Modified food starch occurs when food starches have been modified or altered by adding enzymes or chemicals to break them down.
Without this modification, they are essentially useless to the food industry.
Modifying the starch is how instant pudding mixes can thicken up by only adding milk. The cornstarch in the mix has been altered to produce that property.
When plagued with food allergies and sensitivities, it can be rough to steer clear of what you react to when food manufacturers insist on putting generic names on food labels like modified food starch or natural flavoring without a qualifier. The starches and flavorings can be from a variety of sources, some of which you might be sensitive to and some you might not be.
The habit of using vague terms can be extremely problematic for those with celiac disease. Often, manufacturers won't reveal their sources. Instead, they rely on the old standby that their recipe is a proprietary secret, so they don't have to legally reveal what's in the product.
When plagued with food allergies and sensitivities, it can be rough to steer clear of what you react to when food manufacturers insist on putting generic names on food labels like modified food starch or natural flavoring without a qualifier. The starches and flavorings can be from a variety of sources, some of which you might be sensitive to and some you might not be.
The habit of using vague terms can be extremely problematic for those with celiac disease. Often, manufacturers won't reveal their sources. Instead, they rely on the old standby that their recipe is a proprietary secret, so they don't have to legally reveal what's in the product.
While that's true as far as it goes, the lack of disclosure has caused a lot of confusion within the gluten-free community as to whether certain ingredients are gluten free or not.
Myths about what is both safe and not safe are rampant.
Myths about what is both safe and not safe are rampant.
False information is being preached from the blogging pulpit as fact.
Bloggers are not just questioning certain ingredients and telling their readers to check it out with the manufacturer for themselves, but they are actually telling them that modified food starch isn't gluten free.
When confronted by a handful of readers who know the facts, the blogger simply defends their opinion by saying they don't use products that contain modified food starch -- just to be safe.
While that's fine for them to make that choice, their personal decision to avoid items with modified starches doesn't make modified starch unsafe.
The truth is this:
If the product is purchased in the U.S., and it doesn't specifically list wheat on the label, then the modified food starch is gluten free!
The truth is this:
If the product is purchased in the U.S., and it doesn't specifically list wheat on the label, then the modified food starch is gluten free!
FDA Requires Wheat to Be Listed On the Label
According to the Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act (FALCPA) implemented in 2004, if a product was produced or packaged here in the U.S. or if it was imported from another country to be sold here, the product must list wheat on the label if the modified food starch in the product is wheat starch.
This holds true for all of the 8 major allergens and not just wheat.
- milk
- eggs
- fish
- shellfish
- tree nuts
- peanuts
- wheat
- soybeans
These 8 allergens must be listed on the label if any of those ingredients are found in the product.
These 8 major food allergens are responsible for 90% of all food-related reactions. In fact, for tree nuts, fish, and shellfish, the manufacturer also has to list exactly what specific ingredient was included.
They can't just say tree nuts.
They have to list if it is specifically almonds, walnuts, pecans, or what.
There is no way for a manufacturer to get around the allergy law. For that reason, wheat is never a hidden ingredient in the U.S. It can't be, which is why the gluten-free community keeps asking the FDA to include gluten in that list.
The thing to keep in mind is that cross-contamination issues and incidental additives, which the FDA calls unintentional contamination with an allergen, don't have to be listed on the label.
There is no way for a manufacturer to get around the allergy law. For that reason, wheat is never a hidden ingredient in the U.S. It can't be, which is why the gluten-free community keeps asking the FDA to include gluten in that list.
Cross-Contamination Issues
The thing to keep in mind is that cross-contamination issues and incidental additives, which the FDA calls unintentional contamination with an allergen, don't have to be listed on the label.
The allergen law applies only when adding wheat intentionally.
That is when the manufacturer is held accountable for what's in the product. They are not held accountable for running similar products on the same line or how a product might become accidentally contaminated at the factory.
Disclosures such as "processed in a facility that also processes wheat" or "processed on the same equipment as [allergen(s)]" are completely voluntary.
Disclosures such as "processed in a facility that also processes wheat" or "processed on the same equipment as [allergen(s)]" are completely voluntary.
There is no regulation for those disclosures.
Therefore, a product might be contaminated with tiny bits of wheat even if it doesn't have a statement alerting the consumer to that possibility. Contamination doesn't mean the modified food starch is made from wheat as the contamination occurs independently of the ingredients in the product.
Another concern about the current allergy law is what's called second-party ingredients. A second-party ingredient is an ingredient that a manufacturer purchases to use in their recipe.
Second-Party Ingredients Can Also be Problematic
Another concern about the current allergy law is what's called second-party ingredients. A second-party ingredient is an ingredient that a manufacturer purchases to use in their recipe.
Since they didn't create that ingredient, they don't really know what's in it or how it was made unless they ask the supplier who, in turn, must approach their own suppliers.
For that reason, product manufacturers can say that they don't use any gluten in the product's formulation themselves and just let it go.
That would be an accurate statement.
Any introduction of a tiny amount of wheat through a second-party ingredient is considered unintentional. In those cases, company representatives can tell consumers that they do not add any wheat (or gluten ingredients) to the product.
Any introduction of a tiny amount of wheat through a second-party ingredient is considered unintentional. In those cases, company representatives can tell consumers that they do not add any wheat (or gluten ingredients) to the product.
