<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>>
I'll simply quote a number of messages to this list about ham.
First from Mary Guerriero: "Our group has a shopping guide and these are
some of the hams that are verified by letters from companies as gluten
free. As of 7/96, all Hillshire farms; 8/96 Manda fine meats (spicy cajun,
smoked & smoked boneless); 8/96 Manda supreme smoked ham & honey cured;
8/96 Oscar Mayer Dinner Slice and steaks - baked, smoked, honey, fat ree;
6/95 Rath Blackhawk honey cured sliced, lite gourmet boneless, lower salt
steak, sliced boneless, smoked slices; 7/96 Russer cured honey maple,
honey, boned baked & hot; light smoked cooked; Smoked Virginiia brand.
Hope this is helpful. Mary in MI <[log in to unmask]>"
Note that those dates gp back to 1995 and 1996. It might be well for
someone to check again. Perhaps the Michigan celiac group has already done
so.
In another life BC (before celiac) [which means before 1982 for me] I used
to be very fond of ham, especially Hormel's Cure 81. AC (Antes de Cristo -
After Christ in Spanish - same as AD in English) I realized that each time
I ate ham I had the usual gut reactions of celiac disease. Ham went on my
negative list, but I had nothing to base it on except experience.
Then Don Wiss put out a post on May 26, 1998, entitled More MSG for Ham.
I'll quote:
"My NOMSG newsletter came today. On page 4 I found:
"More MSG for HAM
"Ham that is labeled 'Ham with Natural Juices' can now contain modified
food starch in an amount up to 2% of the product's weight. Food starch,
typically made from corn, sontains a small amount of protein that haas been
hydrolyzed during productionk creating MSG. Therefore, the USDA, the
agency that is responsible for meat and poultry proucts, has approved the
introduction of a new source of MSG in ham.
"It says 'typically made of corn,' but then maybe not. Very long time
followers of this list will remember my claiming to get a gluten reaction
many years ago from Hormel Cure 81 ham, which has a banner across the top
saying, 'in natural juices.'
"The NOMSG group has a web site at http://www.nomsg.com "
Reesa Zuber sent the LIST a post on Feb 15, 1998 entitled 'Re Summary on Ham"
I can't find the original summary, if there was one that came earlier, in
my files. If anyone has it, I'd like a copy. In the post, Reesa sent the
following message from herself: "I located a local butcher who makes hams.
He adds nothing. It was wonderful."
Her summary includes:
"Beware Farmer John brand pork products!"
"I called a local manufacturer Silver Star and asked them if they had any
wheat starch in their ham. The fellow on the phone sounded incredulous
that I would ask, but he promised he would research for me. Well, three
days later and much to his surprise he called to say that the filler in the
ham was soy, not wheat. He did not even know that his suppliers might use
wheat starch. But happily we have been able to have a local provder of gf
hams for the holidays."
(Unless you happen to be sensitive to soy...GK editorial comment)
"Someone I knew who worked in the food industry told me that they put food
starch in all cold cuts and if it is below a certain percentage (I am anot
sure what that number is) they do not have to list it on the label.
"I do know for a fact that turkey breast sold at the deli counters in
supermarkets often has food starch, so I would assume that ham soes also.
"Just for clarification, food starch is considered wheat based unless the
label states that it is made from corn or soy."
****
"I can't eat ham because of the sulphites. My reaction is just like a
gluten reaction."
*****
Then on 9/7/95 Mark Gold sent a long post about MSG. It is scary to read,
and I'll just quote a couple of lines.
"There are two concerns with MSG:
l. Excitotoxic Demaga -- This is where use of MSG can cause brain lesions
(infants & young children) or neuroendocrine disorders (both children &
adults) by overstimulating areas of the brain which are unprotected by the
blood-brain-barrier. The brain cells are overstimulated by the sudden
spike in blood plasma glutamate levels after ingestion of MSG (L-glutamic
acid) The damage is often slow and silent. A very good book for this for
the lay person and scientist alike is
EXCITOTOXINS; THE TASTE THAT KILLS by neuroscientist Russell L.
Blaylock MD Health Press, Santa Fe, NM 1994"
He then goes on to talk about acute symptoms. If you want to know more,
his address is [log in to unmask] and he evidently has a web site
http://www.tiac.net/users/mgold/health/html
Time for Gayle Kennedy to have some breakfast. I hope this has been
helpful and not confusing. It seems to point to the fact that we need to
be wary and pay attention when buying ham.
As I think I said on a previous post, Honey-Baked Hams WITHOUT the glaze,
have been mentioned as SAFE. You must call a day in advance to request one
without the glaze. I do NOT know what is in the glaze that might be a
problem.
|
