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

Below are the responses I received on wheat starch. Bottom line - avoid it!
Thanks to all who responded.

Chris Silker
Plymouth MN


You might want to check out the English celiac mail group that was mentioned
this week. (http://www.coeliac.co.uk)  They explain that wheat starch can
never be totally gf and some of their celiacs can not use it, I guess the non-
sensitive ones do use it.

From Dr. Murray:  I was intrigued by your post on wheat starch.  I
have practiced medicine in both Ireland and the US and looked after
celiacs in both places.  wheat starch has been considered of limits
here but was permitted in Ireland( then).  I have been impressed at how
much better off patients are without it.  There have been some studies
done on wheat starch that suggest it is not safe for many celiacs and
that is the reason I ask my patients to very much avoid it.

Here in Milwaukee one of the major hospital follows the "Mayo Clinic
guidelines" & tells new celiac patients that they are allowed to eat Kellogg's
Rice Crispies, Corn Flakes & other cereals with malt flavoring.  The good news
is they refer them to our group as well.  Needless to say, most of the
patients are not happy when I get to tell them that those cereals are not
considered g.f.  A member who was diagnosed at Mayo a couple of years ago got
the same info--so more than one place has a old book.  Definitely a need for
better education of dietitians at that level.

This may be a bit off topic, but I have a couple of Far Eastern and Indian
cookery books that contain instructions for preparing wheat gluten balls,
which are fried and served up as a delicacy. Lethal for you, of course!

The point is, however, that it is perfectly possible to separate wheat
starch from wheat gluten, just by washing out in cold water. Now, I'm not
the celiac sufferer here (I'm monitoring the list for a friend), but, even
though separation seems theoretically possible (just like you can wash the
starch out of grated potato), I would NEVER trust such a product. It's in
the nature of industrial separations of this type that traces will still
remain of the original mixture. And domestic separations (kitchen sink)
just aren't that effective at all.

Speaking as a baker, son of a baker, etc., I have to say that European
wheat has a far lower gluten content than US/Canadian wheat, which may
underly the reasoning above. My dad nearly chucked it in when he could no
longer get Canadian wheat for his Vienna bread.

Only to say that Italian Celiac Association consider the wheat starch
absolutely not safe!

Ordinary commercial wheat starch is not gluten-free.
The European groups only allow specially purified wheat starch.
See the UK Society pages at http://www.coeliac.co.uk