Xanthan Gum Excerpt From Wikipedia

[Trymester]

Allergies

Xanthan gum may be derived from a variety of source products that are themselves common allergens, such as corn, wheat, or soy. As such, persons with known sensitivities or allergies to food products are advised to avoid foods including generic xanthan gum or first determine the source for the xanthan gum before consuming the food.

Specifically, an allergic response may be triggered in people sensitive to the growth medium, usually corn, soy, or wheat. [7] [8] For example, residual wheat gluten has been detected on xanthan gum made using wheat. [9] This may trigger a response in people highly sensitive to gluten. Some consider this to be a separate allergy to xanthan gum with similar symptoms to gluten allergy. Xanthan gum is a "highly efficient laxative", according to a study that fed 15g/day for 10 days to 18 normal volunteers.[10] Some people react to much smaller amounts of xanthan gum, with symptoms of intestinal bloating and diarrhea. [11]

Do you guys actually go that extra mile to verify what source the xanthan gum you consume comes from?

[DougE]

Say it ain't so!

[psawyer]

The Canadian Celiac Association lists it as gluten-free without any qualification.

[lovegrov]

Never ever heard of xanthan gum made from wheat. And if it were in the U.S. it would have to be listed. This is something I definitely will not worry about.

And remember, wikipedia isn't exactly the most accurate source in the world. It's FULL of mistakes.

[Juliebove]

Well for starters I don't necessarily believe what is posted to Wikipedia. Unless things have changed, anyone can post there. I have seen other things there that I know are wrong. I can't remember what exactly it was now. But I know I have.

I also didn't know about the laxative thing, but... It could explain the problems I've been having. Hmmm...

[salexander421]

I buy Bob's Red Mill, it specifically states gluten free

[Skylark]

I buy Bob's Red Mill, it specifically states gluten free

Me too. When Bob's says gluten-free they've tested the product.

Agreed with Julieabove that you always have to doublecheck Wikipedia information.

[RESO]

I also agree with those who have stated Wikipedia is not reliable. Anyone can edit any article, so take it with a grain of salt. If you want to look at research, look at articles on this website and look at scientific journal articles posted online. They may not be perfect, research changes all the time, but they are a lot more credible than wikipedia.

[psawyer]

The fact that anyone can edit Wikipedia is both a strength and a weakness. Incorrect information usually does not go uncorrected indefinitely.

You can use the "View history" feature to look at the article as it was at some point in the past. If the same information was there many revisions ago, it is probably correct.

Also, Wikipedia expects references to be supplied for information posted. You can follow the links to those references to see for yourself what they are worth.

[DougE]

The fact that anyone can edit Wikipedia is both a strength and a weakness. Incorrect information usually does not go uncorrected indefinitely.

You can use the "View history" feature to look at the article as it was at some point in the past. If the same information was there many revisions ago, it is probably correct.

Also, Wikipedia expects references to be supplied for information posted. You can follow the links to those references to see for yourself what they are worth.

Good Point Peter.

I just checked the references on Wikipedia and found the source. It is from a site called AllAllergy.net. It looks like it is hosted by a group called "Allergy Resources International". Has anyone heard of them?

Anyway, here is the excerpt:

"In the U.S., there are 2 major suppliers of xanthan gum. One uses soy as the fermentation medium while the other uses wheat. Residual wheat gluten has been detected in the xanthan gum made on the wheat substrate. (Personal communication: Prof. Steve Taylor)"

Doug