Is Eckrich smoked sausage gluten free? You know you love sausages, but you also do not want to take any risk with your gluten sensitivity.
Eckrich seems like a good choice when you want to add sausages to your diet.
You may be looking to try it after hearing so many rave reviews about its smokey taste.
Surely, smoked sausage is great for spicing up a meal without overwhelming it. But, then again, is Eckrich sausage gluten free?
Yes, Eckrich sausage is gluten-free and does not contain any gluten ingredients in its recipe.
Fact: Eckrich gluten-free smoked sausage is a low-calorie food with only 180 calories per serving.
Is Eckrich Smoked Sausage Gluten Free or Not?
Eckrich Smoked Sausage is cured with the ideal combination of spices and then naturally hardwood smoked to create a tasty treat.
They typically do not use any gluten components in their sausages.
What you should remember is that they do not have gluten-free certifications on those sausages or any of their products.
At the same time, you are not really sure about whether or not cross-contamination is a possibility when you opt for Eckrich smoked sausages.
Is Sausage Always Gluten-Free?
In most cases, it is.
In most cases, the sausage will not include gluten because it is not prepared with any.
That being said, many manufacturers and distributors still do not meet FDA’s “gluten-free” guidelines.
Therefore, those with gluten intolerance should think twice and may avoid eating their sausages because of the risk of cross-contamination.
What are the Ingredients of Eckrich Smoked Sausage?
Gluten is a protein mostly present in rye, barley, wheat, and triticale, and you should avoid these if you are on a gluten-free diet.
Those diagnosed with celiac disease or have gluten-related medical problems, such as wheat allergy, non-celiac gluten sensitivity, or gluten ataxia, must follow a gluten-free diet.
Therefore, it is important to check the ingredients of any packaged food, and the same holds for Eckrich smoked sausage.
What Does Eckrich Smoked Sausage Contain?
The main ingredient is meat, which is usually pork or beef.
The other ingredients include corn syrup, mechanically separated turkey, modified food starch, potassium lactate, monosodium glutamate, and sodium diacetate.
You will also find mechanically separated chicken, ascorbic acid, sodium nitrate, autolyzed yeast, and lots of salt in these smoked sausages.
Does Eckrich Smoked Sausage Have Autolyzed Yeast?
If you check the ingredients on many of Eckrich sausages, you will notice autolyzed yeast mentioned there.
It is natural to feel concerned and think it is not entirely gluten-free. But, that is not the case.
Autolyzed yeast is a yeast by-product that improves the food’s nutritional profile.
In reality, autolyzed yeast is gluten-free, which may reassure those who have a sensitivity to gluten.
What to Keep in Mind?
While yeast itself is gluten-free, it is a different story with autolyzed yeast extract.
Eckrich uses autolyzed yeast extract in some of their sausages, which is obtained from barley and is not gluten-free.
If you have a severe gluten allergy, you should check the ingredients list before buying any Eckrich sausages.
Is Bacon a Better Option than Sausage for Gluten Sensitivity?
You should always be careful and inquire about the gluten-free status of both sausage and bacon when eating out.
But, if you compare both, sausage is typically more likely to contain gluten than bacon.
Fact: Eckrich sells cold cuts, smoked sausages, corn dogs, hot dogs, breakfast sausages, and Vienna sausages under its brand name.
What Makes Eckrich Smoked Sausage Popular?
Peter Eckrich, a German immigrant to the United States, founded the Eckrich company.
He started a meat market in 1894 where he sold sausages modeled after the ones he had produced in Germany.
Within a short time, he was able to create a second store and a manufacturing facility because of the success of his first.
The rapid national expansion of the brand was accompanied by no decline in product quality.
The Expansion of the Eckrich Product Line
Eckrich now offers a variety of smoked sausages available, each with its own distinct meat and seasoning composition.
Eckrich’s smoked sausages stand out from the competition thanks to the attention to detail in the use of spices and other high-quality ingredients.
Interestingly, they provide recipes on their website for various ways to prepare and eat its sausages.
What Can You Order Besides Eckrich Smoked Sausage?
Eckrich provides smoked sausage in an array of styles and flavors.
