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When you first see quinoa or hear about it you may think that it is actually a “grain”. Some people may even refer to it as such, but rest assured it is not a grain. It is actually a plant seed and a relative of green leafy vegetables such as spinach.

Quinoa, in the standard, raw form is gluten-free. Gluten is a protein that is found in grain products such as wheat, barley and oats. There may, however, be some risks to gluten exposure with certain quinoa products such as flour and flakes. These products go through processing plants that may use machines for wheat products and quinoa product thus causing cross contamination.

If you do not have a severe allergy to grains you may find these products do not cause any reaction. If your allergy is more serious you will want to make sure that you are getting these products from factories that do not use the same machines to produce quinoa products and grain products.