Jump to content

  • Welcome to Celiac.com!

    You have found your celiac tribe! Join us and ask questions in our forum, share your story, and connect with others.


  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A1):
    Celiac.com Sponsor (A1-M):

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Our Content
    eNewsletter
    Donate

Wheat Starch

JodiC

Recommended Posts

JodiC Apprentice
JodiC
Posted

Hi,

I'm sure this has been asked already but I don't get on too often. What is the deal with Wheat Starch in foods? Is it safe for us or not? I noticed that alot of previously safe food have now added this but do not claim the wheat in the allergen label.

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


blueeyedmanda Community Regular
blueeyedmanda
Posted

Hi,

Wheat starch is bad....sorry.

cruelshoes Enthusiast
cruelshoes
Posted

Open Original Shared Link

WHEAT starch By-product of WHEAT processing. Cannot be guaranteed to be 100% gluten-free. Sometimes added to food items during processing. No form of WHEAT starch is considered appropriate for a zero tolerance level gluten-free diet in the United States and Canada. Codex WHEAT starch is considered gluten-free by some foreign governments. Gluten level must be 200ppm or less to be labeled as Codex WHEAT Starch [Europe].
gfp Enthusiast
gfp
Posted

BAD BAD BAD ....

Food grade wheat starch is not particularly pure... its just what washes away from the wheat and bits of gluten get carried along and its 'food' so its not really important. I have had reactions to the much purer pharmaceutical grade wheat starch... used in some tablets as a binder/filler let alone food grade.

larry mac Enthusiast
larry mac
Posted
.... What is the deal with Wheat Starch in foods? ....

Sometimes, in a misguided bout of false hope, I'll read some cereal box ingredients at the grocery store. You know the drill. Corn, good. Rice, good. Everythings looking OK until towards the end. Then there it is, wheat starch. Or malt flavoring, or simply wheat. You know since it's at the end, and based on weight, it's got to be a miniscule amount. Surely it couldn't be that critical to the formulation.

Seems like they just throw that stuff in there so as not to have to deal with us.

best regards, lm

gfp Enthusiast
gfp
Posted
Sometimes, in a misguided bout of false hope, I'll read some cerial box ingredients at the grocery store. You know the drill. Corn, good. Rice, good. Everythings looking OK until towards the end. Then there it is, wheat starch. Or malt flavoring, or simply wheat. You know since it's at the end, and based on weight, it's got to be a miniscule amount. Surely it couldn't be that critical to the formulation.

Seems like they just throw that stuff in there so as not to have to deal with us.

best regards, lm

I guess its just short cut... and extremely cheap as its essentially a waste product.

I have to admit though, sometimes it FEELS like they just throw it in for good measure...

blueeyedmanda Community Regular
blueeyedmanda
Posted
Sometimes, in a misguided bout of false hope, I'll read some cerial box ingredients at the grocery store. You know the drill. Corn, good. Rice, good. Everythings looking OK until towards the end. Then there it is, wheat starch. Or malt flavoring, or simply wheat. You know since it's at the end, and based on weight, it's got to be a miniscule amount. Surely it couldn't be that critical to the formulation.

Seems like they just throw that stuff in there so as not to have to deal with us.

best regards, lm

I know....that bugs me! I get all happy looking at cereal and then at the end....I walk away disappointed :)

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


JodiC Apprentice
JodiC
Posted
  • Author

So they don't have to list it in the allergen warnings? Is it because it is listed in the ingredients? I'm so sick of these food companies messing up food. Additives, fillers, flavorings, etc........I'm tired of the fakeness of it all.

ravenwoodglass Mentor
ravenwoodglass
Posted
Sometimes, in a misguided bout of false hope, I'll read some cereal box ingredients at the grocery store. You know the drill. Corn, good. Rice, good. Everythings looking OK until towards the end. Then there it is, wheat starch. Or malt flavoring, or simply wheat. You know since it's at the end, and based on weight, it's got to be a miniscule amount. Surely it couldn't be that critical to the formulation.

Seems like they just throw that stuff in there so as not to have to deal with us.

best regards, lm

They do that so they can say the cereal is 'multigrain' cause that is sooooo very good for us. :angry:

cruelshoes Enthusiast
cruelshoes
Posted
So they don't have to list it in the allergen warnings? Is it because it is listed in the ingredients?

Companies are not required to have an allergen warning per-se. They are, however, required to include the "big 8" somewhere on their ingredient statement if it is added to the product. They can do this one of 2 ways:

In the list of ingredients, put the name of the food source of the major food allergen in parenthesis after the common or usual name of the ingredient when that name does not already appear in the ingredient statement.

-or-

Immediately after or adjacent to the list of ingredients, put the word "Contains" followed by the name of the food for each of the major food allergens present in the food

NorthernElf Enthusiast
NorthernElf
Posted

Yep, wheat starch is bad.

