Yes — pulse flours are naturally gluten-free. Lentils, chickpeas, and fava beans contain no gluten proteins (no gliadin, no glutenin), so flours milled from them are inherently safe for gluten-free formulations from a botanical standpoint.

However, “naturally gluten-free” and “certified gluten-free” are not the same thing. To be labeled gluten-free in Canada and the United States, a flour must contain less than 20 parts per million (ppm) of gluten, which means the milling facility must control for cross-contamination from wheat, barley, rye, and oats — through dedicated equipment, segregated handling, allergen testing, or a combination.

Food manufacturers specifying pulse flour for a gluten-free product line should ask suppliers two specific questions: (1) is the facility dedicated to pulse processing, or does it also handle gluten-containing grains? and (2) what is the documented allergen control program, including testing frequency and gluten thresholds? Simpson Seeds operates an FSSC 22000-certified, dedicated pulse processing facility in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, with a written allergen control program, and is also kosher and halal certified — full specification sheets and certificates of analysis are available with every shipment.