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Natural Flavorings/carmel Color Please Help!

jenn42

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jenn42 Explorer
jenn42
Posted

I'm still so confused about Natural Flavorings and Carmel Color. It's in EVERYTHING!! Can anyone explain this to me.

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Lisa Mentor
Lisa
Posted

I'm still so confused about Natural Flavorings and Carmel Color. It's in EVERYTHING!! Can anyone explain this to me.

Carmel Color is not a gluten concern. Natural Flavorings must list wheat if it is source. But most times natural flavorings are secret spices.

jenn42 Explorer
jenn42
Posted
  • Author

That's what I thought. Thank you :)

psawyer Proficient
psawyer
Posted

While "natural flavors" can contain gluten, they very rarely actually do. The most likely source would be barley malt, and that is a relatively expensive ingredient, so it is usually explicitly declared as "malt flavor."

If there were wheat in it, in the US and Canada it would be required by law to be disclosed as just that, "wheat."

Open Original Shared Link on flavorings:

It would be rare to find a "natural or artificial flavoring" containing gluten (a) because hydrolyzed wheat protein cannot be hidden under the term "flavor." and (B) barley malt extract is almost always declared as "barley malt extract" or "barley malt flavoring." For this reason, most experts do not restrict natural and artificial flavorings in the gluten-free diet.

Gluten-Free Diet - A Comprehensive Resource Guide, published 2008, page 46

====================================================================================

Caramel color is one of those celiac urban myths that just won't go away.

Here is Shelley Case's take on it, from Gluten-Free Diet A Comprehensive Resource Guide:

Although gluten-containing ingredients (barley malt syrup and starch hydrolysates) can be used in the production of caramel color, North American companies use corn as it has a longer shelf life and makes a superior product. European companies use glucose derived from wheat starch, however caramel color is highly processed and contains no gluten.
[Emphasis in original]
  • 2 weeks later...
jizzzzie Newbie
jizzzzie
Posted

Caramel coloring/flavours made in the US HAVE to be free of gluten. BUT if it is made elsewhere (which I'm not sure how to tell), then that is not the case I don't think. I have many gluten free products that have caramel color flavour in it, and since it says gluten free, I eat it. But if it doesn't, I don't. If I see something with multiple ingredients, especially suspicious ones, even if it is something i WOULDN'T suspect to have gluten, I do not eat it. So If I saw popcorn that had, let's say, "corn, sea salt, whey, natural parmasean flavoring, canola oil, safflower oil, caramel coloring

I wouldn't eat it. I would check in a gluten free list book, or the company.

Good luck, be careful!

lovegrov Collaborator
lovegrov
Posted

Anything made overseas but sold in the U.S. still MUST list wheat if it's there.

richard

kareng Grand Master
kareng
Posted

What Richard said. IF they want to sell it in the US, they have to follow the rules and list wheat.

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