Konjac Flour

[Guhlia]

I bought a Kraft product that contains konjac flour... It appears to be gluten free from articles online, but I wanted to check with you guys before I ate it. What do you think?

[larry mac]

I bought a Kraft product that contains konjac flour... It appears to be gluten free from articles online, but I wanted to check with you guys before I ate it. What do you think?

G,

I'm not claiming to be the expert, but it sounds pretty benign to me. Checked a few online sources also. It's more like a starch than a grain flour. It's a tuber root actually. A form of glucose sugar. Used as a thickener.

"Comments: This is an unique hydrocolloid. Essentially the flour consists of fine oval whitish saces [100 to 500 microns in size] which swell in water to form a water-soluble aggregated glucomannan.When hydrated it is a mixture that has optimum viscosity. This also will behave synergistically with kappa carrageenan and xanthan gum. The biggest advantage is that this gel becomes more thermally stable upon heating. This is why it is useful for use as a fat replacer in hamburger. As a fat replacer it gives the body and mouthfeel of fat and yet not the calories. Additionally, it remains in the burger when fried. Because of its functional interaction with most starches, it is used with a variety of reduced fat foods and pasta products."

best regards, lm

[missy'smom]

You can find more info on this by searching the internet using the Japanese spelling konnyaku. I checked and it is the same product as the one you mentioned. Just a different spelling. It is also called devil's tongue.

EDIT: I should clarify that konnyaku is from the same plant as konjac flour. Just a different form.

[Guhlia]

So, the general consensus is that it's safe??? It is in a Kraft product and I imagine they'd list the gluten source if there were gluten. I just wanted to double check because I'd never heard of it before.

[missy'smom]

It comes from a root in the taro family. The part of the plant that we eat does not contain gluten nor do any other parts. I am familiar with and have eaten other products made from this plant many times but not the flour. I've never seen it listed on any lists of forbidden foods. If the flour is pure it should not contain gluten. I'd attatch links but I don't know how. Gotta learn how to do that.