I LOVE Tera chips - but watch out for the Mediterranean ones ! I glutened myself a couple of weeks ago at Costco. I bought what I thought was regular Tera chips and scarfed done a couple of handfuls driving to another store. Ugh - it was quick enough for me to check the ingredients when I stopped and there it was - wheat starch.

Hello gut cramps, sinus pain, etc.

Isn't a terrible feeling to know you just ate some wheat and knowing that shortly you're going to be feeling ill ?!?!??!??! :angry:

  • 3 weeks later...
Guest swezzan
Guest swezzan
Posted

all the responses are sooooo right........It is horrible to know you are going to be sick and sometimes boy r u. not to mention your thinking process has slowed as well. :(

hathor Contributor
hathor
Posted
Companies are not required to have an allergen warning per-se. They are, however, required to include the "big 8" somewhere on their ingredient statement if it is added to the product. They can do this one of 2 ways:

In the list of ingredients, put the name of the food source of the major food allergen in parenthesis after the common or usual name of the ingredient when that name does not already appear in the ingredient statement.

-or-

Immediately after or adjacent to the list of ingredients, put the word "Contains" followed by the name of the food for each of the major food allergens present in the food

  • 4 years later...
Huntress Newbie
Huntress
Posted

I find the topic of wheat starch confusing given the following statement in this research publication. (It would appear that the researchers considered the wheat-starch based bread as gluten-free.):

Gluten-Free Bread from Sorghum: Quality Differences Among Hybrids

Tilman J. Schober,1

JNBunnie1 Community Regular
JNBunnie1
Posted

It's likely this research was done in a country where the govermnment has decreed wheat starch below a certain gluten ppm threshold is considered acceptable to a gluten free diet. Many of the residents of said countries would disagree.

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Celiac.com:
    Join eNewsletter
    Donate
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):
    Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):



    Celiac.com Sponsors (A17-M):



  • Recent Activity

    1. knitty kitty
      - knitty kitty replied to Jane02's topic in Gluten-Free Foods, Products, Shopping & Medications
      9

      Desperately need a vitamin D supplement. I've reacted to most brands I've tried.

      @Jane02, I hear you about the kale and collard greens. I don't do dairy and must eat green leafies, too, to get sufficient calcium. I must be very careful because some calcium supplements are made from ground up crustacean shells. When I was deficient in Vitamin D, I took high doses of Vitamin D to correct the deficiency quickly. This is safe...
    2. Jane02
      - Jane02 replied to Jane02's topic in Gluten-Free Foods, Products, Shopping & Medications
      9

      Desperately need a vitamin D supplement. I've reacted to most brands I've tried.

      Thank you so much @knitty kitty for this insightful information! I would have never considered fractionated coconut oil to be a potential source of GI upset. I will consider all the info you shared. Very interesting about the Thiamine deficiency. I've tracked daily averages of my intake in a nutrition software. The only nutrient I can't consistently...
    3. knitty kitty
      - knitty kitty replied to Jane02's topic in Gluten-Free Foods, Products, Shopping & Medications
      9

      Desperately need a vitamin D supplement. I've reacted to most brands I've tried.

      Hello, @Jane02, I take Naturewise D 3. It contains olive oil. Some Vitamin D supplements, like D Drops, are made with fractionated coconut oil which can cause digestive upsets. Fractionated coconut oil is not the same as coconut oil used for cooking. Fractionated coconut oil has been treated for longer shelf life, so it won't go bad in the...
    4. Scott Adams
      0

      Penobscot Bay, Maine: Nurturing Gluten-Free Wellness Retreat with expert celiac dietitian, Melinda Dennis

      until
      Hello! Join me and treat yourself to a four-day, three-night restorative gluten-free retreat in a peaceful, private coastal retreat setting near Penobscot Bay in Maine. Dates: April 10-13, 2026 Enjoy engaging classes...
    5. Scott Adams
      - Scott Adams replied to Jane02's topic in Gluten-Free Foods, Products, Shopping & Medications
      9

      Desperately need a vitamin D supplement. I've reacted to most brands I've tried.

      I do not know this, but since they are labelled gluten-free, and are not really a product that could easily be contaminated when making them (there would be not flour in the air of such a facility, for example), I don't really see contamination as something to be concerned about for this type of product.
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):

  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      133,333
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    Donna Chem
    Newest Member
    Donna Chem
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):

  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.6k
    • Total Posts
      1m
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):

  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • knitty kitty
      Desperately need a vitamin D supplement. I've reacted to most brands I've tried.

