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Nebulous Ingredients--Trying to Sort It Out
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by Cynthia Kupper
[Excerpted from the May 1997 newsletter of the Gluten Intolerance
Group of North America]
Nebulous ingredients--what are they, and why do we worry about them?
At the 1997 Gluten Intolerance Group Annual Conference Cynthia Kupper
shared some information on nebulous ingredients. Here are some
highlights:
* Corn Gluten (corn gluten meal) is the principal carbohydrate
component of corn endosperm (germ). It is the by-product of wet
milling of corn for starch and is used as a nutrient supplement.
Many manufacturers will tell you a product contains gluten if
there is corn in it; however, corn gluten is safe for celiacs.
* Cross-Linked Starch: A chemical process is used to increase the
"stretch" of the starch causing the attachment of two polymer
chains by "bridges" of a group or compound. Cross-linked
starches can occur naturally (insulin and other proteins) or be
made artificially. Polysaccharide molecules can cross-link to
form stable gel structures. For celiacs the problem is not
knowing the source of the starch.
* Dextrin is an incompletely hydrolyzed starch. Producers of
dextrin in the USA have said only corn is used; but the Code of
Federal Regulations indicates other starches may be used,
including wheat. The source must be verified to ensure its
safety for celiacs.
* Arabic (Acacia) Gum is the dried gummy exudate from stems of
acacia senegal (tree) or related species [and is gluten-free
--ed.].
* Carob Seed (Locust Bean) Gum is a carbohydrate from the carob
seed, from the tree ceratonia siliqua. [also gluten-free--ed.]
* Guar Gum (Guar Flour) is a water soluble plant mucilage ground
from the endosperm of cyanopois tetragonoloba. It is primarily a
carbohydrate with 5-8 times the thickening power of starch.
[This is also gluten-free, though for some people it can have a
laxative effect--ed.]
* Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil is oil that has been hardened by the
addition of hydrogen. Be sure to know the vegetable source.
* Lecithin comes from soy or corn oil.
* Malt Syrup (Extract) comes from barley that has been germinated,
making it unsuitable for celiacs. [Also avoid malt flavoring or
the plain ingredient "malt" for the same reason--ed.]
* Maltodextrin is the result of partial hydrolysis of corn starch
or potato starch with acids and enzymes.
* Mono- and di-glycerides are prepared from edible fats or oils and
glycerine (animal or vegetable oil--usually corn or soy).
Manufacturers of mono- and di-glycerides have said they know of
no company in the USA using anything but corn or soy. Again the
problem is knowing where the product was originally manufactured.
Two companies contacted indicated that it is highly unlikely this
product would be imported. In its finished form it is a soft
paste-like product. Therefore, in any product other than dry
mixes, there is no need to add a starch carrier. It is the
starch carrier that is the potential problem for celiacs.
* MSG (Monosodium Glutamate) is the sodium salt of glutamic acid (a
common, naturally-occurring amino acid). It can be made from
either the alkaline hydrolysis of waste liquid from sugar beet
refining, hydrolysis of wheat/corn gluten, or the organic
synthesis of acrylonitrile. In the USA MSG is made from corn.
The challenge is finding from which country the MSG comes.
* Natural Flavoring: There is no definition of "natural"
established by the FDA, so this remains a suspect ingredient.
* Pre-gelatinized Starch: "Pre-gelatinized" simply means
"pre-cooked". This allows the starch to increase its capacity
for water absorption. For celiacs the problem is knowing what
source the starch comes from.
* Rapeseed Oil comes from the napus and campestris varieties of the
mustard and turnip family. Canola oil is made from rapeseed.
Like other pseudocereals, rapeseed or canola does NOT contain
gluten.
* Starch Carriers (according to the American Ingredients Company)
are very rarely used in the USA. They are most often used with
pre-blends or specialty blends for a stabilizer, primarily in dry
mixes. These may be a potential problem for celiacs in dry mixes
that include mono- or di-glycerides.
* Autolyzed Yeast Extract (Bakers Yeast Extract or Bakers Yeast
Glycan) is the insoluble protein material left over from
mechanically-ruptured yeast cells. Sources at Red Star and
Fleischmann's report there is nothing in the processing of these
yeast extracts which would cause them to contain gluten.
Article references:
1. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. Guide to Food Labeling and
Advertising, Claims as to the Composition, Quality, Quantity, and
Origin IV-27 & 28, 25/03/96.
2. Hawley's Condensed Chemical Dictionary, Foods of Plant Origin.
Production, Technology and Human Nutrition. Salunkhe Desphande,
Van Nostrand Reinhold Press, 1991, pgs. 6-21.
3. Food Additives Handbook. Richard J. Lewis, Sr., Van Nostrand
Reinhold Press, 1989.
4. Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), Food and Drugs, 21 Parts
170-199. Revised as of April 1, 1996. Published by the Office of
Federal Register, National Archives and Records Administration.
5. US Feed Grains Council home page, [log in to unmask],
"The Wet Milling Process", 6/3/96.
6. American Ingredients Co., Kansas City, MO. Product Bulletins GMS
90, Monoglyceride Hydrate; and Starplex 90, Dispersible
Monoglyceride.
7. "Ingredients and Their Uses", www.kashrus.org/kosher/chem.html,
Kashrus Conscience Kosher Information Bureau.
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