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Food Label Question

nicole0392

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nicole0392 Newbie
nicole0392
Posted

can you eat something with the ingredient "modified food starch" it's so hard to find foods without all the "hidden" ingredients. extremely frustrated.

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kareng Grand Master
kareng
Posted

In the US, if its made from wheat, they have to label it. I have heard in the US its usually made from corn because corn is cheaper and more shelf stable. I wonder why all this "stuff" is in products sometimes. I see salsa with just the basic tomatoes, onions, peppers, salt, citric acid. Another brand has mod food starch, autolyzed yeast, etc. Why? Why? :angry:

Skylark Collaborator
Skylark
Posted

Modified food starch gives the salsa a consistency that sticks to your genetically modified, canola oil fried corn chips better. ;)

And yes, in the US if modified food starch is made of wheat it has to be declared on the label.

cassP Contributor
cassP
Posted

ya, as far as Celiac & Gluten Intolerance- you're fine- its usually from corn

but as far as health- we are being fed a crapload of crap :( i had a SEVERE reaction to High Maltose Corn Syrup that i wouldnt wish on most people... i was researching it, and basically they said that it's "relatively new to human consumption" so that "they" really dont know what it does to people... great...

i also heard from a best friend- her friend's husband was bragging about his latest business trip to China... he was responsible for making sure they were seperating the "Natural Flavors" from the "Fragrances" at this particular factory.... ewwwww

careful out there- we're part of a science experiment :/

MelindaLee Contributor
MelindaLee
Posted

ya, as far as Celiac & Gluten Intolerance- you're fine- its usually from corn

but as far as health- we are being fed a crapload of crap :( i had a SEVERE reaction to High Maltose Corn Syrup that i wouldnt wish on most people... i was researching it, and basically they said that it's "relatively new to human consumption" so that "they" really dont know what it does to people... great...

i also heard from a best friend- her friend's husband was bragging about his latest business trip to China... he was responsible for making sure they were seperating the "Natural Flavors" from the "Fragrances" at this particular factory.... ewwwww

careful out there- we're part of a science experiment :/

WOW...and we wonder what's going wrong with this world.... :blink:

tjking Newbie
tjking
Posted

Now I am more confused than ever. I am also newly diagnosed and the list I received from the dietician says no modified food starch. When I google it, it says in North America it is fine for people with Celiac's. After reading these answers I am not sure if it is ok or not. If a label says Modified Food Starch, if it is made from wheat will it say ( wheat ) afterward, so you know the diference?

mbrookes Community Regular
mbrookes
Posted

In the US, modified food starch HAS to say wheat, it that's where it comes from. That is very unlikely.

As to the list your dietitian gave you, it may be woefully out of date. The one I got from the dietitian at my doctor's prohibited all vinegar, liqour, artificial food color and flavor among other substances now known to be gluten free.. Thank goodness I now know better.

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AlysounRI Contributor
AlysounRI
Posted

but as far as health- we are being fed a crapload of crap :( i had a SEVERE reaction to High Maltose Corn Syrup that i wouldnt wish on most people... i was researching it, and basically they said that it's "relatively new to human consumption" so that "they" really dont know what it does to people... great...

High Maltose corn syrup.

Now that is a new one on me!!

Maltose is a sugar derived from barley so it's a no-no.

Maltose is also used as a sugar in many Asian sweets.

Skylark Collaborator
Skylark
Posted

High Maltose corn syrup.

Now that is a new one on me!!

Maltose is a sugar derived from barley so it's a no-no.

Maltose is also used as a sugar in many Asian sweets.

Your post has me confused. The maltose in high maltose corn syrup is not derived from barley. It's derived from corn. Maltose is found naturally in barley, but it's also manufactured from many grain starches by processing them with alpha-amylase. Commercially it's made from barley, wheat, corn, rice, tapioca or cassava. Unfortunately, a lot of foods do not list the source of the maltose so you have to know whether the manufacturer is one that consistently declares barley as well as wheat-derived intredients. If you're lucky enough to run across high maltose corn syrup, there would not be gluten in that ingredient.

AlysounRI Contributor
AlysounRI
Posted

Skylark:

Your post has me confused.

I was led to believe that maltose was barley sugar.

You see maltose as a sugar in a lot of Asian sweets in Asian markets.

Do food labelling laws have to declare wheat if it's derived from wheat in the US?

Which, of course, doesn't help if it's made of barley.

If maltose is an ingredient alone and it does list wheat is it safe?

Does the fact that it's paired with corn make it corn.

psawyer Proficient
psawyer
Posted

Here is what the Canadian Celiac Association has to say about Maltose:

A simple sugar obtained by enzymatic breakdown of starch (potato, rice, barley or wheat). Although barley or wheat may be used in the production of maltose, the manufacturing process renders maltose gluten-free.

In the US, *any* wheat-sourced ingredient must be disclosed as wheat.

Skylark Collaborator
Skylark
Posted

Skylark:

Your post has me confused.

I was led to believe that maltose was barley sugar.

You see maltose as a sugar in a lot of Asian sweets in Asian markets.

Do food labelling laws have to declare wheat if it's derived from wheat in the US?

Which, of course, doesn't help if it's made of barley.

If maltose is an ingredient alone and it does list wheat is it safe?

Does the fact that it's paired with corn make it corn.

Where did you get the idea that maltose was always barley sugar? Maltose is simply a disaccharide like sucrose or lactose. Maltose is named from the process of "malting" grains, where they are soaked until they sprout, and then air dried. In the process enzymes in the grain convert the starches into sugars including maltose. Malting is done to many different grains, including corn, wheat, rye, barley, millet, tapioca, or rice. Asian maltose syrup is often made from rice or corn. As you note, wheat maltose has to be declared. Major manufacturers like Kraft, Con-Agra, and Unilever have also committed to declaring barley-derived ingredients. In the US, corn is much cheaper than barley, so it's not reasonable to assume that maltose on a label would usually be barley-derived.

Your phrase "paired with corn" doesn't make sense to me. "High maltose corn syrup" is a single ingredient, a sugar syrup manufactured from corn. It has nothing to do with gluten-containing grains and is only an issue for people with corn sensitivity.

psawyer Proficient
psawyer
Posted
"High maltose corn syrup" is a single ingredient, a sugar syrup manufactured from corn.

In an ingredient list, the ingredients are separated by commas. The string of words "high maltose corn syrup" contains no commas--it is one ingredient. It is corn syrup that has a high concentration of the sugar maltose (which occurs naturally in corn).

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