Eating Gluten-Free? Avoid This Wheat Replacement Ingredient, FDA Warns

The U.S. FDA has issued an alert warning people on gluten-free diets to avoid an increasingly popular food ingredient known as lupin. A legume from the same plant family as peanuts, lupin is used as a replacement for wheat in an increasing number of gluten-free products. Food manufacturers are required to list lupin on the food label. The FDA is urging consumers with peanut and soybean allergies to read labels because of the risk of allergic reactions. Symptoms include hives, swelling of the lips, vomiting, breathing difficulties and anaphylactic shock. Even people without allergies to legume products should be aware of the ingredient.