Italian seasoning is naturally gluten free. The standard blend contains only dried herbs: marjoram, thyme, rosemary, savory, sage, oregano, and basil. None of these contain gluten. However, some commercial blends carry a small risk of gluten exposure through added fillers or cross-contamination during manufacturing.
What’s Actually in Italian Seasoning
A straightforward Italian seasoning blend is nothing more than dried herbs mixed together. McCormick’s version, for example, lists just seven ingredients: marjoram, thyme, rosemary, savory, sage, oregano, and basil. No grains, no starches, no fillers. Dried herbs are inherently gluten free, so the base recipe poses no risk.
The concern starts when manufacturers add extras. Seasoning mixes sometimes include anti-caking agents to keep the powder from clumping. In rare cases, that agent is wheat starch. Some lower-cost brands also bulk out their blends with wheat flour or wheat starch to reduce production costs. These additions turn a naturally safe product into a problem for anyone avoiding gluten.
How to Read the Label
U.S. food labeling law requires manufacturers to disclose wheat in plain language, either in the ingredient list or in a separate “Contains wheat” statement. McCormick, the largest spice company in the U.S., has used plain-English allergen labeling since the late 1990s, listing gluten sources as “wheat” or “barley” directly in its ingredient statements. If you see only herbs listed, the product itself does not contain gluten-containing ingredients.
A few label terms deserve extra attention. “Starch” or “dextrin” on a seasoning label could come from any grain, including wheat. “Natural flavors” is almost always gluten free in spice products, but the term is vague enough to warrant checking. And a “wheat-free” label is not the same as “gluten-free,” since a product could still contain rye or barley.
The Cross-Contamination Question
Even when the ingredient list is clean, shared manufacturing equipment can introduce trace amounts of gluten. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency found that lower levels of undeclared gluten can appear in ground spices and herbs as a result of manufacturing practices. Spice facilities often process dozens of products on the same lines, and some of those products may contain wheat-based ingredients.
For most people who are mildly sensitive, these trace amounts are unlikely to cause symptoms. For someone with celiac disease, the threshold matters more. The FDA defines “gluten-free” as containing fewer than 20 parts per million of gluten. Any product voluntarily carrying a “gluten-free” label on its packaging must meet that standard, with unavoidable gluten presence staying below 20 ppm.
Which Brands Are Safest
Your safest option is a product that either carries an explicit “gluten-free” label (held to the FDA’s 20 ppm standard) or a third-party certification seal. The Gluten-Free Certification Organization (GFCO) independently tests products and uses an even stricter threshold of 10 ppm. While GFCO’s certified product list doesn’t currently include a major Italian seasoning brand specifically, many spice companies pursue their own gluten-free labeling backed by in-house testing.
McCormick’s Italian Seasoning contains no gluten ingredients but is not formally labeled gluten free, likely because the company cannot guarantee cross-contamination levels across all its production lines. If you have celiac disease and want the highest level of assurance, look for a brand that does carry the certification, or make your own blend at home from individual herb jars that are each labeled gluten free.
Making Your Own Blend
The simplest way to eliminate any doubt is to mix Italian seasoning yourself. Combine roughly equal parts dried basil, oregano, rosemary, and thyme, then add smaller amounts of marjoram, sage, and savory. You can adjust ratios to your taste. Buying individual herb containers labeled gluten free gives you full control over what goes into the mix, and a single batch stored in a sealed jar lasts six months to a year before the flavor starts to fade.
This approach also lets you skip the anti-caking agents entirely. Single-ingredient dried herbs rarely contain any additives, making them a cleaner option overall. A homemade blend costs roughly the same as a store-bought jar and takes about two minutes to put together.