Is crosse & blackwell seafood cocktail sauce Gluten Free?

The Ingredient Breakdown

When determining if a sauce is safe for a gluten-free diet, we look for hidden wheat derivatives or thickeners. The ingredient list for Crosse & Blackwell seafood cocktail sauce is surprisingly straightforward. It consists of water, sugar, tomato paste, distilled vinegar, onion, spice, and garlic.

Let's look closer at the potential risk factors. Distilled vinegar is often a point of confusion. While it can be derived from gluten grains (like malt vinegar), the distillation process removes the gluten protein, rendering the resulting vinegar safe for celiacs. Tomato paste and onion are naturally gluten-free whole foods. The term spice is a catch-all, but in a mass-market product like this, it almost exclusively refers to dried herbs and pepper blends, not wheat-based anti-caking agents which are more common in powdered seasoning mixes.

There are no thickeners like modified food starch (which could be wheat-derived) listed, nor are there soy sauce or malt flavorings. The verdict is clear: the formulation is simple and avoids the usual gluten culprits found in complex sauces.

Nutritional Value

While this sauce is safe for gluten-free diets, it is important to consider its nutritional profile. Like most cocktail sauces, the primary ingredients by weight are water and sugar. This means it is a source of added sugars and carbohydrates but offers very little protein or fiber.

If you are monitoring your sugar intake for weight loss or managing blood sugar levels, this sauce should be used in moderation. It fits within a standard diet as a condiment (usually 1-2 tablespoons per serving), but it is not a 'free' food. It contains negligible fat, which is a plus, but the sodium content (derived from the vinegar and spices) can add up if you are on a low-salt regimen.