A few food items that may contain barley, Smith says, include: Barley is also present in another ingredient you’re probably familiar with: malt. When barley seeds are soaked in water, they begin to grow and sprout. “Once dried, barley with a sprout is called malt,” Smith explains. During the process, called “malting,” the barley develops enzymes that help convert starches into sugars. Meaning, though the product presents differently, barley and malt are made from the same plant and therefore both contain gluten. A few food items that may contain malt include:
