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Overview

About Dry mustard

Dry mustard is ground mustard seed, and its trigger story is as much about allergy law as about food chemistry.

Mustard is one of the fourteen allergens that must be declared on a label in the EU and the UK, and it is not on the US major allergen list, so the same product can be labelled very differently on either side of the Atlantic. On the chemistry side it grades moderate for salicylates and mild for oxalates, free glutamates and histamine liberation, while grading clean for gluten, FODMAPs, nickel, sulfites and histamine content.

Sensitivities

How Dry mustard scores

Watch for

What trips people up

  • Mustard is a declarable allergen in the EU and UK, which means it is named explicitly in the ingredient list. In the US it is not a FALCPA major allergen, so it can legitimately hide inside a generic "spices" or "natural flavours" line
  • Moderate salicylate. Powder is a concentrated seed and a teaspoon in a dressing is a real dose, and it turns up in places people forget: mayonnaise, vinaigrettes, cheese sauces, pickles, barbecue rubs and processed meat seasoning
  • Mild on free glutamates, oxalates and histamine liberation. None of that matters on its own, but it is worth knowing if you are stacking several borderline seasonings into a single dish
  • Graded clean on nickel and on gluten, which contradicts two common assumptions. Do check the specific tin though: English style mustard powder is traditionally cut with wheat flour and turmeric rather than sold as pure seed

Diet fit

Where it fits

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FAQ

Common questions about Dry mustard

Is mustard an allergen?

In the EU and the UK, yes. Mustard is one of the fourteen allergens that food businesses must declare, which is why it is highlighted in the ingredient list of European packaging. In the United States mustard is not among the major allergens covered by FALCPA labelling, so it can sit unnamed inside a generic spice or flavouring declaration. Reactions to mustard seed protein are real and can be serious, so that labelling gap is the practical thing to know when you are buying imported food.

Is dry mustard high in salicylates?

It grades moderate rather than high, which puts it in the dose dependent band. A pinch in a large batch of something is unlikely to register; a heaped teaspoon in a dressing you eat regularly is worth logging. Because mustard powder is an ingredient inside other ingredients, the realistic risk is accumulation across several prepared foods in a day rather than any single use.

Is mustard powder gluten free?

Pure ground mustard seed grades clean on gluten. The catch is the product rather than the spice: English style mustard powders are classically blended with wheat flour, and some prepared mustards use wheat as a thickener. Read the tin, and if it lists only mustard seed you are fine.

Is dry mustard low FODMAP?

Yes. Dry mustard grades clean across the board on FODMAPs, fructans, GOS, excess fructose and polyols, so it is a useful way to add sharpness during an elimination phase. Prepared mustards are a different question, since many add garlic, onion or honey, all of which bring their own FODMAP load.

References

Read the background

Ratings reflect the Triggerbites ingredient database and may vary with portion size and preparation.