Some companies will advise consumers that they can't guarantee what is in some of the ingredients they buy and use, but not all of them do that.
With the gluten-free labeling law, a company that doesn't know what is in the ingredients they buy can no longer claim the product is gluten free on the label. Usually, in that case, they will say that they don't personally add gluten.
With the gluten-free labeling law, a company that doesn't know what is in the ingredients they buy can no longer claim the product is gluten free on the label. Usually, in that case, they will say that they don't personally add gluten.
Kraft Foods is an example of that.
Where they used to claim that they never hide gluten on the label, today, they will no longer guarantee their products to be gluten free.
Xanthan gum is an example of a questionable second-party ingredient. Xanthan gum is bacteria that is grown on wheat starch, corn starch, or soy and then the bacteria is scraped off and dried into a powder. The claim made by Bob's Red Mill used to be that none of the wheat protein found in the wheat starch remains in the Xanthan gum by the end of the process.
I don't know if that is true or not.
Xanthan gum is an example of a questionable second-party ingredient. Xanthan gum is bacteria that is grown on wheat starch, corn starch, or soy and then the bacteria is scraped off and dried into a powder. The claim made by Bob's Red Mill used to be that none of the wheat protein found in the wheat starch remains in the Xanthan gum by the end of the process.
I don't know if that is true or not.
All I know is that I reacted violently to that brand when I tried it.
The wheat starch doesn't have to appear on the label by law, so I didn't know if their product was wheat based until I started violently reacting to it and looked it up. I thought all Xanthan gum was corn based. That's what the corn allergy folks told me. Apparently, it's not true.
I'm a bit shocked, though, that wheat doesn't have to be listed on a package of Xanthan gum itself.
I'm also a bit timid of Xanthan gum now because with the allergy law the way it is, a manufacturer can purchase Xanthan gum from Bob's Red Mill, add it to their gluten-free product, yet not have to list on the label that the Xanthan gum was grown on wheat.
I'm a bit shocked, though, that wheat doesn't have to be listed on a package of Xanthan gum itself.
I'm also a bit timid of Xanthan gum now because with the allergy law the way it is, a manufacturer can purchase Xanthan gum from Bob's Red Mill, add it to their gluten-free product, yet not have to list on the label that the Xanthan gum was grown on wheat.
The gluten-free labeling law only requires that the final product test to less than 20 ppm if wheat starch is in there.
Second-party ingredients are not what bloggers are warning people about. They are not talking about cross-contamination with gluten. They are saying that wheat can be hidden under vague terms like modified food starch.
Modified Food Starch is Corn Starch, Potato Starch, or Tapioca Starch
Second-party ingredients are not what bloggers are warning people about. They are not talking about cross-contamination with gluten. They are saying that wheat can be hidden under vague terms like modified food starch.
It can't.
If the modified food starch is actually wheat starch, it would have to have a wheat warning on the label for those who are allergic to wheat.
Manufacturers in the U.S. do not ordinarily use wheat starch when modified food starch is listed on the label. Most of the time, it's corn starch and sometimes potato or tapioca starch.
Manufacturers in the U.S. do not ordinarily use wheat starch when modified food starch is listed on the label. Most of the time, it's corn starch and sometimes potato or tapioca starch.
The purpose of the term "modified food starch" gives manufacturers some wiggle room when it comes to formulating their products without having to constantly change the label.
They can use whatever starch was the best price at the time they purchased it as well as keep their recipes a secret.
Let's get down to the nitty gritty truth.
I'm not saying that these bloggers are not reacting to something. Obviously, they are or they wouldn't be afraid of modified wheat starch. It's more likely that they are getting a little bit of cross contamination with gluten in the products they are reacting to, or they are reacting to the flavorings in the product.
Occasionally, hidden sources of ingredients can be from barley.
Since barley isn't one of the 8 major allergens, it also doesn't have to appear on the label.
Real Hidden Problem for Those with Celiac Disease is Barley
Let's get down to the nitty gritty truth.
I'm not saying that these bloggers are not reacting to something. Obviously, they are or they wouldn't be afraid of modified wheat starch. It's more likely that they are getting a little bit of cross contamination with gluten in the products they are reacting to, or they are reacting to the flavorings in the product.
Occasionally, hidden sources of ingredients can be from barley.
Since barley isn't one of the 8 major allergens, it also doesn't have to appear on the label.
The only exception to that is meat.
Meat is regulated by the USDA and not the FDA, so different rules apply. When it comes to meat, all grains have to be listed on the label, including gluten grains.
Barley is sometimes used when a product says natural flavoring or even just flavoring. Regular Rice Krispies and Corn Flakes are examples of hidden barley. The ingredients look like the cereals might be gluten free, but the flavorings used are not.
While most of the time flavorings in the U.S. are made from corn, that isn't always true. Celiacs and those with non-celiac gluten sensitivity have to be detectives and always be on the lookout for hidden sources of barley.
Barley is sometimes used when a product says natural flavoring or even just flavoring. Regular Rice Krispies and Corn Flakes are examples of hidden barley. The ingredients look like the cereals might be gluten free, but the flavorings used are not.
While most of the time flavorings in the U.S. are made from corn, that isn't always true. Celiacs and those with non-celiac gluten sensitivity have to be detectives and always be on the lookout for hidden sources of barley.
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