What Ingredients May Hide Gluten?

[momof2]

I have been feeding my daughter gluten-free food for the past year, and have avoided any sort of food that I haven't called the manufacturer on. Since she is getting a bit older, (just turned 2) she is starting to notice when people hand her and her sister something, and I have to take hers away from her.

So, my question is, what are the ingredients that can be suspect to hiding gluten? I know modified food starch...BUT, I was listening to Danna Korn speak a few months ago, and she said that although she has never come across modified food starch containing wheat, it is possible. So, I am asking because if we are at a fair, or during a weekend when the food places are closed, can you tell me the ingredients that are most often hiding gluten?

I hope I am making myself clear...I know what I am trying to say

I realize Kraft, Nestle, and many others won't hide it, but if she is handed an ice cream from an ice cream truck, what are the suspect ingredients that we sholdn't risk in giving her?

[celiac3270]

I would never eat something that didn't disclose the modified food starch--it may not be gluten, but it may also be. I have found products in which that is the culprit--can't remember which ones because they were quickly stricken from my mental list of foods...but they do exist. Some ingredients that are questionable:

Modified Food Starch

Food Starch

Flour (almost 100% always wheat in mainstream regular foods, but hey, it could be rice--lol)

Natural Flavors

Artificial Flavors

Flavors

Maltodextrin (outside of the US or in medication)

Citric acid (outside US)

Artificial color

Dextrin (often corn, but can be wheat)

Oh, duh! From the celiac.com site:

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.

5) Most celiac organizations in the USA and Canada do not believe that wheat starch is safe for celiacs. In Europe, however, Codex Alimentarius Quality wheat starch is considered acceptable in the celiac diet by most doctors and celiac organizations. This is a higher quality of wheat starch than is generally available in the USA or Canada.

6) According to 21 C.F.R. S 101,22(a)(3): "[t]he terns 'natural flavor' or 'natural flavoring' means the essential oil, oleoresin, essence or extractive, protein hydrolysate, distillate, or any product of roasting, heating or enzymolysis, which contains the flavoring constituents derived from a spice, fruit or fruit juice, vegetable or vegetable juice, edible yeast, herb, bark, bud, root, leaf or similar plant material, meat, seafood, poultry, eggs, dairy products, or fermentation products thereof. Whose significant function in food is flavoring rather than nutritional."

7) Dextrin is an incompletely hydrolyzed starch. It is prepared by dry heating corn, waxy maize, waxy milo, potato, arrowroot, WHEAT, rice, tapioca, or sago starches, or by dry heating the starches after: (1) Treatment with safe and suitable alkalis, acids, or pH control agents and (2) drying the acid or alkali treated starch. (1) Therefore, unless you know the source, you must avoid dextrin.

May 1997 Sprue-Nik News.

(1) Federal Register (4-1-96 Edition) 21CFR Ch.1, Section 184.12277.

(2) Federal Register (4-1-96) 21 CFR. Ch.1, Section 184.1444

8) Maltodextrin is prepared as a white powder or concentrated solution by partial hydrolysis of corn starch or potato starch with safe and suitable acids and enzymes. (1) Maltodextrin, when listed on food sold in the USA, must be (per FDA regulation) made from corn or potato. This rule does NOT apply to vitamin or mineral supplements and medications. (2) Donald Kasarda Ph.D., a research chemist specializing on grain proteins, of the United States Department of Agriculture, found that all maltodextrins in the USA are made from corn starch, using enzymes that are NOT derived from wheat, rye, barley, or oats. On that basis he believes that celiacs need not be too concerned about maltodextrins, though he cautions that there is no guarantee that a manufacturer won't change their process to use wheat starch or a gluten-based enzyme in the future. (3) - May 1997 Sprue-Nik News

1. Federal Register (4-1-96) 21 CFR. Ch.1, Section 184.1444

2."Additives Alert", an information sheet from the Greater Philadelphia Celiac Support Group, updated early in 1997. This specific information comes from Nancy Patin Falini, the dietitian advisor for the group and a speaker at a national celiac conferences in the past few years.

3. From the CELLIAC Listserv archives, on the Internet, Donald D. Kasarda, posted November 6, 1996.

I should've gone straight there...

Regarding to feed or not to feed if there is a questionable ingredient, I like the statement used so often: "When in doubt, do without."

[specialdiets]

Ingredients, Derivatives, & Alternative Names of Wheat

All-Purpose Flour

Bran

Bulgur

Caramel color*

Cereal extract

Couscous

Cracker meal

Durum

Durum flour

Enriched flour

Extracts*

Farina

Flour

Graham Flour

Gluten

High Protein Flour

Hydrolyzed plant or vegetable protein*

Kamut

Malt

Natural & artificial flavoring*

Pastry Flour

Seitan

Semolina

Spelt

Spices*

Starch* (gelatinized, modified food starch)

Textured vegetable protein*

Vegetable gum*

Vital gluten

Wheat (bran, germ, gluten)

* = the ingredient may not always be associated with wheat, verify first before using

Food and Medicine Products that contain or may contain Wheat

Ale

Baking mixes

Beer

Biscuits

Bourbon

Bread

Bread crumbs

Breaded fried or baked foods Candy

Cereal

Cheese spread

Chocolate milk

Chowder & soup

Coffee (decaffeinated, flavored, instant)

Cookies

Crackers

Croutons

Deli meats

Donuts

Dressings

Egg substitutes

Gin

Gravy

Hot dogs Ketchup

Licorice

Malted milk

Matzoth

Mayonnaise

Mustard

Noodles

Ovaltine

Pancakes & waffles

Pasta

Pie & pastries

Pudding

Rye

Sausage

Seasoning packets

Scotch

Soy sauce

Tablet medications

Tortillas

Vinegar

Vitamins & supplements

Wafers

Yogurt

See also this page:

www.csaceliacs.org/library/labelnames.php

Sunni

[lovegrov]

Some of these lists are now, quite simply, outdated. Even some of Scott's stuff. This is not meant as a jab at Scott, who I think does a good job. One example -- some of the info about maltodextrin comes from a 1997 publication. The reality about maltodextrin in FOOD in the U.S. now is that if it's made from wheat it must clearly say so. No guessing any more. It either says wheat or it's gluten-free. Or artificial colors. Maybe it is possible under the law to make an artificial color using gluten, but I think the consensus now is artificial colors simply are not made from gluten grains.

The list of foods to watch out for is also old, although if it comes from CSA they probably think it's right. For instance, I've NEVER heard of a mayo with gluten. People used to fear mayo because of distilled vinegar (same thing with ketchup and nearly every mustard), but we now know that distilled vinegar is gluten-free. I don'rt know of any coffees that have gluten, all the egg replacements I've heard of a re safe, and the only vinegar to fear is malt vinegar. Finally, all the liquors listed are safe unless gluten is added after distilling. Except I have yet to find a liquor that has gluten added.

I would also agree with Danna Korn that I can't remember ever finding a modified food starch made from wheat. But I still check it.

richard