Gluten-Free at The Fresh Market: A Store Made of Open Counters
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Almost every department at The Fresh Market is open, staffed or self-serve β which is exactly the shape of store that a coeliac shopper has to navigate deliberately.
Almost every department at The Fresh Market is open, staffed or self-serve β which is exactly the shape of store that a coeliac shopper has to navigate deliberately.
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βKey Takeaways
The Fresh Market is a specialty grocer, and the format is the point: open bakery cases, a staffed butcher, a deli and prepared-food counter, self-serve bulk containers, and produce displayed loose. It is a pleasant store to walk around and structurally the opposite of what a coeliac shopper wants.
Nothing about that makes it a bad store. It does mean the safe route through it is narrower than at a conventional supermarket, and knowing that in advance saves a lot of hesitating at counters.
Specialty does not mean safer
The most useful thing to fix early is the assumption underneath a store like this. Artisan, small-batch, imported, natural and organic all describe how a product was made and by whom. None of them describes its gluten content.
A US gluten-free claim means one specific thing: less than 20 parts per million of gluten, under FDA rule 21 CFR 101.91. That is the same threshold on a hand-made imported biscuit as on a national brand at a discount grocer. A product without the claim has not been tested and declared, however carefully it was made.
Ancient grains is the trap that shows up most in specialty ranges. Spelt, kamut, einkorn, farro and barley are all ancient grains and all contain gluten. Wheat-free is not gluten-free either β a product can be free of wheat and still contain barley or rye.
The bulk containers
Self-serve bulk is the highest-risk part of the store. Scoops move between containers, customers tip product back, and flour dust from the baking containers settles across everything in the section β including the rice, nuts and dried fruit that are naturally gluten-free and would otherwise be fine.
There is no careful way to use self-serve bulk with coeliac disease. Buy the packaged version of the same thing, even where it costs more per pound.
The same logic applies to loose coffee grinders, olive bars, and any other self-serve container with a shared utensil.
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The staffed counters
The bakery is a wheat-flour environment. Shared ovens, shared racks, airborne flour.
The deli slices wheat-containing product on shared blades all day.
Prepared foods and the hot counter are shared-utensil environments, and specialty prepared food leans heavily on pastry, breadcrumb and roux.
The butcher counter is the usable one. Whole cuts of meat contain no gluten; the risk is breaded, stuffed and marinated product sharing boards with plain. Ask for a plain cut and you are on reasonable ground.
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Bob's Red Mill GF Flour
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Canyon Bakehouse GF Bread
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Barilla GF Pasta
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What the store is genuinely good for
Two things, within this diet.
The first is plain, high-quality raw ingredients β good meat, produce, cheese, oils, spices β which is where a specialty grocer earns its price and where gluten is not a question in the first place.
The second is the packaged specialist range. Small imported and niche brands turn up here that a conventional supermarket does not carry, and some of them are certified. That is worth browsing when you want something better than the mainstream gluten-free options.
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Point your phone at any ingredient label and get a clear safe / caution / unsafe answer in about three seconds β including the hidden gluten most labels bury.
Two lines, always
Allergen statement first β wheat must be declared, so "Contains: Wheat" ends it.
Ingredient list second, for barley β no declaration required, so look for malt, malt extract, malt syrup, malt flavouring, malt vinegar and brewer's yeast.
Then the claim, and whether it is plain or certified. GFCO certification means 10 ppm rather than 20 plus facility auditing, and certified products are more likely to exist in a specialty range than in a discounter's.
Imported packs are the awkward ones
Imported food sold in the US must carry US allergen labelling, but the format can be unfamiliar and the gluten-free claim may be phrased to another country's rules. If a pack leaves the question genuinely open, it is worth resolving properly rather than assuming.
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Shop Verified Gluten-Free guides
Amazon PrimeDirect links to certified <10-20 ppm brands Β· Skip the label-squinting
Top-Rated Gluten-Free guides
Bob's Red Mill GF Flour
Essential GF pantry staple
Canyon Bakehouse GF Bread
Best-tasting GF bread
Barilla GF Pasta
Closest to regular pasta taste
Celiac Safety Glossary
- Gluten
- Gluten is a family of storage proteins (prolamins and glutelins) found naturally in cereal grains like wheat (including varieties like spelt, kamut, and farro), barley, and rye, which acts as a binder to give food elasticity and shape.
- Gluten-free certification
- Gluten-free certification, such as the GFCO (Gluten-Free Certification Organization) seal, verifies that a product contains fewer than 10 parts per million (ppm) of gluten β stricter than the FDA's 20 ppm threshold for "gluten-free" labeling.
- Parts Per Million (ppm)
- Parts per million (ppm) is a unit of measurement used to quantify gluten concentration. Labeling laws in the US and Europe permit a maximum threshold of 20 ppm, while Australia requires no detectable gluten (0 ppm).
- Malt (Barley)
- Malt is fermented barley used as a flavoring or sweetener in cereals, chocolates, and beer; it is a major source of hidden gluten that is often overlooked on ingredient lists.
- Brewer's yeast
- Brewer's yeast is a byproduct of beer brewing that is heavily contaminated with gluten from barley; it is a common hidden ingredient in savory snacks and seasonings.
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About the Author
Sarah Mitchell
Lead Content Writer & Nutritionist, B.S. Nutrition Science
Sarah was diagnosed with celiac disease in 2018 and writes evidence-based guides combining clinical nutrition knowledge with 6+ years of personal gluten-free living experience. All health content is medically reviewed by our advisory team.
Meet our full team βMedical Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always consult your physician or a registered dietitian before making dietary changes related to celiac disease or gluten sensitivity. Read full disclaimer.
πSources & Citations
- β’Celiac Disease Foundation β celiac.org β Comprehensive research and patient resources on celiac disease
- β’Beyond Celiac β beyondceliac.org β Research-driven celiac disease advocacy and resources
- β’GFCO (Gluten-Free Certification Organization) β gfco.org β Certification standards (<10 ppm)
- β’FDA Gluten-Free Labeling β fda.gov β Federal regulations for <20 ppm labeling
Content reviewed and fact-checked by our clinical & nutrition team. Last updated July 2026.
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