Xanthan Gum - should we be worried?

[Zizzle]

I know seevral members have noted they don't tolerate Xanthan Gum, but it seems to be everywhere, especially in GF foods.

This was just posted on my region's Celiac listserv. Should we be concerned?

I just got off the phone with a pharmaceutical company (because I was trying to find out what kind of starch they used in the medication),when they informed me that it contains xanthan gum derived from wheat. This was new to me. They also told me that the wheat gluten was processed out, but of course they don't test the product for gluten. I started trying to find some information online, and have found conflicting information (of course). Does anyone have any knowledge/experience regarding this? Thanks very much -Nancy


Allergies
Xanthan gum may be derived from a variety of source products that are themselves common allergens, such as corn, wheat, dairy, or soy. As such, persons with known sensitivities or allergies to food products are advised to avoid foods including generic xanthan gum or first determine the source for the xanthan gum before consuming the food.
Specifically, an allergic response may be triggered in people sensitive to the growth medium, usually corn, soy, or wheat.[3][9] For example, residual wheat gluten has been detected on xanthan gum made using wheat.[9] This may trigger a response in people highly sensitive to gluten. Some consider this to be a separate allergy to xanthan gum with similar symptoms to gluten allergy. Xanthan gum is a "highly efficient laxative", according to a study that fed 15g/day for 10 days to 18 normal volunteers.[10] Some people react to much smaller amounts of xanthan gum, with symptoms of intestinal bloating and diarrhea.[3]


footnote 3 is :^ a b c Cohan, Wendy. "Could Xanthan Gum Sensitivity be Complicating your Celiac Disease Recovery?". Celiac.com. Retrieved 2010-05-19

http://www.celiac.com/articles/21710/1/ ... Page1.html

[tex]

Quite a few members here have problems with xanthan gum, so yes, we should be concerned. In this country, most xanthan gum seems to be made from corn or soy, but there are surely versions made from whey and/or wheat, that are commonly available, and used in some products. It definitely adds an unneeded complication to GF baking, especially for anyone sensitive to either corn or soy. Most of the other sources of gums, (such as locust bean, or guar), are also legumes. Guar gum works best for cold foods, and xanthan gum usually works best for baked goods.

Here's a good reference on how much of either to use in recipes, when substituting GF flours in conventional wheat flour recipes:

http://docs.bobsredmill.com/index2.php? ... &Itemid=29

And a lot of people seem to be sensitive to the xanthan gum itself, regardless of what it might be made from:

http://www.celiac.com/articles/21710/1/ ... Page1.html

Thanks for posting that info.

Tex

Incidentally, that business about the wheat gluten being "processed out" doesn't carry any water. Anyone sensitive to gluten, is subject to react to it, regardless of "expert" claims to the contrary. They make the same claims about soy oil, but people sensitive to soy, still react to it. So much for "expert" opinion, when they obviously don't know what they're talking about.

[coryhub]

Wow I did not know Xanthan gum could contain wheat. I use Bob's Red Mill Xanthan gum and I'm pretty sure the ingredients are derived either from corn or sugarcane. I sure hope so because I spent the weekend trying to perfect a gluten-free pizza crust in my bread maker using the "dough" setting. I tried three versions, each one better than the previous. I'd been buying "UDI's"pizza crusts which are expensive on the pocket book - $8 for two small. I'm so tired these days that cooking at night is not always an option but I can always throw some ingredients on a crust and bake it.

[Joefnh]

Zizzle you are quite correct. Depending on how the gum is made it can contain wheat or soy. I ran into this big time a little over a year ago.

I had put together a pretty good post on this topic at:

http://www.perskyfarms.com/phpBB2/viewt ... ht=xanthan

Coryhub I have found that Bobs Red Mill and King Aurthur's xanthan gums to be safe

--Joe