Does aspirin contain wheat or gluten as an excipient?

We cross-check each aspirin product label against four data sources: DailyMed (FDA Structured Product Labels), the European Medicines Agency centrally-authorised medicines database, the Plogsted curated gluten-free drug list, and the 2024 Mangione et al. pediatric pharmacy NDC analysis. Inactive ingredients are scanned against a 146-entry red-flag dictionary covering wheat, barley, rye, malt, source-ambiguous starches, and FDA gluten-free attestation phrases. At least one manufacturer has formally attested their formulation contains no gluten. Of 13 labels we checked, 3 are confirmed by the maker and 10 show nothing flagged. Confirm the brand or generic on your bottle matches one of the attesting manufacturers below.

Can different manufacturers' generic versions of aspirin have different gluten status?

Yes. Generics in the United States must use the same active ingredient as the brand, but they are not required to use the same inactive ingredients. Two generics of aspirin from different manufacturers can use entirely different starch sources, binders, and fillers. A pharmacy may also switch which manufacturer it dispenses between fills without notifying you. Each manufacturer-specific entry below corresponds to a separately-filed product label.

DailyMed checked live · reference data updated August 19, 2026 · 13 product labels screened

Is aspirin gluten-free?

By Ned Walsch

Founder and maintainer of Gluten Screen

Updated August 20, 2026

Not clinically reviewed — verify with your pharmacist

Confirmed gluten-free by at least one manufacturer. At least one manufacturer has formally attested their formulation contains no gluten. Of 13 labels we checked, 3 are confirmed by the maker and 10 show nothing flagged. Confirm the brand or generic on your bottle matches one of the attesting manufacturers below.

Drug context

About aspirin

Aspirin is an NSAID used for pain, fever, inflammation, and low-dose cardiovascular prevention, sold under brand names including Bayer, Bufferin.

Why this matters

Different manufacturers, different ingredients

Generics of aspirin use the same active ingredient, but they aren't required to use the same inactive ingredients. Your pharmacy may switch which manufacturer they dispense between fills, sometimes without telling you. The list below shows each manufacturer's product label as a separate entry, because that's the granularity that actually matters when you're celiac.

The labels

The 13 we checked

01

Leiner manufacturer-attested gluten-free

Plogsted list · Aspirin Enteric Coated 325mg (Leiner, Watson) · label dated 2017-04-28

Listed gluten-free in Plogsted Alpha List (2017-04-28)
View source label →
02

Watson manufacturer-attested gluten-free

Plogsted list · Aspirin 81 mg chewable (Watson) · label dated 2017-04-28

Listed gluten-free in Plogsted Alpha List (2017-04-28)
View source label →
03

Perrigo manufacturer-attested gluten-free

Plogsted list · Baby aspirin (Perrigo, Walgreens) · label dated 2017-04-28

Listed gluten-free in Plogsted Alpha List (2017-04-28)
View source label →
04

CVS Pharmacy nothing flagged on the label

US label (DailyMed) · HEADACHE RELIEF EXTRA STRENGTH (ACETAMINOPHEN, ASPIRIN AND CAFFEINE) TABLET, FILM COATE… · label dated Aug 17, 2026

Inactive ingredients CROSPOVIDONE, UNSPECIFIED · HYPROMELLOSE, UNSPECIFIED · MICROCRYSTALLINE CELLULOSE · POVIDONE, UNSPECIFIED · PROPYLENE GLYCOL · SODIUM LAURYL SULFATE · SODIUM STARCH GLYCOLATE TYPE A POTATO · STARCH, CORN · STEARIC ACID · TITANIUM DIOXIDE
View source label →
05

P & L Development, LLC nothing flagged on the label

US label (DailyMed) · ASPIRIN TABLET, COATED [P & L DEVELOPMENT, LLC] · label dated Aug 17, 2026

Inactive ingredients CELLULOSE, MICROCRYSTALLINE · CROSCARMELLOSE SODIUM · D&C YELLOW NO. 10 · LACTOSE MONOHYDRATE · METHACRYLIC ACID - METHYL METHACRYLATE COPOLYMER (1:1) · POLACRILIN POTASSIUM · POLYETHYLENE GLYCOL 6000 · POLYVINYL ALCOHOL, UNSPECIFIED · SILICON DIOXIDE · SODIUM LAURYL SULFATE · SOYBEAN · TALC · TITANIUM DIOXIDE · TRIETHYL CITRATE
View source label →
06

Amazon.com Services LLC nothing flagged on the label

US label (DailyMed) · ASPIRIN TABLET, CHEWABLE [AMAZON.COM SERVICES LLC] · label dated Aug 17, 2026

Inactive ingredients FD&C YELLOW NO. 6 ALUMINUM LAKE · SACCHARIN SODIUM · STARCH, CORN
View source label →
07

HARRIS TEETER nothing flagged on the label

US label (DailyMed) · ASPIRIN 81MG (ASPIRIN) TABLET, DELAYED RELEASE [HARRIS TEETER] · label dated Aug 14, 2026

