Having a Very Bad Reaction ?? Which Ingredient

[Joefnh]

Well after having to unexpectedly run into work today I did not get to my weekend cooking. During my late in the day shopping I picked up a box of the gluten free Bisquick pancake mix. For a simple dinner, I made some of the pancakes for a lite meal.

For whatever reason I am having an intensely bad reaction to these. Within 30 minutes I had intense muscle and joint pains followed by the inevetible cramping & D. I don't think I have reacted this badly to anything.

I have made Pamela's pancake mix before with no issues, and was wondering if anyone could help me look at these ingredients to see what be the problem might be.

Ingredients:

Rice flour
Sugar
Leavening (Baking soda, Sodium aluminum phosphate & monocalcium phosphate)
Modified potato starch
Salt
Xantham Gum



Thanks

--Joe

[mbeezie]

Joe,

Xanthan gum is the most likely culprit. Are you sensitive to corn? It's produced using corn. You are probably eating more xanthan gum than you ever have and became sensitive to it. Here's a link from celiac.com on the subject. http://www.celiac.com/articles/21710/1/ ... Page1.html

Hope you feel better soon.

Mary Beth

[Joefnh]

Hi Mary Beth, thanks for the information. I don't think I am reacting to corn, for the most part I am avoiding it but have had corn chips once with no issues. I did read-up on how xantham gum is made and I don't think I want to eat that again anyway.

Whatever is causing this, its as bad as reacting to gluten

--Joe

[tex]

Joe,

I'm as puzzled as you are about this unfortunate turn of events. What Mary Beth says, makes a lot of sense, but the problem is, Pamela's GF Pancake Mix not only contains xanthan gum, but it also contains cultured buttermilk, and tapioca starch, (two highly suspect ingredients). For some reason, though, the mix seems to work great. It may be a case of the dose being the problem. Pamela's contains very little xanthan gum, IMO. I have no way of knowing the actual amount, but compared with other similar mixes, Pamela's mix seems to be far less gummy, so I'm pretty confident that it contains very little xanthan gum.

The thing is, I don't see anything else in that simple ingredient list, that might cause problems, other than the xanthan gum, so I'm going to have to side with Mary Beth on the xanthan gum. It's hell when we get zapped, despite being extra-cautious.

Tex

[tex]

Joe,

I wonder if you might have picked up a virus somewhere, and the timing was just coincidental.

Tex

[Rosie]

Joe, just a thought....have you double checked the other items you used to make the pancakes...... for example, what oil did you use to cook the pancakes.

Another consideration could be factory contamination. At any rate, I'll bet you won't be using the Bisquick GF mix again........ Bummer, when you are so careful!

Rosie

[tex]

Joe,

Here's what happened to me, when General Mills first came out with the GF Rice Chex. I found it at the store, and carefully read the label, to confirm that it was indeed GF. It was, so I pitched it into my shopping kart. I thought what the heck? - while I'm at it, I might as well grab another. So I grabbed another box, and dropped in into my kart, also. The next day, I decided to try it for breakfast. When I picked up the box, though, I didn't see that identifying red check mark on the box, to designate GF status. Sure enough, when I read the label, it was not GF. What th . . .?

I wondered if I was going crazy, or just blind, and then I thought about checking the other box. Sure enough, it was GF. Obviously, the store shelf contained both types, and I didn't bother to check the second one, when I grabbed it. I was lucky to accidentally catch my mistake, before I ate it. I'm guessing that's not what happened in this case, though, since you probably listed the ingredients in your post, from the container that you used. Right?

Tex

[Joefnh]

Hi Rosie, I used the rice bran oil. I commonly use this and this bottle has been in use for a while. Besides that, the syrup I used is a locally made very pure brand that I have used before. Tex have you had a chance to try Parkers Maple yet.

Nope no more of the Bisquick and I think i will be adding xantham gum to my NO list

Tex its possible that it could be a virus, but the timing would have to be pretty darn good.

Tex I have the box right here and the label does clearly state GF. Beyond that there is not one bit of gluten left in the house, and with it being just Nestle and I, whats here can be managed that part pretty easily

Thanks for the replies, another MC lesson learned.

--Joe

[Linda in BC]

Yipes, when I was down in Idaho a couple of weeks ago I bought a box of that Gf bisquick. I have not tried it yet, and now I am not so sure I will!!!

Good luck, Joe, in getting over that reaction quickly and easily.
Linda

[MaggieRedwings]

Sorry to hear you had such a reaction Joe and hope you are now feeling better.

Just to let everyone know that the Bisquick as well as the Betty Crocker GF mixes are made on a GF dedicated line. Hope that makes one feel better.

Love, Maggie

[mbeezie]

I doubt there has been contamination as the label claims it's made in a GF dedicated facility. I have used GF Bisquick on several occasions and never had trouble. The label says "May contain soy ingredients" most likely because of contamination. They don't use soy flour but the chocolate chips used in their cookies and brownies contains soy lecithin - so the chance of contamination is nearly zero IMHO.

I had a similar experience with tapioca. When I first went GF all was fine with tapioca but then my D returned and I figured out it was tapioca. For me a tapioca reaction is actually worse than gluten. Sensitivities can pop up out of no where. And like Tex said, sometimes they are dose dependent. Xanthan gum is the last ingredient on GF Bisquick and I don't find the product to be gummy, so i don't think it's excessive.

Mary Beth

[Polly]

Hi Joe,

I hope the flare was short-lived and that you are back on track today. I agree that the ingredients sound OK; however, this situation has happened to others before, and we can't always figure it out. It's one of the reasons I keep saying not to trust anything in a cellophane bag or cardboard box.....at least not until the gut has healed.

I wonder about the modified potato starch? I don't know how it is made, but if it is "concentrated" potato, perhaps it was too much at one time. (I know you can eat potatoes, but maybe the starch was overload). Also the word "modified" always raises a red flag with me - how do they modify it? Why can't they just use plain potato starch?

Love,

Polly

[tex]

Tex have you had a chance to try Parkers Maple yet.

I'm still saving it. I have a little of the "ordinary, store-bought" stuff that I want to finish off, before I get into the good stuff. I haven't opened the Tim-Tams, yet, either, (I'm saving them for the holidays). I'm currently working my way through the maple sugar candy, though. It melts in your mouth. Ummmmmmmmmm. Definitely a quality product.

Thanks again,
Tex

[Linda in BC]

Oh, Yes, maple sugar candy is a real winner.. I had forgotten about it. When we were in Quebec last fall I bought a huge chunk of it in a mall from some little old ladies (I should be careful what I say! "them are us" soon! ) and all through Dec. and Jan. just savoured it as my after dinner safe sweet treat.

Linda

[hoosier1]

Joe,

Perhaps you simply got a tainted batch? One never knows.

Also, what was the expiration date?

Rich