Can a wheat free diet eat oats?

Oats are naturally gluten-free. However, they can become contaminated with gluten from other grains like wheat, rye, and barley. These grains tend to grow near and cross-pollinate with oats due to the wind.

Gluten contamination can also happen during harvesting, transportation, handling, and storage. For those with celiac disease and severe forms of wheat or gluten intolerance, oats are best avoided even if the label suggests ‘gluten-free’ unless labeled ‘certified gluten-free’. Gluten-free certification means they’ve passed quality and purity tests as part of the manufacturing process.