Inactive ingredients ALUMINUM OXIDE · ANHYDROUS LACTOSE · BROWN IRON OXIDE · CARNAUBA WAX · CELLULOSE, MICROCRYSTALLINE · CROSCARMELLOSE SODIUM · D&C YELLOW NO. 10 · DIMETHICONE · METHACRYLIC ACID - METHYL METHACRYLATE COPOLYMER (1:1) · POLYSORBATE 80 · SILICON DIOXIDE · SODIUM HYDROXIDE · SODIUM LAURYL SULFATE · STARCH, CORN · TALC · TITANIUM DIOXIDE · TRIETHYL CITRATE
View source label →
08

HARRIS TEETER nothing flagged on the label

US label (DailyMed) · ASPIRIN TABLET, COATED [HARRIS TEETER] · label dated Aug 14, 2026

Inactive ingredients CELLULOSE, MICROCRYSTALLINE · CROSCARMELLOSE SODIUM · HYPROMELLOSES · MINERAL OIL · STARCH, CORN · TITANIUM DIOXIDE
View source label →
09

HARRIS TEETER nothing flagged on the label

US label (DailyMed) · ADULT CHEWABLE ASPIRIN (ASPIRIN) TABLET, CHEWABLE [HARRIS TEETER] · label dated Aug 14, 2026

Inactive ingredients FD&C YELLOW NO. 6 · MAGNESIUM STEARATE · SILICON DIOXIDE · STARCH, CORN · SUCROSE
View source label →
10

HARRIS TEETER nothing flagged on the label

US label (DailyMed) · CHEWABLE ASPIRIN (ASPIRIN) TABLET, CHEWABLE [HARRIS TEETER] · label dated Aug 14, 2026

Inactive ingredients FD&C YELLOW NO. 6 · MAGNESIUM STEARATE · SILICON DIOXIDE · STARCH, CORN · SUCROSE
View source label →
11

P & L Development, LLC nothing flagged on the label

US label (DailyMed) · HEADACHE RELIEF EXTRA STRENGTH (ACETAMINOPHEN, ASPIRIN, CAFFEINE) TABLET, COATED [P & L… · label dated Aug 13, 2026

Inactive ingredients ALUMINUM OXIDE · D&C YELLOW NO. 10 · EDETATE DISODIUM · FD&C BLUE NO. 1 · FD&C RED NO. 40 · FERROSOFERRIC OXIDE · GELATIN · GLYCERIN · HYDROXYPROPYL CELLULOSE, LOW SUBSTITUTED · HYDROXYPROPYL CELLULOSE, UNSPECIFIED · HYPROMELLOSES · MALTITOL · POVIDONE · STARCH, CORN · STEARIC ACID · TALC · TITANIUM DIOXIDE · WATER
View source label →
12

Pioneer Life Sciences, LLC nothing flagged on the label

US label (DailyMed) · GENCARE-ASPIRIN LOW DOSE PAIN RELIEVER (NSAID) (ASPIRIN) TABLET [PIONEER LIFE SCIENCES,… · label dated Aug 11, 2026

Inactive ingredients D&C Yellow No. 10 · ETHYL ACRYLATE AND METHYL METHACRYLATE COPOLYMER (2:1; 600000 MW) · HYPROMELLOSE 2910 (6 MPA.S) · Microcrystalline Cellulose · Povidone · STARCH, CORN · Silicon Dioxide · Sodium Bicarbonate · Sodium Lauryl Sulfate · Stearic Acid · Talc · Titanium Dioxide · Triacetin · Triethyl Citrate
View source label →
13

Pioneer Life Sciences, LLC nothing flagged on the label

US label (DailyMed) · GENCARE HEADACHE RELIEF (ACETAMINOPHEN, ASPIRIN, CAFFEINE) TABLET [PIONEER LIFE SCIENCE… · label dated Aug 11, 2026

Inactive ingredients HYPROMELLOSE, UNSPECIFIED · MICROCRYSTALLINE CELLULOSE · POLYETHYLENE GLYCOL, UNSPECIFIED · POVIDONE K30 · SILICON DIOXIDE · STARCH, CORN · STEARIC ACID · TALC
View source label →

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Background

What “gluten in a medication” actually means

Gluten enters drugs through their excipients — the inactive ingredients used to bind, coat, fill, or stabilize the dose. The main concern is wheat starch as a filler. Source-ambiguous starches (plain “starch”, pregelatinized starch, sodium starch glycolate, modified starch) get flagged for verification because their botanical origin isn't always disclosed on the label.

The 2024 Mangione et al. pediatric NDC analysis (689 NDCs across the top 100 pediatric medications) found 1.5% contained gluten outright; another 25.7% couldn't be confirmed either way. Liquid and oral-suspension formulations carry disproportionate risk because wheat starch is a common thickener. Full methodology →

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