Gluten-Free Sausage Brand List

Most sausage brands don't include gluten ingredients (in other words, ingredients made from the gluten grains wheat, barley, or rye), but only a few manufacturers say their products meet U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) standards for "gluten-free." 

Is Sausage Gluten-Free?

Sausage is usually gluten-free and made without gluten-containing ingredients, but they often are made and packaged in facilities that are not up to standards when it comes to the FDA "gluten-free" regulations. This means your sausage could be cross-contaminated with gluten, making it unsafe for those particularly sensitive to gluten. To ensure your sausage is gluten-free, look for a label that indicates that it is gluten free.

Gluten-Free Sausage Brands

Sausage brands that do meet FDA standards for "gluten-free" include:

• Aidells Sausage Company
• Al Fresco
• Applegate
• Banquet Brown 'N Serve
• Bass Farm
• Beeler's
• Hatfield
• Hebrew National
• Jones Dairy Farm
• Niman Ranch
• Wellshire Farms

These companies test their products for gluten cross-contamination, and some certify products gluten-free, which means they test far lower than the minimum FDA gluten-free standard of fewer than 20 parts per million of gluten.

Most of the companies that make sausages say they use no gluten ingredients in their sausages. However, those sausages may be made in the same facility as gluten grains or on shared equipment.

Below is a comprehensive list of sausage makers in the United States, plus what they say about their gluten-free products and protocols.

Aidells Sausage Company 

Aidells, a division of Tyson Foods, Inc., makes gourmet dinner sausages in such flavors as Artichoke & Garlic, Chicken & Apple, and Pineapple & Bacon. The company also makes breakfast sausage in several different flavors. Aidells makes two gluten-containing products: Fire-Roasted Tomato & Romano Cheese Meatballs, and Teriyaki Pineapple Meatballs (neither of which are sausages, obviously).

All of the company's sausage products are gluten-free (to less than 20 parts per million of gluten), but always double-check the label, since Aidells will place a prominent "gluten-free" designation on all safe products.

Al Fresco

This all-natural company makes three varieties of fully cooked chicken breakfast sausages: Apple Maple and Country Style, and Wild Blueberry. It also has a wide variety of both fully-cooked and uncooked dinner sausages, including such flavors as Buffalo Style, Spicy Jalapeño, Spinach & Feta, and Sweet Italian.

All Al Fresco products are considered gluten-free.

Applegate Farms

Most of Applegate's products—including all of its sausages—are considered gluten-free. Applegate Farms makes both breakfast and dinner sausages.

Armour

Armour, a division of Smithfield Food, Inc., makes Hickory Smoked Summer Sausage and other meat products. The company will disclose wheat in any of its products and doesn't currently use rye, barley, or oats in anything it makes, according to a spokesperson. The plant facilities are shared but follow strict guidelines to prevent cross-contamination.

Banquet Brown 'N Serve

This sausage is made by a subsidiary of ConAgra Foods. ConAgra has a policy of clearly identifying all gluten ingredients in its foods. Most Banquet sausage products are labeled gluten-free. However, sausages found in combo products like the Waffle Breakfast or Pancake Breakfast may be subject to cross-contamination, since the waffles and pancakes both contain wheat flour.

Many of Banquet Brown 'N Serve's sausages do not contain gluten ingredients. However, they are not specifically tested for gluten and could be subject to cross-contamination at the factory. Note that the majority of Banquet's products do contain gluten, making cross-contamination more likely for products with no gluten ingredients.

Bass Farm

Bass Farm, which bills itself as "Southern Country Sausage," makes several mild and hot varieties in both links and patties. According to a company spokesperson, everything Bass Farms produces is gluten-free.

Beeler's

Beeler's raises its pigs without antibiotics or growth hormones and with ample access to sunshine and socialization. The company makes three breakfast sausages and several dinner sausages, including bratwurst, Italian sausage, and gourmet flavored sausages. Everything is minimally processed.

According to company spokesperson Julie Beeler, "We don't make anything that isn't gluten-free. There is nothing with gluten produced anywhere near our products." The company also is in the process of converting to non-GMO feed for its pigs.

Bob Evans 

The Bob Evans restaurant chain also makes products for sale in grocery stores, including seven different roll sausage varieties. None of the products have gluten-related claims, so while the main ingredient in each sausage product is pork, it is possible that some sausages contain trace amounts of gluten.

