There was a time when the bologna sandwich was a lunchtime staple. However, over the years, it has seemingly become a less popular lunchmeat. Maybe it’s the packaging, the color, or the uncertainty of ingredients (it’s always been a bit of a mystery meat, sort of like hot dogs). Despite its decline from the massive popularity it saw during the post-World War II era, bologna is definitely still on store shelves. But if you’re on a gluten-free diet, you need to be a little more careful buying it. Traditional, high-quality bologna is usually made with gluten-free ingredients, but sometimes, those packaged lunchmeat brands can hide gluten.
If you get bologna sliced-to-order from your local deli’s meat counter, then you shouldn’t have to worry, though it never hurts to ask if a product contains gluten. But those longer-lasting, pre-packaged bologna options can sometimes contain preservatives or flavorings that result in the meat having small amounts of gluten, which could make you sick if you have an allergy or sensitivity.
Don’t assume lunchmeat bologna is gluten free
Bologna was born from mortadella, but there are differences between the two — namely, that mortadella is made only from pork. Bologna is made with a number of animal meats, including beef and pork. These ingredients are gluten-free by nature. But when it comes to making bologna last longer, certain stabilizing ingredients might be added to the meat, which results in a product that’s no longer gluten-free. Because of this, fresh-sliced bologna is your best bet for avoiding gluten, whereas pre-packaged lunchmeat bologna is less safe. Certain artificial flavors can also be added to bologna; stick with plain bologna or double-check that there isn’t any unexpectedly added gluten in the flavoring.
Fresh-sliced deli bologna isn’t packaged long-term, so it usually has fewer preservatives and stabilizers — there’s less of a chance it will contain gluten. Still, it should be easy to find bologna brands without gluten-containing fillers and flavors. Oscar Mayer and Boar’s Head are two popular lunch meat brands that don’t add gluten to their bologna. However, if in doubt, it’s always best to call the manufacturer to be sure.
