Potato starch is made from potatoes, not from wheat, barley or rye, so the ingredient itself doesn’t contain gluten. The catch is the product it ends up in: check the label for a gluten-free claim, especially if you have celiac disease.

Yes, teff is naturally gluten free, but it isn’t automatically safe in every package. Teff can pick up gluten through cross-contact during harvesting and processing, so choose versions that are labeled or tested gluten free (under 20 parts per million) rather than loose or unlabeled teff.

Plain grits are made from corn, which is not one of the gluten grains, so they are often fine, but the verdict has to be caution. Packaged and restaurant grits can pick up gluten through processing, added flavorings or shared kitchens, so check the label every time.

Polenta is usually made from corn, which is naturally gluten free, but that doesn’t make every polenta safe. Whether a particular product works for you depends on the brand, how it was handled and what has been added, so check the label every time.

Pure vanilla extract is made from vanilla beans, alcohol and water, none of which are gluten grains, so it is typically fine, but it is not automatically safe. Check the label on the specific bottle, because imitation vanillas and flavored blends can contain added ingredients.

Soy lecithin is made from soybeans, not from wheat, barley or rye, so it is not a gluten-containing ingredient. The only real question is whether the finished product it appears in is gluten free, and that depends on the other ingredients and how the food was made.

Glucose syrup is not itself a wheat, barley or rye ingredient, but whether a particular product is gluten free depends on the brand and the rest of the label. Check the packaging rather than assuming.

Dextrin is not automatically gluten free, so treat it with caution. It is made from starch, and starch can come from different plants, including wheat, so what the dextrin was made from and how the product was handled both matter.

No, malt flavoring is not gluten free. It is made from malted barley, a gluten-containing grain, so anyone avoiding gluten should skip foods that list it unless the product is clearly labeled gluten free.

Wheat starch is not automatically gluten free, because it is made from wheat. It can only be treated as gluten free if the product is clearly labeled gluten-free and meets the FDA’s 20 ppm standard; otherwise, skip it.