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

I'm not sure what sources the original poster was referring to, but this
article is relevant:

http://www.manufacturing.net/magazine/purchasing/archives/1997/pur0605.
97/061chem2.htm

It says, among other things:

All the citric acid *produced* in the US is made from corn.  HOWEVER,
most of the citric acid used in the US is *imported* from other
countries, such as China.  Imported citric acid may be made from corn,
sugar or wheat.  (The article says "there are over 100 small Chinese
citric acid plants," but doesn't say how many - if any - of these use
wheat.)

---

So, it appears that citric acid (even in US-made products) can be
derived from wheat.  This implies that it's not guaranteed GF unless
it's confirmed with the manufacturer.

BTW, the same goes for MSG.  I don't know how much imported MSG is used
in US goods - but it's important to know that MSG in imported products
(e.g. Asian sauces) can be made from wheat.

Given all this, I'm not sure why citric acid and MSG remain on the GF
lists of US and Canadian celiac organizations.

But perhaps the information in this article is erroneous.  Is there
someone out there who knows for sure?

Eleanor
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