Triticale vegan?

Yes. Triticale is a grain.

Is Triticale gluten-free?

No. Triticale is a wheat-rye cross and contains gluten.

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Scientific sources & regulatory citations
  • Taxonomy of triticale as a wheat-rye cross
  • Agricultural use of triticale