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

Expandex- Modified Tapioca Starch?


Lisa16

Recommended Posts

Lisa16 Collaborator

Does anybody know about this stuff? I looked up expandex and all I could find was that it is a modified tapioca starch. But what does this mean, exactly? How is it modified and is it something we have to worry about?

Thanks!


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



Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):



psawyer Proficient

Modified starch is starch that has been partially broken down. Unless it is from a gluten grain, which tapioca is not, it is suitable for a gluten-free diet.

Lisa16 Collaborator

Sorry Peter-- I didn't mean if we had to worry if it was gluten free or not. I meant if we had to worry about any adverse effects from the "modified" part.

Broken down how? What does this do-- I mean, what is the purpose of modifying it? And what does it do inside of bake goods? And wht does it do inside of you when you eat it?

It seems to me that lots of people are slightly worried about modified starches and this is the first one I have encountered (that I noticed.)

psawyer Proficient

Here is a link to Wikipedia regarding modified starch. Modified starch is very common.

HTH

Lisa16 Collaborator

Hey thanks!

After reading the link, I bet it is the genetically modified starches that people are worried about. I feel better now.

I will go make an angel food cake now.

  • 3 years later...
pennypal Newbie

If Expandex is "just Modified tapioca starch" why does it have a trade name,?

psawyer Proficient

This topic is almost four years old, so I'm unsure why we are reviving it now.

If Expandex is "just Modified tapioca starch" why does it have a trade name,?

"Accent" is just monosodium glutamate. Why does it have a trade name? Answer: So you will associate a specific brand in your mind, and purchase that brand rather than a generic form of the same substance. Marketing 101.


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



Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):



pennypal Newbie

I didn't realize it was an old forum. I hope it gets re-activated because today I have what I call a "chemical" hangover. All my muscles ache. I made pizza last night with a very popular brand of commercial crust. I knew better. About 2-3 months age I ate at my favorite Pizza place (gluten free) next morning I ached all over. I ate there one more time before I realized they had changed their crust. I asked their response was "same crust", I checked label, it's ingredients used to say tapioca starch now says "_____'s Best Blend (tapioca starch).

I have sent this question out before because I think Tapioca is being modified like wheat has been. I also have had a reaction to an "absolutely delicious gluten-free cupcake" I now bake all my own products. Your reference to Accent is more accurate than you realize.

kareng Grand Master

I didn't realize it was an old forum. I hope it gets re-activated because today I have what I call a "chemical" hangover. All my muscles ache. I made pizza last night with a very popular brand of commercial crust. I knew better. About 2-3 months age I ate at my favorite Pizza place (gluten free) next morning I ached all over. I ate there one more time before I realized they had changed their crust. I asked their response was "same crust", I checked label, it's ingredients used to say tapioca starch now says "_____'s Best Blend (tapioca starch).

I have sent this question out before because I think Tapioca is being modified like wheat has been. I also have had a reaction to an "absolutely delicious gluten-free cupcake" I now bake all my own products. Your reference to Accent is more accurate than you realize.

Tapioca is gluten free.

pennypal Newbie

Tapioca is gluten free.

I guess I am on the wrong forum. I know it is gluten-free but my issue is that there are a lot of gluten-free things that have "modified starch" in them. Only in the last few years have gluten-free products had modified starches that had a "NAME" like Expandex

kareng Grand Master

I guess I am on the wrong forum. I know it is gluten-free but my issue is that there are a lot of gluten-free things that have "modified starch" in them. Only in the last few years have gluten-free products had modified starches that had a "NAME" like Expandex

If it says modified tapioca starch, then it is tapioca made into a starch. It can't have wheat or some other starch added to it. Not really sure what you are saying?

Not sure why the pizza crust company thinks the brand of tapicoa matters so much that they "name" it in the ingredients. Perhaps they get a discount for listing it by brand name? They could just say tapioca starch and not mention a brand.

I don't think there is anything dangerous about listing a brand name. I have seen products that say "made with real Land of Lakes butter" or "made with Somebody's Sea salt" (Can't remember that salt brand so I guess the advertising didn't work! :blink: )

auzzi Newbie

Expandex® is an American product - a lot of consumers like to know where there food originates. It emphasizes that fact that it is totally gluten-free in the US market-place:

http://expandexglutenfree.com/index.php

  • 5 years later...
ccraigen Newbie

Does anybody have a suggestion where to buy expanded modified tapioca starch in Canada?  I have not found it in stores and any online store (amazon, Modernist Pantry) charges more than the price of the produce in shipping costs. 

Thanks.

Archived

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

  • 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. - melthebell replied to melthebell's topic in Celiac Disease Pre-Diagnosis, Testing & Symptoms
      11

      Persistent isolated high DGP-IGG in child despite gluten-free diet

    2. - trents replied to JamieAnn's topic in Gluten-Free Foods, Products, Shopping & Medications
      1

      Jersey Mike’s option: Gluten-free bread

    3. - JamieAnn posted a topic in Gluten-Free Foods, Products, Shopping & Medications
      1

      Jersey Mike’s option: Gluten-free bread

    4. - trents replied to melthebell's topic in Celiac Disease Pre-Diagnosis, Testing & Symptoms
      11

      Persistent isolated high DGP-IGG in child despite gluten-free diet

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):
  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      133,508
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748

    JamieAnn
    Newest Member
    JamieAnn
    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

    • melthebell
      That's interesting - that's a lot of gluten! I'll be very curious to see how my son responds to the gluten. In some ways, I guess having a strong reaction would tell us something? It's tough navigating this as a parent and having it be not so clear cut ;\
    • trents
      Welcome to the celiac.com community, @JamieAnn!  Glad you had a good experience at your local Jersey Mike's.  In the town I live in all we have is Subway and they stopped offering gluten free buns. So, I can't eat there anymore. Oh, more recently there has come to our town a Firehouse sub shop and, according to the Internet, they offer gluten free buns but I haven't tried them yet. For super sensitive celiacs, cross-contamination in handling at these sub shops may also be a problem.
    • JamieAnn
      Today, in Uniontown, PA,  I ordered Jersey Mike’s Italian sub on gluten-free bread (paid extra for gluten-free) for my brother who hasn’t had a sub in yrs (neorological prob if consumes). He’s so happy! Their gluten-free bread is from a company that specializes in gluten-free products, some of which I’ve enjoyed before, so figured a sub would be good! Jersey Mike’s fast-food restaurant chain
    • cristiana
      Thank you @knitty kitty x
    • trents
      Most recent gluten challenge guidelines call for the consumption of at least 10g of gluten (about the amount in about 4-6 slices of wheat-based bread) for at least 2 weeks.  When celiacs have been on gluten free diets for long periods of time, they often find that when they consume a good amount of gluten, they react much more strongly than they did before going gluten free. They have lost all tolerance to the poison they had when consuming wheat products regularly. That is certainly the case with me. A couple of years ago I accidentally consumed a wheat biscuit my wife had made thinking it was a gluten free one and it made me violently ill. So, I mention that as I don't know if your son has started the gluten challenge yet.
×
×
  • 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.