“Any time you smell fresh bread or other baked goods, you are inhaling gluten. That gluten can get into your digestive system and cause celiac damage.”
Is this myth or reality? Let’s break it down.

In 2007, the New England Journal of Medicine published a case study involving two brothers with non-responsive celiac disease. They worked in an enclosed environment feeding livestock. The standard 25-kg feed bags they used contained 30% barley, 11% maize, 11% wheat, and 12% soy, along with pulp, sugar-cane molasses, calcium carbonate, sodium chloride, and palm oil.

As they poured the feed, fine dust became airborne, and they inhaled it. Scientists estimated the men were exposed to up to 150 grams of gluten per day. For perspective, celiac patients are advised to consume less than 10 milligrams per day. Researchers couldn’t calculate precisely how much gluten was inhaled and ingested, but the exposure was clearly extreme.

Both men claimed to diligently follow a strict gluten-free diet, yet their TTG IgA levels were elevated, indicating gluten exposure. When they began wearing masks to handle the feed, one brother healed completely and the other showed significant improvement—even in small intestinal healing.

This situation is rare and extreme. The men were chronically exposed to massive amounts of gluten in a confined area. But the case helps explain why some believe they can be “glutened” by airborne contact alone.

So, can airborne gluten cause celiac damage? Yes—but only in extreme circumstances. Inhaled gluten can travel through the respiratory system and enter the digestive tract, potentially triggering the autoimmune response. But it takes large, sustained exposure to pose a risk.

Walking near the bakery section at the grocery store? That’s unlikely to expose you to enough gluten to cause harm. Working in a traditional bakery, a pizza kitchen, or any environment where flour is routinely airborne, however, can be a real problem for those with celiac disease. As for walking through a conventional bakery—there isn’t enough data to know for sure, but it’s probably okay as long as it’s not a regular thing.

Gluten is everywhere. Use common sense, stay informed, and live gluten-free smart.

Want to learn more about hidden gluten exposure? Check out our post on gluten creeping into gluten-free diets.

Read the full case study in NEJM.