They offer many types of smoked sausage, including breakfast smoked sausage links, cocktail smoked sausage, and smoked sausage rope.
Their smoked sausage ropes are available in different varieties, such as:
- Turkey skinless
- Four pepper skinless
- Polska Kielbasa
- Bacon and cheddar skinless
- Beef skinless
The good thing is that you can order Eckrich turkey sausage gluten-free in different flavors, such as:
- Original Grillers
- Bacon & Cheddar
- Cheddar
- Jalapeno and Cheddar
Not only this, but you can also find many products other than their gluten-free smoked sausages, such as lunch meat, bacon, and franks.
Fact: Eckrich has sold its sausages and products under various brand names, including John Morrel, Gwaltney, Cook's and Smithfield.
Are there Gluten-Free Substitutes for Eckrich Smoked Sausage?
Smoked sausage is a delicious deli meat produced using a broad variety of meats and flavored with a plethora of herbs and spices.
Plenty of vitamin niacin, B6, D, and thiamin can be found in these sausages, with lots of phosphorus, magnesium, calcium, and zinc.
So, you may really want to include it in your diet, but wait… what about your gluten sensitivity?
As you know you can opt for Eckrich smoked sausage, but you can try many other brands when looking for gluten-free sausages.
Aidells Sausage Company
Aidells, a Tyson Foods, Inc. brand, produces gourmet dinner sausages with unique combinations of ingredients like apple and chicken, artichoke and garlic, and bacon and pineapple.
The company is also responsible for producing breakfast sausages of various varieties.
You can opt for any of their sausage product without having to worry about your gluten sensitivity.
If you have celiac disease or are otherwise trying to avoid gluten, you may rest assured that all of Aidells’ sausage products are gluten-free.
Al Fresco
Luckily, there is no gluten in any Al Fresco product, and it can serve as a substitute for Eckrich smoked sausage.
The three flavors of fully-cooked chicken breakfast sausages produced by this all-natural company are:
- Country Style
- Apple Maple
- Wild Blueberry
Also available is a large selection of cooked and raw dinner sausages in varieties like Spinach & Feta, Spicy Jalapeno, Buffalo, and Sweet Italian.
Armour
Armour produces a variety of meat products, including its signature Hickory Smoked Summer Sausage.
According to a company spokeswoman, they will label any product containing wheat and do not utilize barley, rye, or oats in their production.
There are shared plant facilities; however, they claim to follow rigorous guidelines to avoid contamination.
Bass Farm
The links and patties produced by Bass Farm, which calls itself “Southern Country Sausage,” come in mild, medium, and spicy flavors.
A representative for Bass Farms claims that their whole product line is gluten-free.
Broadbent Hams
Broadbent produces a wide variety of sausages. Most of their sausages do not contain gluten.
But, you should bear in mind that a representative for the company stated that they do not conduct gluten testing or make gluten-free claims.
Jones Dairy Farm
Companies that do not use gluten components in their products may be safe bets for you.
But, if you are sensitive to gluten traces, you may want to stick to Jones Dairy Farm.
The Gluten-Free Certification Organization has verified that Jones Dairy Farm’s sausages do not contain gluten.
It has a GF-10 gluten content or less, meaning it contains no more than 10 parts per million of gluten.
Jones produces a wide variety of sausages using just five ingredients: pork, salt, spices, sugar, and water.
Moreover, the corporation has sponsored the Celiac Disease Foundation and the Celiac Sprue Association.
Note
Check the label for the “GF” sign to ensure that the product is gluten-free; Jones does create a few goods that contain gluten.
Fact: Compared to pork sausages, turkey sausages are a lot healthier with fewer calories and lower fat content.
Takeaway
It is hard not to love those smoked sausages made using rosemary, fennel, sage, and other spices to create a mouthwatering flavor.
But, you may have your limitations because of gluten sensitivity. Still, not all hope is lost, since many brands offer gluten-free sausages.
Is Eckrich smoked sausage gluten free? Yes, it is, but it is not the only option out there.
Be ready to find other substitutes, but do not forget to double-check the label to ensure it is free of gluten.