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

SHORT SUMMARY:

1 a)  In the U.S., for food products (but not vitamins,
      minerals or supplements), maltodextrin must be made from
      corn or potato per FDA regulation.

  b)  Nonetheless, a few people thought it could be made from barley.

  c)  In other countries, it seems that the rules may be different.

2)    So Good soy beverage as sold in Canada contains maltodextrin made
      from wheat.  The product info brochure says that it's gluten free.
      People on this list say they have reacted to it.


DETAILED SUMMARY

I asked about whether maltodextrin was a problem for those with wheat
allergies.  (My 16 month old son is wheat-intolerant or possibly allergic.)

He'd been drinking So Good soy drink until I read a recent post that it
contained wheat starch. Maltodextrin is listed on the ingredients.


**What is Maltodextrin and what's in it**

<<Maltodextrin is the result of partial hydrolysis of corn starch or potato
starch with acids and enzymes.>>

<<Maltodextrin, when listed on food sold in the USA, must be (per FDA
regulation) made from corn or potato. This rule does NOT apply to vitamin
or mineral supplements and medications. >>


http://rdz.acor.org/lists/celiac/sn/spnk9712.html#falini
http://www.celiac.com/forbiden.html

http://rdz.acor.org/lists/celiac/sn/spnk9804.html#Nebulous Ingredients
http://www.fda.gov  (search here)

3 people who responded, nonetheless thought that it came from barley.

4 only mentioned corn, which seems to be the source used by all (or almost)
U.S. manufacturers.


http://rdz.acor.org/lists/celiac/sn/spnk9705.html#dextrin
CELIAC Listserv archives, posted by Donald D. Kasarda, November 6, 1996.

n.b. Dextrin is not the same as maltodextrin and may be made from wheat.

http://rdz.acor.org/lists/celiac/sn/spnk9705.html#dextrin

All of this is for the U.S.  I got no information specific to other
countries, other than the info specific to the So Good soy beverage as sold
in Canada.

**So Good soy beverage**

It was So Good soy drink that prompted my questions.


-The product's ingredients include maltodextrin.
-The product brochure says safe for celiacs (and lactose free too).  The
 standard for GF status is an Australian one.
-Someone at the Vancouver, Canada office of DairyWorld (the Canadian
 distributor) said that they use wheat starch.  This is confirmed by the
 person who originally posted about So Good (thank you).
-The wheat is <<processed in such a way that there is no protein or gluten
 left, just carbohydrate>>
-One person on this list with wheat allergy reacted as did one person
 who is celiac.


**Etc.**

As a last thing for those who raised the issue.  Based on symptoms, my son
seems to be wheat-intolerant rather than allergic, but we're not sure.  We
haven't had him tested nor wanted to try giving him wheat again to assess
his status.  We will probably try it when he's around 2.  He's definitely
not celiac, having no trouble with rye or other gluten-containing grains.

I thank those who responded.  I realize now that I should have scoured the
archives before posting my question.  The punishment has been 4 days trying
to get this summary done while baby keeps pulling me away from the computer
and I should be preparing my tax return.

Brian