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Since there has been, and probably will continue to be, a controversy over vinegar and its gluten free status, I thought I’d help educate the public with a little chemistry lesson. (This is intended to be a general overview for information purposes. The actual process may be much more complex.)



“Vinegar…is a sour liquid made from the oxidation of ethanol in wine, cider, beer, or the like. Vinegar is generally 3-5% by volume acetic acid, and natural vinegars also contain smaller amounts of tartaric acid, citric acid, and others.”1 The oxidation of an alcohol, such as ethanol, into a carboxylic acid, such as acetic acid, requires that the alcohol be in a basic aqueous solution to which potassium permanganate (KMnO4) and heat is added. A solid (MnO2) forms and is filtered out. The remaining liquid is acidified and the carboxylic acid is formed.2 The acetic acid is now in solution with the other ingredients of the altered beer (or other substance) and must be separated through a process called distillation. “Distillation is a general technique used for…separating the components of a liquid mixture. In distillation, a liquid is vaporized by boiling, then condensed back into a liquid…and collected in a separate [container].”3



I can see how the CSA can come to the conclusion that distilled vinegar is safe. Although the distillation process is not exact in that there are contaminants, the percentage of these contaminants is very small. Then that distilled product is only a small percentage of the actual vinegar. Most distilled vinegars probably, when tested, fall under the ppm requirement to be considered gluten free. However, there is still a chance that a teensy amount of gluten could be in the final product, and someone who is very sensitive may react to it. (I personally have reacted to Grey Poupon and assumed it was due to the distilled vinegar in it.) In conclusion, distilled vinegar is probably safe for most celiacs, but those who are very sensitive should be aware.



Angela Taylor (Tulsa, Oklahoma)

BS in Chemistry, Honors Degree in Chemistry, Alumnus of Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma



1. http://encyclopedia.thefreedictionary.com/vinegar

2. Organic Chemistry, 6th Edition. Solomins. John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

3. Organic Laboratory Techniques, 2nd Edition. Fessenden & Fessenden. Brooks/Cole Publishing Company.



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*Please provide references to back up claims of a product being GF or not GF*