Broadbent Hams 

Kentucky-based Broadbent's makes several different sausages. The company does not test for gluten, nor does it make any gluten-free claims, according to a spokesperson.

Farmland Foods

Farmland makes a huge variety of pork-based products, including breakfast and dinner sausages. According to a company customer service representative, Farmland does label some products gluten-free. The designation appears on the product label to the right of the company logo.

"If that claim is not present on the package, we are not making such a claim," she says, in part because ingredients from outside suppliers might contain gluten. Wheat (one of the top eight allergens) will always be listed in the ingredients statement, she says, adding, "modified food starch in our products is corn or potato-based. Also, dextrose in our products is corn-based."

Hatfield

Pennsylvania-based Hatfield makes breakfast sausage and dinner sausage in several different flavors. The company maintains a listing of gluten-free products, and many of the sausage products are on it.

However, certain sausage products may be vulnerable to cross-contamination. Some of them are produced on shared equipment that's cleaned between product runs, a customer service rep tells me. Most Hatfield products that contain gluten are hams and ham steaks.

Hebrew National 

Hebrew National is best known for its hot dogs (see the gluten-free hot dog list for the details), but it does make beef breakfast sausage (knockwurst). Since Hebrew National is owned by ConAgra Foods, it will clearly label any gluten-containing ingredients. The Beef Knockwurst is free of gluten, fillers, and artificial colors.

Hillshire Farm

As you might guess, Hillshire Farm is owned by Hillshire Brands, which in turn is owned by Tyson Foods. The company makes nearly 100 different products, nearly half of which are sausage varieties. Hillshire Farm does not test for gluten and does not make any gluten-free claims.

Jimmy Dean

Another Hillshire Brands company, Jimmy Dean sausages are not currently tested for gluten and are not considered gluten-free, according to a spokesperson.

Jones Dairy Farm 

This was my family's go-to breakfast sausage brand when I was growing up, and I was really pleased to see it's actually certified gluten-free by the Gluten-Free Certification Organization (GFCO). That means it's gluten-free to less than 10 parts per million, or GF-10, levels.

Jones makes many different types of sausages with, as the company says, "only five ingredients: pork, water, salt, spices, and sugar." The company also has provided support for the Celiac Disease Foundation and the Celiac Sprue Association. Be aware that Jones does make a few products that are not gluten-free, so always double-check the label for that "GF" symbol.

Neese's Country Sausage

According to a Neese spokesperson, all of the company's retail sausage products are free from gluten ingredients, and they do not contain any MSG, nitrates/nitrites or preservatives. "Our sausage products are manufactured in the same plant as some of our other products that do contain wheat gluten, but are separated by multiple curtains and rooms," the spokesperson says.

Niman Ranch 

Gourmet meat producer Niman Ranch specializes in sustainable, humanely-raised pork and other products. The company says everything it makes is considered gluten-free, including its bratwurst and other sausages.

Smithfield

Known mainly for its hams, Smithfield also makes a few different breakfast and dinner sausage products. According to the company, "link and loop sausage do not contain MSG and are gluten-free."

A company spokesperson adds that Smithfield has eliminated the use of gluten ingredients and other allergens at most of its plants, and uses a strict allergen control program to prevent cross-contamination in the few instances where allergenic ingredients are used. The company says it will call out any gluten ingredients on its product labels.

Tennessee Pride

This brand, another division of ConAgra Foods, does not maintain a list of products free of gluten. Again, ConAgra brands will disclose gluten ingredients clearly on the label, but will not guarantee products meet the legal definition of "gluten-free."

Wellshire Farms

Wellshire Farms advertises itself as "all-natural meats and allergy-free foods," and most of its products, including the sausages, are considered gluten-free. The company's website features a searchable database that allows you to see lists of foods that are considered gluten-free, and also exclude other allergens (such as casein, corn, nuts, and soy).

A Word From Verywell

If you're particularly sensitive to trace gluten, you might want to stick with Jones Dairy Farm sausage, which is certified gluten-free, or with one of the other companies that specifically guarantee products are gluten-free. Companies that don't make anything with gluten ingredients might also be good bets.