The oat grain is naturally gluten-free, but oat plants are commonly grown near wheat fields and/or packaged and processed in plants that also process wheat products. This presents many opportunities for cross-contamination, which can cause people with gluten sensitivities/intolerances or those with Celiac to have adverse reactions.
In recent years, some companies who produce oats have started selling certified gluten-free oats and oat products. This means their oats have gone through rigorous testing to ensure there has been no cross-contamination during the growing or packaging process. Be sure to look for that label if you are on a strict gluten-free diet.
However, even though you can find certified gluten-free oats, some people with Celiac and severe gluten sensitivities are not able to tolerate oats in any form. If you are baking for a friend or family member with gluten-free dietary needs, be sure to ask the details of what they are able to eat.
Oatmeal, no matter how you like to eat it, is a whole grain. When oats are initially harvested, they have a hard outer casing, called a hull. Oats with the hull aren’t edible for people, we can’t digest that hull. But this does make good food for animals like cattle and horses. Their digestive tract is set up much differently than ours, and they can digest that outer hull. The photo below shows cleaned oats – they have been harvested and separated from the stalks, but the hulls are still intact.
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