      By knitty kitty · Posted

      @Jane02, I hear you about the kale and collard greens.  I don't do dairy and must eat green leafies, too, to get sufficient calcium.  I must be very careful because some calcium supplements are made from ground up crustacean shells.  When I was deficient in Vitamin D, I took high doses of Vitamin D to correct the deficiency quickly.  This is safe and nontoxic.  Vitamin D level should be above 70 nmol/L.  Lifeguards and indigenous Pacific Islanders typically have levels between 80-100 nmol/L.   Levels lower than this are based on amount needed to prevent disease like rickets and osteomalacia. We need more thiamine when we're physically ill, emotionally and mentally stressed, and if we exercise like an athlete or laborer.  We need more thiamine if we eat a diet high in simple carbohydrates.  For every 500 kcal of carbohydrates, we need 500-1000 mg more of thiamine to process the carbs into energy.  If there's insufficient thiamine the carbs get stored as fat.  Again, recommended levels set for thiamine are based on minimum amounts needed to prevent disease.  This is often not adequate for optimum health, nor sufficient for people with absorption problems such as Celiac disease.  Gluten free processed foods are not enriched with vitamins like their gluten containing counterparts.  Adding a B Complex and additional thiamine improves health for Celiacs.  Thiamine is safe and nontoxic even in high doses.  Thiamine helps the mitochondria in cells to function.  Thiamine interacts with each of the other B vitamins.  They are all water soluble and easily excreted if not needed. Interesting Reading: Clinical trial: B vitamins improve health in patients with coeliac disease living on a gluten-free diet https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19154566/ Safety and effectiveness of vitamin D mega-dose: A systematic review https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34857184/ High dose dietary vitamin D allocates surplus calories to muscle and growth instead of fat via modulation of myostatin and leptin signaling https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38766160/ Safety of High-Dose Vitamin D Supplementation: Secondary Analysis of a Randomized Controlled Trial https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31746327/ Vitamins and Celiac Disease: Beyond Vitamin D https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11857425/ Investigating the therapeutic potential of tryptophan and vitamin A in modulating immune responses in celiac disease: an experimental study https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40178602/ Investigating the Impact of Vitamin A and Amino Acids on Immune Responses in Celiac Disease Patients https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10814138/
    • Jane02
      Desperately need a vitamin D supplement. I've reacted to most brands I've tried.

      By Jane02 · Posted

      Thank you so much @knitty kitty for this insightful information! I would have never considered fractionated coconut oil to be a potential source of GI upset. I will consider all the info you shared. Very interesting about the Thiamine deficiency.  I've tracked daily averages of my intake in a nutrition software. The only nutrient I can't consistently meet from my diet is vitamin D. Calcium is a hit and miss as I rely on vegetables, dark leafy greens as a major source, for my calcium intake. I'm able to meet it when I either eat or juice a bundle of kale or collard greens daily haha. My thiamine intake is roughly 120% of my needs, although I do recognize that I may not be absorbing all of these nutrients consistently with intermittent unintentional exposures to gluten.  My vitamin A intake is roughly 900% (~6400 mcg/d) of my needs as I eat a lot of sweet potato, although since it's plant-derived vitamin A (beta-carotene) apparently it's not likely to cause toxicity.  Thanks again! 
    • knitty kitty
      Desperately need a vitamin D supplement. I've reacted to most brands I've tried.

      By knitty kitty · Posted

      Hello, @Jane02,  I take Naturewise D 3.  It contains olive oil.   Some Vitamin D supplements, like D Drops, are made with fractionated coconut oil which can cause digestive upsets.  Fractionated coconut oil is not the same as coconut oil used for cooking.  Fractionated coconut oil has been treated for longer shelf life, so it won't go bad in the jar, and thus may be irritating to the digestive system. I avoid supplements made with soy because many people with Celiac Disease also react to soy.  Mixed tocopherols, an ingredient in Thornes Vitamin D, may be sourced from soy oil.  Kirkland's has soy on its ingredient list. I avoid things that might contain or be exposed to crustaceans, like Metagenics says on its label.  I have a crustacean/shellfish/fish allergy.  I like Life Extension Bioactive Complete B Complex.  I take additional Thiamine B 1 in the form Benfotiamine which helps the intestines heal, Life Extension MegaBenfotiamine. Thiamine is needed to activate Vitamin D.   Low thiamine can make one feel like they are getting glutened after a meal containing lots of simple carbohydrates like white rice, or processed gluten free foods like cookies and pasta.   It's rare to have a single vitamin deficiency.  The water soluble B Complex vitamins should be supplemented together with additional Thiamine in the form Benfotiamine and Thiamine TTFD (tetrahydrofurfuryl disulfide) to correct subclinical deficiencies that don't show up on blood tests.  These are subclinical deficiencies within organs and tissues.  Blood is a transportation system.  The body will deplete tissues and organs in order to keep a supply of thiamine in the bloodstream going to the brain and heart.   If you're low in Vitamin D, you may well be low in other fat soluble vitamins like Vitamin A and Vitamin K. Have you seen a dietician?
    • Scott Adams
      Desperately need a vitamin D supplement. I've reacted to most brands I've tried.

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      I do not know this, but since they are labelled gluten-free, and are not really a product that could easily be contaminated when making them (there would be not flour in the air of such a facility, for example), I don't really see contamination as something to be concerned about for this type of product. 
    • trents
      Desperately need a vitamin D supplement. I've reacted to most brands I've tried.

      By trents · Posted

      Contact them.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

NOTICE: This site places This site places cookies on your device (Cookie settings). on your device. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use, and Privacy Policy.