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Celiac.com 07/03/2020 - In the USA Maltodextrin is generally made from potato, rice or corn, and the "malt" used in the process is not barley malt. So, in the US, maltodextrin is gluten-free and safe for people with celiac disease, and Celiac.com includes maltodextrin on our Gluten-Free Safe Food & Ingredients List. According to US regulations, maltodextrin, gluten, gluten-free, safe, celiac, disease, Sec. 184.1444, "Maltodextrin" is a "non-sweet nutritive saccharide polymer that consists of D-glucose units linked primarily by [alpha]-1-4 bonds and has a dextrose equivalent (DE) of less than 20. It is prepared as a white powder or concentrated solution by partial hydrolysis of cornstarch, potato starch or rice starch with safe and suitable acids and enzymes." While USA regulations permit maltodextrin to be made with wheat, it is very rare. Also, maltodextrin made with wheat will be labeled as "wheat maltodextrin" or "maltodextrin (wheat)." Any product that contains wheat should also have 'wheat' listed on the allergen disclosure. For some people with celiac disease, especially those who are still in the process of healing the gut, gluten-free additives, like maltodextrin, can sometimes cause discomfort. If maltodextrin, or other additives in processed foods, bother your gut, it's better to stick with simple, whole foods until the gut is fully healed. At that time, it's okay to test your sensitivity again, and to add back ingredients that seem to agree with you.

Celiac.com 09/10/2022 - Starch––the single word “starch” on a US or Canadian food label is considered the common or usual name for cornstarch. Starches from other sources must be labeled accordingly such as “potato starch”, “tapioca starch” or “wheat starch”. It is very difficult to completely remove all traces of protein during the manufacture of food-grade starch. Wheat starch contains varying amounts of gluten. Some European products labeled “gluten-free” are made from Codex Alimentarius quality wheat starch. North American celiac organizations do not recommend that celiacs consume wheat starch-based products. Modified Food Starch There are specific regulations for how food starches can be modified. However, there is no requirement for the identification of the name of the plant sources of the modified food starch on US or Canadian food labels. Corn, tapioca, potato, wheat or other starches can be used by the food industry. Corn is the most common source of North American modified food starch, with potato, tapioca or rice used occasionally. To be 100% certain, it is best to contact the company to determine the source of the modified food starch. Dextrin Dextrin is partially hydrolyzed starch by heat alone or by heating in the presence of food-grade acids and buffers. A variety of starches such as corn, milo, potato, arrowroot, rice, tapioca or wheat can be used. In North America, dextrin is almost always derived from corn or tapioca; however, contact the company to confirm the source of dextrin. Maltodextrin Corn, waxy maize, potato, rice or wheat can be used in the production of maltodextrin. North American maltodextrin is usually derived from corn or potato; however, wheat is often used in European products, and occasionally in some North American products. The US Code of Federal Regulations for maltodextrin (Sec. 184.1444) state it is derived from corn, potato or rice starch. The FDA also permits the use of other starches including wheat. If wheat is used, it must be labeled “wheat maltodextrin”. Caramel Color Caramel color is manufactured by heating carbohydrates, either alone, or in the presence of food-grade acids, alkalis and/or salts, and is produced from fructose, dextrose (glucose), invert sugar, sucrose and/or starch hydrolysates and fractions thereof. Although gluten-containing ingredients [malt syrup (barley) and starch hydrolysates] can be used in the production of caramel color, they are not used according to food processors in North America. Corn is used most often, as it produces a longer shelf life and a much better product. *Note that food allergen labelling laws passed after this article was written require companies to disclose the top 8 food allergens in the ingredients, including wheat.

Celiac.com 04/02/2021 - On a gluten-free outing with nursing students, they presented an array of snacks that were listed as "gluten-free". After careful review and sampling, we came to the conclusion that fancy packaging costs more than the product inside! That means sampling is costly so healthy meals are better for a healthy bank account. Here is a summation of the gluten-free snacks sampled (GF labels mean it contains less than 20 ppm gluten). Organic Crunchy Rice Rollers = various flavors and all the GF ingredients you could want BUT they were so dry that extra liquid was needed to eat just 1/2 roll. Banana Vital " Simply Bananas" and "Simply Bananas + Guava" tasted good and was a good source of potassium, folate and magnesium for 90 calories and 17 grams sugar. Real Fruit Yo Yo Mango 100% fruit rolls labeled " absolutely nothing else" were a blend of apples, pears, and mango rolled into 2 chewy fruit swirls at 8 grams sugar, 60 calories. In the same snack aisle were: Keto Crisps 100% artisan cheese "from family farm cows that are ethically cared for by local farmers" which made us think that the package message was more important than ingredients, taste or cost. Ingredients were pastuerized milk, salt, microbial congulant cheese cultures but I could not determine if with the label was accurate indicating 2 servings because they disappeared so fast . 7 crisps = 160 calories. Skinny Jimmy "clean protein bars" in chocolate peanut butter and "wake & focus" cookies 'N cream. The "wake & focus" bars featured guarana as a caffeine source + omega 3 fatty acids and MCT oil. The 21 g "clean protein" bar consisted of soy protein isolate and pea protein GF cookies which is a highly processed protein source. These snacks led to a discussion of what other ingredients in processed foods should people with celiac disease and gluten-sensitivity need to consider. Maltodextrin is a thickener produced from corn, rice, wheat or potato starch for use in shakes, sugar-free sweeteners and diet products. It has been shown to increase blood glucose and suppresses antimicrobial defenses in the gut. Guar Gum is from guar beans in India and Pakistan. It is called galactomannan on labels and is used widely throughout the food industry - ice cream, yogurt, sauces, kefir, almond milk, coconut milk. As a thickener and stabilizer, it is used as a binding agent in making tablets as well as a thickener in lotions and creams. Guar can cause increased abdominal discomfort and gas. Lectins are another carbohydrate binding protein that promotes inflammation in the gut. Foods that commonly contain toxic lectins are: pea family (peanuts, pigeon peas, soybeams, kidney beans, mung beans, lima beans, lentils, chick peas, carob, green and yellow peas). Green beans and snow peas can be tolerated since they are immature proteins with minor amounts of lectins. Grains are seeds from grasses- barley, oats, kamut, spelt, teff, wheat, millet, rye- all have detrimental effects of lectins and are a factor in the development of celiac disease or gluten sensitivity.