Modified starch is an ingredient that appears on many food packaging from crisps to soups and even many baked products. This ingredient is added to make foods appear fresher, as it’s said to “melt in your mouth”. Modified starch can be made from a variety of ingredients, including potato, corn or tapioca and is a common additive in processed foods. The real question here is, is modified starch gluten-free?
In the past, I have assumed that if a product does not contain wheat or similar wheat products, then it’s actually “gluten-free”. However, as I began reading more about Modified Starch, I realised that this is not necessarily always true.
Modified starch is made by heating starch granules, which contain starch molecules. These starch granules can come from potatoes, corn, tapioca and even wheat, The starch granules are then modified by a process that increases the amount of moisture in the starch granules. The starch is then dried, and the starch granules are ground up to make a fine powder. This fine powder is then used in a range of processed foods to keep them fresh for longer.
You can use our free gluten food checker to see if a product is gluten-free or not.
What is in modified starch?
Modified starch is a powder that is added to many processed foods to keep them fresh for longer. The starch itself can come from a range of ingredients, including wheat, potatoes, corn and maize. Modified starch may contain a mix of these ingredients. So when you see a product with modified starch listed as the ingredients, you can assume that the starches included can come from a range of different vegetables and grains.
Which starches are gluten-free?
There are a number of gluten-free starches, these include:
Along with any other starches that are labelled as gluten-free. Please note, that not all starches are gluten-free! For example wheat, rye and barley starches are not gluten-free. Also, oat starches can also contain gluten, if not labelled gluten-free.
Can people with celiac eat modified corn starch?
Yes. Corn starch is safe for people with celiac disease to eat. But be careful of modified starches which may contain gluten. Always read the label to make sure that there are no mentions of gluten ingredients, such as wheat, barley and rye. Also, avoid products which may contain gluten from cereal.
Is Modified Starch Gluten-Free?
Yes. Modified starch is gluten-free. The only situation in which you should avoid modified starch is if the food label includes mentions of wheat, or specifically says that it contains ‘gluten’. If the food label does not mention anything about wheat or gluten, then it’s safe to say that the modified starch is derived from gluten-free ingredients.
In Summary, modified starch is only gluten-free if the label does not contain any gluten ingredients, such as wheat or cereal containing gluten.
