<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>>
The only consensus about annato and vinegar is that there is no
consensus.
But I am convinced by Ann Whelan's article that the distillation process
leaves all the gluten in the residue.
8 people agreed:
Distilled alcohols and vinegars are not a problem because the gluten
molecule is heavy and cannot survive the distillation process. Of
course, gluten can be introduced after the distillation process, and
that is of course a problem.
Several noted that CSA is behind the times in disagreeing with this
statement.
1 of these noted:
This means that annato is also fine, since it is in an alcohol base, but
the annato berry itself contains no gluten. Caramel color, too, is
fine.
2 people said specifically that annato is fine.
1 said annato is fine but stay away from "annatto color."
4 disagreed about vinegar:
-The only safe vinegar is apple cider vinegar and possibly wine vinegar.
-Only the white vinegar that comes from corn is gf. Most of them, it
seems do not come from corn. If I don't know for sure, I avoid all
white (distilled) vinegars. Cider and wine vinegars should be o.k.
-white vinegar is the worst. it is either from corn or wheat and no way
to tell from looking at it.
-vinegar has been a well discussed controversy with those in the celiac
community. Absolutely safe vinegars are: apple cider vinegar, cider
vinegar, rice vinegar, rice wine vinegar, red wine vinegar, etc.
Debatable vinegar: distilled vinegar.
Not safe vinegar: vinegar (clear, white)
Another said you can't be sure--check with the manufacturer.
Two more claimed to have problems with it and said "better to be safe
than sorry."
********************
Two people sent me the following link from _Gluten Free Living_ by Ann
Whelan:
This is a nice summary of why vinegar should not be a problem:
http://www.enabling.org/ia/celiac/vinegar.html
Same person also sent me this info on Annato:
Annatto CFR Title 21 Sec. 73.30 Annatto extract. (a) Identity. (1) The
color additive annatto extract is an extract prepared from annatto seed,
Bixa orellana L., using any one or an appropriate combination of the
food-grade extractants listed in paragraph (a)(1) (i) and (ii) of this
section: (i) Alkaline aqueous solution, alkaline propylene glycol, ethyl
alcohol or alkaline solutions thereof, edible vegetable oils or fats,
mono- and diglycerides from the glycerolysis of edible vegetable oils or
fats. The alkaline alcohol or aqueous extracts may be treated with food-
grade acids to precipitate annatto pigments, which are separated from
the liquid and dried, with or without intermediate recrystallization,
using the solvents listed under paragraph (a)(1)(ii) of this section.
Food-grade alkalis or carbonates may be added to adjust alkalinity. (ii)
Acetone, ethylene dichloride, hexane, isopropyl alcohol, methyl alcohol,
methylene chloride, trichloroethylene.
Annatto is gluten-free.
A 'Report on Annatto' was posted to the Celiac List by Barbara Mason on
May 27, 1997 and can be read at http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/CGI/wa.exe?
2=ind9705D&Liliac&D=0&P,,12&F=P
**************
More info on Annato and Caramel Color:
Excepts from Ener-G Food's "Detailed Ingredients Listing":
Annatto Color Because ethyl alcohol and/or caramel color can be present
in annatto color and is not declared, people with Celiac-Sprue should
consider avoiding this ingredient.
Caramel Color The problem with caramel color is it may or may not
contain gluten depending on how it is manufactured. In the U.S.A.
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 which may be employed to assist
caramelization)
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