Coloring And Flavoring

[janu]

I thought artificial color and flavor, including carmel, were on the NO list. I just read a list from NFCA(National Foundation for Celiac Awaremess) that had artificial color and flavor, carmel color, navilla, and maltodextrin on the SAFE additives and Ingredients list. HELP, I'm trying to learn and am getting more confused! What about dextrin as opposed to maltodextrin and modified food starch? Thanks for any help. Jan

[celiac3270]

Flavorings and colorings are all questionable. Sometime safe, sometimes not, you just need to call the company.

Dextrin is often made of corn, but it can be made of wheat. Maltodextrin is always safe IN THE UNITED STATES except in pharmeceuticals where it becomes questionable.

Modified food starch is questionable--it could be gluten-free, it might not be.

[KaitiUSA]

Yep what celiac3270 said is correct

[celiac3270]

Yep what celiac3270 said is correct

I know it is

[KaitiUSA]

haha celiac3270.....I know when I was knew to it I would like to hear it from more then one person ya know? and so there wasn't really anything to add except your right

[janu]

Thanks for the help. It really feels good to hear from EXPERIENCED celiacs about what is safe and what is not. When you eat something that's not gluten free, how fast do you feel symptoms? Do you know right away when you've eaten hidden gluten? How long does it take to get back to normal?

[KaitiUSA]

I know pretty much right away when I have had gluten and my reactions last for about 2 weeks. Everybody is different though..some people don't get symptoms after ingesting gluten. Some people have reactions that last for hours, days, or weeks.

[lovegrov]

OK, I'll have to disagree with celiac3270 some.

Although I heard years ago to watch out for colorings, I've never, ever found one with gluten. If anybody knows of a food with gluten because of artificial color, please say so. Artificial flavors also seem to be almost without exception safe, but please check to make sure.

Natural flavors DEFINITELY need to be checked.

Maltodextrin in food in the U.S. is no longer universally safe, BUT if it comes from wheat it must by law say so. So if doesn't say wheat maltodextrin, it's safe, even if it's in an imported product.

Most people who have looked at it in detail consider caramel color gluten-free because there simply never or almost never is wheat in it. Wheat CAN be in it but it just isn't at this point (of course that can change). Some warn that caramel color made overseas might have wheat, but if that's true I haven't yet found it or heard of it. If anybody knows of a product that definitely isn't safe because of caramel color, please say so.

Vanilla is safe.

richard

[KaitiUSA]

Yes Maltodextrin is safe in the US unless stated otherwise..they have to put wheat on the label if it comes from wheat.

I have seen things with natural flavors that are not safe...so I check on that every time unless it is a brand I know is safe.

[flagbabyds]

Natural flavors are much more of a question than artificial, almost always artificial is gluten-free because it is chemicals, not natural products which have wheat in them, and yes in the US maltodextrin is always listed if it has gluten in it. Really I am just restating what everyone else has said

[celiac3270]

No specific examples, Richard.....I was just going by the book, so to speak...

The following items may or may not contain gluten depending on where and how they are made, and it is sometimes necessary to check with the manufacturer to find out:

Artificial Color4

Artificial Flavoring6

Caramel Color1, 3

Coloring4

Dextrins1,7

Flavoring6

Food Starch1, 4

Gravy Cubes4

Ground Spices4

Maltodextrin1, 8  Miso4

Modified Food Starch1, 4

Modified Starch1, 4

Mono and Diglycerides1

Monosodium Glutimate (MSG)1, 4

Mustard Powder 4

Natural Flavoring6

Starch1, 4

Stock Cubes4

Wheat Starch5 

1) If this ingredient is made in North America it is likely to be gluten-free.

3) The problem with caramel color is it may or may not contain gluten depending on how it is manufactured. In the USA caramel color must conform with the FDA standard of identity from 21CFR CH.1. This statute says: "the color additive caramel is the dark-brown liquid or solid material resulting from the carefully controlled heat treatment of the following food-grade carbohydrates: Dextrose (corn sugar), invert sugar, lactose (milk sugar), malt syrup (usually from barley malt), molasses (from cane), starch hydrolysates and fractions thereof (can include wheat), sucrose (cane or beet)." Also, acids, alkalis and salts are listed as additives which may be employed to assist the caramelization process.

4) Can utilize a gluten-containing grain or by-product in the manufacturing process, or as an ingredient.

[lovegrov]

The problem is that some of this information is old now.

richard

[celiac3270]

Oh okay

[LivinLife]

Hey! Coke and Pepsi are both definitly gluten-free I got this info straight from the companies... I guess the coloring in these cases are fine!

[mommida]

Just ran across this in a cookbook, "Ingerdient Alert-Most, if not all, yellow-colored cheese contains annatto. It is not well-tolerated by some gluten-free individuals."

When you are first learning gluten-free, you are getting overloaded with information, and the wording can make such a huge difference.

In my opinion get a food diary and keep a journal. You could have other food sensitivites that are making it harder for you to adjust to gluten-free. A year from now you may laugh when you look back at it.

L.