Millets are naturally gluten-free, but most Indian millets are not certified gluten-free. Some processors do hold third-party gluten-free certification, and many more can supply lots that test below the usual limit.
The risk is cross-contact. Millets are often grown, threshed, traded, stored, cleaned and milled alongside wheat and barley. A naturally gluten-free grain can fail a gluten test because of that contact.
What the limits are
In the EU, UK and US, a food labelled gluten-free generally must contain no more than 20 mg of gluten per kg, which is the level in the Codex standard. Some private certification schemes set stricter limits. Check the current rule with your national food authority and the scheme you plan to use.
Certification options
- Third-party schemes: for example the Crossed Grain symbol licensed through coeliac societies in Europe, or the Gluten-Free Certification Organization in North America. Each has its own audit and testing rules.
- Your own retailer's approval: some retailers accept a strong supplier control plan plus lot testing.
- Lot testing only: no logo, but you can make a legal gluten-free claim if every lot is controlled and tested to your market's rules.
Where gluten gets in
- Fields: wheat or barley volunteers growing in a millet field.
- Threshing and transport: shared machines, trucks and sacks.
- Mandis and traders: grain mixed or stored together.
- Cleaning plants: shared lines, sieves and elevators.
- Mills: shared stones or roller mills used for wheat flour.
- Packing: shared filling machines and bag stores.
How to control it
- Choose a processor that handles no wheat, barley or rye, or runs a dedicated, separated millet line.
- Prefer whole grain that you mill yourself, because flour mills are the highest-risk step.
- Sort grain carefully. Wheat and barley kernels look different from most millets and can be removed by cleaning and colour sorting.
- Test each lot for gluten by an accredited lab, using the ELISA R5 method recognised by Codex, on a sample drawn from the real lot.
- Write the gluten limit, test method and sampling plan into the spec, as described in how to write a specification for chickpeas or millets.
- Audit the plant and keep records, because a logo depends on the system, not one test.
A note on psyllium
The same logic applies to other naturally gluten-free products from India. Psyllium is a good example, covered in whether you can get gluten-free certified psyllium.
In every case, the claim on your pack is your legal responsibility as the importer or brand owner. A supplier's statement that a product is gluten-free is not enough evidence on its own. Keep test reports, audit findings and supplier declarations for each lot on file.
How we help
We find millet processors that can control gluten cross-contact, audit their lines and have each lot tested for gluten at NABL-accredited labs. We draw the samples ourselves before loading. Ask for a free sourcing review.