AI is bad at identifying which foods contain gluten
Like many people with food allergies or celiac, I use Google and Amazon to research which foods are..
Wheat starch is created during the process of refining wheat to separate the starch from the gluten proteins. Not all manufacturers care about cross-contamination during this process, and many don’t test the gluten levels remaining in the starch. But there are a few manufacturers that use trusted testing methods and confirm that their wheat starch contains below 20 ppm gluten, making it safe for celiacs! That said, if you know you can’t tolerate even trace amounts of gluten below the legally defined standard of 20 ppm, you may want to skip this one.
Vital wheat gluten chunks from Wikihow
So why is wheat starch made in the first place? Its really just a byproduct of making vital wheat gluten. In that process, wheat flour is hydrated with water and turned into a dough. The dough is then washed thoroughly with water while kneading. During the washing process, the runoff water is collected. The starch is suspended in the water while the gluten sinks to the bottom of the slurry, forming a solid. This is left to evaporate until the top layer is dry and powdery and can be collected as wheat starch. The solid mass beneath the starch is vital wheat gluten, which is sold as a separate high-protein food product.
Foods made with wheat starch can be confusing for those of us used to avoiding anything with the word ‘wheat’ in the ingredients. But gluten free does not equal wheat free, and vice versa. Even if it’s marked gluten free and tested below 20 ppm, there will still be an allergen label to confirm that the product contains wheat. This is important for customers with wheat allergies who cannot consume wheat, no matter how much it’s been refined.
Handfuls of wheat from Paz Arando via Unsplash
The use of wheat starch in gluten free packaged goods varies between countries. In the US, any food made with wheat starch and labeled gluten free must legally contain less than 20 ppm gluten. Wheat starch isn’t yet a common ingredient in gluten free foods in America, but it’s has been a popular ingredient in gluten free goods in Europe and the UK for quite awhile.
Why would gluten free manufacturers choose to use wheat starch in their products rather than sticking to naturally gluten free starches like corn starch? Wheat starch can withstand higher temperatures without breaking down, is more stable when reheated in sauces, and can offer a texture and taste that’s more similar to wheat flour-based baked goods than other gluten free grains.
Gluten Free Products With Wheat Starch
GF croissants from Schär
* Title image courtesy of Basar Ticaret.
