<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>>
 
        A  while back, we asked a question about xanthan gum.  We found an
interesting coincidence.
 
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Our orginal question:
 
< After almost a year of gf diet for our son Alex (now 2 1/2 years old), we
< are finally finding out what he has been reacting to in our homemade gf
< breads.  We have found that xanthan gum causes an almost burning reaction
< to our son's diapered behind.  Does anyone else react to xanthan gum?
 
<< Kay,
<< You had recently asked about xanthan gum reactions. My preschool daughter
<< (with CD) does not react to corn but does react to xanthan gum. She gets
<< the usual diarrhea and has bad breath. I thought I must be crazy, but
<< there are no other ingredients that cause a problem, so it comes down to
<< xanthan gum. We have not tried any other substitutes, but I'm eager to
<< see the results of your survey to see what other options we might have.
<< Trisha Stevenson
 
< Trisha,
< I'm sorry your daughter also has problems with xanthan, but it is an
< encouragement that it isn't all in my head.  Our family has always eaten a
< lot of bread, but perhaps it is time to learn some new habits.  We have
< given up on xanthan for now and have switched to guar gum.  It does have a
< cleansing effect (but not burning like xanthan).  I talked to Steve Rice
< at Authentic Foods.  He says that Alex's reaction sounds like the xanthan
< gum was contaminated.  Have you tried more than one source of xanthan gum?
< I hate to think of more experimenting.  Alex became lactose intolerant
< again from the last time we tried xanthan gum.
< Kay Meadows
 
<< Kay,
<< I have tried only one source of xanthan gum: Now Xanthan Gum, made by Now
<< Foods in Illinois.  I hadn't thought of contamination as a possibility.
<< Perhaps I can try another brand. It's just so horribly expensive to
<< experiment with GF brands and products that I haven't done much of that.
<< Trisha Stevenson
 
< Trisha,
< Would you believe the only xanthan gum we have ever used is also from NOW
< Foods?!  I think it is worth another try for us with other xanthan gum to
< see if NOW Foods is the problem.
< Kay Meadows
 
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Does any one else out there use NOW brand Xanthan gum?  We realize this
isn't proof that it is contaminated but it sure is suspisious.
 
Tim and Kay Meadows, Warsaw, IN
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