Brown rice syrup is not automatically gluten free. While rice itself contains no gluten, the traditional manufacturing process uses enzymes derived from barley malt to break down the rice starches into sugar. That barley component can introduce gluten into the final product. Whether a specific brand is safe depends entirely on how it was made.
Why a Rice Product Can Contain Gluten
Brown rice syrup is made by cooking rice and then adding enzymes that convert the starches into sugars. The liquid is strained and reduced into a thick, amber syrup. Traditionally, those enzymes come from dried barley sprouts, and barley is one of the three primary gluten-containing grains (along with wheat and rye). When barley-derived enzymes are used, traces of gluten carry through into the finished syrup.
Some manufacturers have switched to microbial enzymes, specifically fungal or bacterial versions, that perform the same starch-breaking function without any gluten-containing grain involved. Syrups made this way can be truly gluten free. The problem is that you often can’t tell which process was used just by looking at the product name or the front of the label.
How to Identify a Safe Product
Check the ingredient list first. If you see “barley malt,” “barley enzymes,” or simply “barley” listed, that syrup contains gluten. Some labels won’t specify the enzyme source at all, which makes things harder. In that case, look for a certified gluten-free seal. The Gluten-Free Certification Organization (GFCO) requires that all submitted products, their ingredients, and their manufacturing facilities pass review and audit before certification is granted.
The FDA defines “gluten-free” on food labels as containing fewer than 20 parts per million of gluten. This labeling is voluntary, so a product without a gluten-free claim isn’t necessarily unsafe, but it does mean you have less certainty. For hydrolyzed foods like syrups, the FDA issued additional compliance requirements in 2020 to ensure that the gluten-free standard holds up even when proteins have been broken down during processing. If a brown rice syrup carries an FDA-compliant gluten-free label, it should meet that threshold.
Brand reputation matters here. Lundberg, for example, has long been considered a safe option in the celiac community. But products can change formulations over time, so checking the label with each purchase is a good habit.
Where Hidden Gluten Shows Up
Brown rice syrup is a common ingredient in granola bars, energy bars, energy chews, cereals, and snack foods marketed as “natural” or “organic.” Many of these products don’t prominently feature brown rice syrup on the front label, so you may not realize it’s there unless you read the full ingredient list. If a product contains brown rice syrup and doesn’t carry a gluten-free certification, it’s worth contacting the manufacturer to ask about their enzyme source.
This is especially important for people with celiac disease, where even small amounts of gluten can trigger intestinal damage. Those with non-celiac gluten sensitivity may have more tolerance, but the safest approach is to treat any unverified brown rice syrup as a potential gluten source.
Arsenic: A Separate Concern Worth Knowing
Gluten aside, brown rice syrup carries another consideration. Because rice absorbs arsenic from soil and water more readily than most grains, concentrated rice products tend to have elevated arsenic levels. Research has found that organic brown rice syrup products may introduce significant concentrations of inorganic arsenic (the more toxic form) into the diet. Toddler formulas sweetened with organic brown rice syrup have been found to contain 20 times higher levels of inorganic arsenic than regular formulas. Even two energy chews sweetened with the syrup could approach provisional daily arsenic limits based on water safety standards.
This doesn’t mean occasional use is dangerous, but it’s worth factoring in if brown rice syrup is a staple sweetener in your household, particularly for young children.
Blood Sugar Impact
Brown rice syrup has a glycemic index of 98, according to the Sydney University GI database. That’s nearly as high as pure glucose (100) and significantly higher than table sugar, which sits around 60 to 70. If you’re choosing brown rice syrup because you assume it’s a healthier alternative to regular sugar, the blood sugar spike it produces is actually more dramatic. It’s composed almost entirely of maltose, a sugar that breaks down rapidly in the body.
Gluten-Free Liquid Sweetener Alternatives
If you want to avoid the gluten risk entirely, several liquid sweeteners work as substitutes in cooking and baking.
- Honey is naturally gluten free and works especially well in cookies, cakes, and muffins. It produces a softer, less crisp texture than granulated sugar.
- Maple syrup can replace sugar at a ratio of 3/4 cup per cup of sugar. Reduce other liquids in the recipe by 1/4 cup and add 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda per cup of syrup to balance the acidity.
- Agave nectar substitutes at a 1:1 ratio for white sugar, though you’ll need to reduce recipe liquids by 1/4 cup per cup of agave to account for its thin consistency.
All three of these options are inherently gluten free without requiring you to investigate enzyme sources or manufacturing processes. They also have lower glycemic indexes than brown rice syrup, making them gentler on blood sugar levels.