Is Daura gluten free?
By Simon ยท Updated 4 June 2026
Yes. Daura by Damm is brewed from barley but enzyme treated and independently tested below 3 parts per million, well under the 20ppm gluten free limit, so it is suitable for people with coeliac disease.
Daura is the kind of beer that makes being coeliac feel a lot less limiting, and it is the one that proved a barley lager could be made genuinely safe for people with coeliac disease. Brewed by the Spanish brewer Damm and on sale since 2006, it is made from the same main ingredient as a normal beer, barley malt, and then treated to remove the gluten. The finished beer tests below 3 parts per million, comfortably under the 20 parts per million limit that defines a gluten free beer in the UK and EU.
How it is made gluten free
Daura starts as a conventional barley beer, brewed with barley malt and rice. It is then put through enzymatic hydrolysis, a process where an enzyme breaks the gluten protein down into fragments small enough that they no longer pose a problem for coeliacs. Damm tests every batch using the R5 ELISA method, the validated analytical standard for hydrolysed and fermented products, through the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC). The result is consistently below 3 parts per million.
That figure matters. The legal threshold for a gluten free label is 20 parts per million, and Daura comes in at less than a sixth of it.
Why the label still mentions barley
You will still see contains barley on a can of Daura, and that is correct. UK law treats barley allergy and coeliac disease as two separate conditions. The gluten free claim addresses the coeliac threshold. The barley declaration is there for the small number of people with a true barley allergy, which is a different reaction to a different part of the grain. A gluten free beer that still says contains barley is not a contradiction, it is the law working as intended.
Where it sits in our directory
Daura is one of the beers we review in our directory, so you can read the full write-up and where to find it on its own pages:
- Daura Lager, 5.4%. The original gluten free lager, crisp and clean.
- Daura 0.0%, 0.0%. The alcohol free version, gluten free and zero alcohol.
If you want to compare it with other gluten free lagers, see our guide to gluten free lagers or browse the full beer directory.
Frequently asked questions
Is Daura gluten free?
Yes. Daura by the Spanish brewer Damm is brewed from barley malt, then treated with an enzyme that breaks the gluten protein down. Each batch is tested below 3 parts per million, well under the 20 parts per million legal limit for a gluten free label, so it is suitable for people with coeliac disease.
How can a barley beer be gluten free?
Daura starts as a normal barley beer and is then put through enzymatic hydrolysis, where an enzyme breaks the gluten protein into fragments. Damm tests every batch using the R5 ELISA method through the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), and the result comes in below 3 parts per million. UK and EU law allows any beer tested below 20 parts per million to be labelled gluten free.
Why does the Daura label still say contains barley?
Because barley allergy and coeliac disease are two different conditions. UK law requires the contains barley declaration to stay on the pack for people with a barley allergy, even when the beer is gluten free. The gluten free claim covers the coeliac threshold; the barley line covers the separate allergy. Both are correct and both are legally required.
Is Daura safe for coeliacs?
Yes. Tested below 3 parts per million and labelled gluten free, Daura meets the standard recognised as safe for people with coeliac disease. Some coeliacs still prefer naturally gluten free beers brewed without any barley for extra peace of mind, which is a personal choice rather than a safety requirement.
Do home gluten test strips work on Daura?
Not reliably. Some home strips have shown apparent positive results for Daura because they react to the protein fragments left after enzyme treatment rather than the intact gluten that triggers coeliac disease. The R5 ELISA test used by Damm is the validated method for enzyme treated and fermented beers, and it confirms Daura is below 3 parts per million.
How we checked
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