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

Thank you for all the responses.  Many people suggested using guar gum or
agar agar in place of xanthan gum or to try knox gelatin or methylcellulose
from Ener-G.  One person said to consider the possibility of not being able
to tolerate xanthan gum.

Other responses follow.

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corn free xanthan gum

http://www.surefoodsmarket.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=259

This brand may be available locally. The company that makes it is well known.

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There is some from France that is Wheat glucose fed.  It is sold in 
Canada
and is supposed to fall under the 20 ppm.

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Since I have a company that makes gluten-free products, I buy 
xanthan 
gum in bulk I had this question once, and I spoke with the Research 
Chemist 
at Kelco. He said that in the US xanthan gum is grown on corn syrup, in 
England it is grown on wheat syrup, but there  should be no residue 
from 
either grain after processing. He informed me that pectin (Surejell) is 
grown on syrup from fruit. I tried substituting it once, but it does 
not 
work in the dry form. When I added Surejell to boiling water and then 
used 
it in cookies, it did help as a binder. The recipe had to be adjusted 
to 
make up for this added liquid. I haven't worked with it enough to come 
up 
with a "recipe" for using pectin in baking. Usually it is used to 
thicken 
jams and jellies. It is less expensive tan xanthan gum.

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Alternative include guar gum, which is not a fermented product.  You do need
to use more and it can have a laxative effect.  Gelatin is also another
possibility as us agar-agar.  Unfortunately, most of the celiac cookbook
authors rely heavily on xanthan as well as tapioca flour.  You might want to
check out cookbooks by Carol Fenster. She comes from a wheat allergy
backgroud and uses more diverse g.f. ingredients. 

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Xanthan gum is derived from a mold found on corn.  Though it is like vinegar
in that the processing of it does not leave any remnants of corn.  So if a
person has an ‘issue’ with corn, Xanthan gum is still safe for them.

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