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>sugar cane is a grass and thus related to the wheat plant.  Therefore
>people who cannot tolerate wheat should not eat sugar.
 
In regard to the query about sugar cane containing gluten.  Sugar cane is a
member of the grass family as are wheat, rye, and barley, the species that
contain proteins harmful to celiac patients.  However, not all grasses are
harmful to celiac patients--for example, rice and corn.  The scientific name
of sugar cane is Saccharum officinarum and it belongs to the tribe
Andropogoneae, which also includes sorghum.  On the basis of closer
relationship to corn or maize than to wheat, I would say that sugar cane is
not likely to be harmful to celiac patients.  Furthermore, as far as we know
gluten proteins, or their equivalents in rye and barley, are found only in
the endosperm of the grain of the plant and not in vegetative tissues, such
as leaves.  To the best of my knowledge, sugar is obtained from the stalks
of the plant and, hence, even if the seeds of the plant contained harmful
proteins (not likely), highly refined sugar would be safe to eat.
 
Don Kasarda