<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>>
 
>I don't know about the US and starches (re purities) but in New Zealand,
>the main brand of Gluten Free Bread Mix (provided through the hospitals
>on prescription) consists mainly of milk products, wheat starch and corn
>starch. As far as I know, starches are not of concern to Coeliacs... can
> anyone confirm or deny this?
 
I probably will not be the only one to tell you this. Starch is
probably the biggest unknown in labelling there is! Here in
Australia, starch can mean anything but it is more likely to mean
wheat starch, I avoid by necessity any product with the word starch. Now
in the US, whose labelling laws are not like ours here in Australia
(similar to yours I gather), starch means corn starch. That would be
real corn starch ie from maize and thus safe for a Coeliac.
 
There have been many postings on this list re wheat starch in the past,
some people claim that all the gluten is removed in its manufacture
but the concensus appears to be that it can make some of very sick
because of the uncertainty in the manufacturing process, so should be
best avoided. I have certainly found this to be true with my own
health and unless a product specifies the type of starch used in
manufacture I eschew the product.
 
Best wishes,
 
Richard Lockley,  Melbourne