<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>>

Maureen Kiso <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

MK> Is there a type of vinegar that is 100% GF?

Throughout the archives of this list you will find numerous discussions
about vinegar, particularly regarding the GF status of distilled
vinegar.  I'll try to address this question using excerpts from
previous posts.

Here are excerpts regarding the various types of vinegar:

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Date:         Thu, 31 Aug 1995 23:50:18 -0400
From:         Michael W. Jones <[log in to unmask]>

Transcript of address by Felicia Satchell, Consumer Safety Officer,
F.D.A. July 15, 1995 - Celiac Disease Conference - University of
Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
<...>
Vinegar is another ingredient that seems to raise concern among the
Celiac patient. Again, we do not have regulations that govern vinegar,
but we do have compliance policy guides, again, that have been in
effect for several years. In our compliance policy guide on vinegar we
state eight different types of vinegar, and I'll briefly go through
those, and their declarations.

If a vinegar is declared as vinegar, cider vinegar, or apple vinegar
the compliance policy guide states the product is made by the
alcoholic and subsequent acetious fermentations of the juice of apples.
If it's wine vinegar or grape vinegar, it is made from the juice of
grapes.  Malt vinegar is made from starch that has been converted by
malt.  Sugar vinegar - made from sugar syrup, molasses or refiner's
syrup. Glucose vinegar - from glucose.  Spirit vinegar, distilled
vinegar, or grain vinegar - now, this is a vinegar that may present
problems; it is made from distilled alcohol. Vinegar made from a
mixture of spirit vinegar and cider vinegar would be as described for
cider and spirit, and then vinegar made from dried apples, apple cores
and apple peels.
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There is one caveat regarding this information.  The following comes
from _The Sprue-nik Press_, Oct. 1995:

SP> Dorothy Vaughan, our dietitian advisor, has done some checking on
SP> two points raised at the Baltimore conference by Felicia
SP> Satchel....Felicia Satchel also reported the ingredient "vinegar"
SP> must come from corn.  Dorothy's investigation has determined that
SP> this is NOT TRUE; the ingredient "vinegar" can come from any
SP> source, including gluten-containing grains.

From these passages, I would draw the following conclusions regarding
the ingredients on products IN THE USA:

1. cider vinegar, apple vinegar, wine vinegar, grape vinegar, and
   glucose vinegar should be GF and safe for celiacs.

2. malt vinegar would generally NOT be safe, as the malt used to
   convert it would likely come from barley.

3. sugar vinegar is an unknown.  Since it might come from molasses,
   and the molasses might or might not be GF, it might be best to
   avoid sugar vinegar.

4. the plain term "vinegar", with out any other descriptive words,
   is an unknown and should be avoided.

5. distilled vinegar (also known as white vinegar) could come from
   either a gluten or non-gluten grain.  If it is from a non-gluten
   grain, it is safe for celiacs.  If it is from a gluten grain, then
   you'll need to make a judgment call.  This is the area that is the
   most controversial regarding vinegar.

The following excerpt comes from Don Kasarda, a research chemist with
the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) who has worked on
grain proteins in relation to grain quality for 30 years:

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Date:         Fri, 24 May 1996 10:49:19 PDT
From:         "Donald D. Kasarda" <[log in to unmask]>

...I don't think there should be any problem related to celiac disease
with white vinegars made from distilled alcohol because the harmful
peptides are not volatile and would not distill over into the alcohol.
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Others feel that if it comes from a gluten-containing grain, then the
possibility of contamination exists in a plant environment even if the
distillation process would theoretically not allow gluten in the
final product.  To further complicate matters, the various celiac
organizations disagree on this point also; for example I believe the
Canadian Celiac Association lists distilled vinegar as being GF,
whereas CSA/USA does not.  Other celiac groups (both national and
local) fall on both sides of this issue.

So the bottom line on distilled (or white) vinegar is this:  use your
own judgment.

Jim Lyles ........ <[log in to unmask]> ........ Holly, Michigan, USA