Does cephalexin contain wheat or gluten as an excipient?

We cross-check each cephalexin 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. Mostly yes — but worth a quick call to the manufacturer for some generics. Of 11 product labels we checked, 10 are clean, 0 are confirmed gluten-free by the maker, and 1 contain an inactive ingredient (typically a source-ambiguous starch) whose botanical origin isn't fully disclosed. None contained confirmed gluten.

Can different manufacturers' generic versions of cephalexin 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 cephalexin 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 · 11 product labels screened

Is cephalexin gluten-free?

By Ned Walsch

Founder and maintainer of Gluten Screen

Updated August 20, 2026

Not clinically reviewed — verify with your pharmacist

Looks mostly clean — worth verifying with the maker. Mostly yes — but worth a quick call to the manufacturer for some generics. Of 11 product labels we checked, 10 are clean, 0 are confirmed gluten-free by the maker, and 1 contain an inactive ingredient (typically a source-ambiguous starch) whose botanical origin isn't fully disclosed. None contained confirmed gluten.

Drug context

About cephalexin

Cephalexin is a first-generation cephalosporin antibiotic for skin and respiratory infections, sold under brand names including Keflex.

Why this matters

Different manufacturers, different ingredients

Generics of cephalexin 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 11 we checked

01

Aurobindo worth a call to confirm

Plogsted list · Cephalexin (Aurobindo, Lupin, Novopharm, Teva) · label dated 2017-04-28
View source label →
02

Aurobindo Pharma Limited nothing flagged on the label

US label (DailyMed) · CEPHALEXIN POWDER, FOR SUSPENSION [AUROBINDO PHARMA LIMITED] · label dated Jul 24, 2026

Inactive ingredients CHERRY · FD&C RED NO. 40 · SILICON DIOXIDE · SODIUM BENZOATE · STARCH, CORN · SUCROSE · XANTHAN GUM
View source label →
03

Northwind Health Company, LLC nothing flagged on the label

US label (DailyMed) · CEPHALEXIN CAPSULE [NORTHWIND HEALTH COMPANY, LLC] · label dated Jul 13, 2026

Inactive ingredients CROSCARMELLOSE SODIUM · D&C YELLOW NO. 10 · FD&C BLUE NO. 1 · FD&C YELLOW NO. 6 · GELATIN, UNSPECIFIED · MAGNESIUM STEARATE · MICROCRYSTALLINE CELLULOSE · SODIUM LAURYL SULFATE · TITANIUM DIOXIDE
View source label →
04

Northwind Health Company, LLC nothing flagged on the label

US label (DailyMed) · CEPHALEXIN CAPSULE [NORTHWIND HEALTH COMPANY, LLC] · label dated Jul 13, 2026

Inactive ingredients AMMONIA · ANHYDROUS LACTOSE · D&C YELLOW NO. 10 · FD&C BLUE NO. 1 · FERROSOFERRIC OXIDE · GELATIN · MAGNESIUM STEARATE · POTASSIUM HYDROXIDE · PROPYLENE GLYCOL · SHELLAC · SILICON DIOXIDE · SODIUM LAURYL SULFATE · TITANIUM DIOXIDE
View source label →
05

Ascend Laboratories, LLC nothing flagged on the label

US label (DailyMed) · CEPHALEXIN CAPSULE [ASCEND LABORATORIES, LLC] · label dated Jun 18, 2026

Inactive ingredients AMMONIA · ANHYDROUS LACTOSE · D&C YELLOW NO. 10 · FD&C BLUE NO. 1 · FD&C RED NO. 40 · FD&C YELLOW NO. 6 · FERROSOFERRIC OXIDE · GELATIN · MAGNESIUM STEARATE · POTASSIUM HYDROXIDE · PROPYLENE GLYCOL · SHELLAC · SILICON DIOXIDE · SODIUM LAURYL SULFATE · TITANIUM DIOXIDE
View source label →
06

Unit Dose Solutions, Inc. nothing flagged on the label

US label (DailyMed) · CEPHALEXIN CAPSULE [UNIT DOSE SOLUTIONS, INC.] · label dated Jun 10, 2026

Inactive ingredients ALUMINUM OXIDE · CARBOXYMETHYLCELLULOSE SODIUM · D&C YELLOW NO. 10 · FD&C BLUE NO. 1 · FD&C BLUE NO. 2 · FD&C RED NO. 40 · FERROSOFERRIC OXIDE · GELATIN · MAGNESIUM STEARATE · PROPYLENE GLYCOL · SILICON DIOXIDE · SODIUM LAURYL SULFATE · SODIUM STARCH GLYCOLATE TYPE A POTATO · TITANIUM DIOXIDE
View source label →
07

Preferred Pharmaceuticals Inc. nothing flagged on the label

US label (DailyMed) · CEPHALEXIN CAPSULE [PREFERRED PHARMACEUTICALS INC.] · label dated Aug 14, 2026

Inactive ingredients AMMONIA · ANHYDROUS LACTOSE · D&C YELLOW NO. 10 · FD&C BLUE NO. 1 · FERROSOFERRIC OXIDE · GELATIN, UNSPECIFIED · MAGNESIUM STEARATE · POTASSIUM HYDROXIDE · PROPYLENE GLYCOL · SHELLAC · SILICON DIOXIDE · SODIUM LAURYL SULFATE · TITANIUM DIOXIDE
View source label →
08

PD-Rx Pharmaceuticals, Inc. nothing flagged on the label

US label (DailyMed) · CEPHALEXIN CAPSULE [PD-RX PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.] · label dated Aug 10, 2026

Inactive ingredients AMMONIA · ANHYDROUS LACTOSE · D&C YELLOW NO. 10 · FD&C BLUE NO. 1 · FERROSOFERRIC OXIDE · GELATIN · MAGNESIUM STEARATE · POTASSIUM HYDROXIDE · PROPYLENE GLYCOL · SHELLAC · SILICON DIOXIDE · SODIUM LAURYL SULFATE · TITANIUM DIOXIDE
View source label →
09

REMEDYREPACK INC. nothing flagged on the label

US label (DailyMed) · CEPHALEXIN CAPSULE [REMEDYREPACK INC.] · label dated Aug 10, 2026

Inactive ingredients AMMONIA · ANHYDROUS LACTOSE · D&C YELLOW NO. 10 · FD&C BLUE NO. 1 · FERROSOFERRIC OXIDE · GELATIN · MAGNESIUM STEARATE · POTASSIUM HYDROXIDE · PROPYLENE GLYCOL · SHELLAC · SILICON DIOXIDE · SODIUM LAURYL SULFATE · TITANIUM DIOXIDE
View source label →
10

AvKARE nothing flagged on the label

US label (DailyMed) · CEPHALEXIN CAPSULE [AVKARE] · label dated Jul 31, 2026

Inactive ingredients ANHYDROUS LACTOSE · GELATIN · MAGNESIUM STEARATE · TALC · TITANIUM DIOXIDE
View source label →
11

Bryant Ranch Prepack nothing flagged on the label

US label (DailyMed) · CEPHALEXIN CAPSULE [BRYANT RANCH PREPACK] · label dated Jul 20, 2026

Inactive ingredients AMMONIA · ANHYDROUS LACTOSE · D&C YELLOW NO. 10 · FD&C BLUE NO. 1 · FD&C RED NO. 40 · FERROSOFERRIC OXIDE · GELATIN, UNSPECIFIED · MAGNESIUM STEARATE · POTASSIUM HYDROXIDE · PROPYLENE GLYCOL · SHELLAC · SILICON DIOXIDE · SODIUM LAURYL SULFATE · TITANIUM DIOXIDE
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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