One of my sisters recently vacationed in the U.S. and brought me back these two precious bottles of Lea & Perrins Worcestershire sauce.
I love Worcestershire sauce. (In my family, it’s pronounced WUSS-ter. My father was born in the English county of Gloucestershire, which the locals refer to as GLOSS-ter.) I used to apply it liberally to hamburgers, as well as use it to perk up beef stews. After going gluten-free, I was very sad when I learned that, because of the malt vinegar in the version sold in Canada, I had to stop using it. When I found out that the U.S. version used white vinegar and was therefore okay for me to eat, I was ecstatic. I am almost afraid to start using it, because I don’t want to run out.
This American Worcestershire sauce is made with white vinegar, not malt vinegar, so it is gluten free. The Lea & Perrins Worcestershire sauce sold in Canada is made with malt vinegar, so it is not safe for people who avoid gluten.
A Flour By Any Other Name 
It’s interesting and strange that US and Canadian recipes for an English staple would be different. But it’s similar for Coca-Cola which in the US is made with corn syrup, and in Canada with real sugar. Maybe it’s because malt vinegar is rare in the US… once at a restaurant in Indiana my uncle asked for vinegar for his fries and all they had was the white vinegar they used for cleaning.
That’s interesting. I believe the Canadian recipe is exactly the same as the British one. But there must be some wiggle room in the brand licensing agreements in different regions.