Shower Spray & Automatic Dish Packets!!

I am delighted to find a shower spray and dish washing packets that we can use!! There are so many things that I HAVE to make from scratch all the time every day that when I find even little things, I have a small party in my head - corn free of course!! Below is an excerpt from a woman with Mrs. Meyers Clean Day products:

"Greetings Rebecca,

Thank you for your interest in Mrs. Meyer’s, and for taking the time to write. Our shower spray (I specifically asked about LEMON VERBENA SHOWER CLEANER)
and automatic dish packs (I specifically asked about AUTOMATIC DISH PACKETS LEMON VERBENA) do not contain any known corn derived ingredients.
...The automatic dish packs do contain active enzymes which come from bio-fermentation. I am having our lab research what plant source the bio-fermentation comes from, and I will let you know as soon as I hear back...."

She went on to tell me where corn came from in the other specific products I inquired about. How nice! I am so pleased to have had such a pleasant interaction with a company rep that I'm going to go buy loads of each product!

UPDATE - got the response already!!

"Hi again Rebecca,

The lab has confirmed that no corn ingredients are used in the bio-fermentation process for the auto dish packs, so those would be safe to use. Have a great day!"

Yea for safe products!!

Basic Semi-Sweet Chocolate Sauce or Candies

Ingredients
100% High Quality Cocoa Squares
Butter
Cream (or 1/2 & 1/2)
Milk
Vanilla (home made for us)
Sugar

Directions
In sauce pan melt cocoa. Add a touch of 1/2 & 1/2 or cream, vanilla and sugar. Whisk all ingredients until thoroughly mixed. I don't really have measurements - I do it to taste. It is important that the ingredients have enough time to thoroughly dissolve the sugar or the chocolate will be grainy but one must watch that it doesn't burn.
Storage is best in glass jar in fridge.

For a chocolate that can be solidified in the refrigerator or freezer use less milk/cream. Chocolate can be "shaped" by pouring into molds or mini cupcake tins.
Storage is best in freezer.

Tested & Failed

Items that David has used or been exposed to and has had a CORN ALLERGY reaction to & ingredient we believe that caused reaction:

Aleve caplets - Microcrystaline cellulose
Zantac 150 - Microcrystaline cellulose & Hypromellose
Tupperware - Plastics are made w/corn (not just name brand, all plastic food storage containers and reactions occur especially when hot food is involved)
Concrete sealant - Latex is made w/corn (this is particularly dangerous as fumes are inhaled causing shortness of breath)
Baking Extracts - Alcohol is present in nearly all extracts, corn syrup in most
Arm & Hammer Toothpaste - (I received a phone call from a company rep. and yes the sorbitol in their product is derived from corn starch. Bummer we liked that toothpaste, we are on to one made by Tom's of Maine.)
Envelop sealant - the kind that you "Lick to stick" are all made with corn
Painters Blue Tape - adhesives often contain corn derived products
Wood floor glue - we glued our bamboo flooring to our concrete sub flooring. This product caused huge reaction. David slept at the neighbors house for several days until the fumes cleared.
Paper-towels - when used in microwave with food to "prevent splatter"
Foot aerosol spray - We don't use any aerosol products in our house anymore but David walked through the garage in his friends home. His friend had just sprayed his boots and David was sick almost immediately.
The MICROWAVE at work - There are so many corn products being heated in the microwave in the employee kitchen at work David gets sick each time he uses it. He has stopped using it. He is tired of sandwiches and cold lunches but he doesn't get sick every day anymore.
Plastic water bottles - Corn is used in plastic bottles. The only plastic bottled water that David can drink is Fiji Water which is in a plastic bottle but he's never had a reaction to. We have replaced all our reusable water bottles with stainless steel and glass.



(This list was updated on: 10.14.2010)

List of igredients that may contain corn...

This will be updated as frequently as we make discoveries.
(Yes, it's obnoxiously long and yes we avoid everything that contains an ingredient from this list.)

Acetic acid

Adhesives (glues, pastes, mucilages, gums, etc.)

Alcohol

Alpha tocopherol

Aluminum

Antibiotics (penicillin)

Artificial flavorings

Artificial sweeteners

Asbestos insulation

Ascorbates

Ascorbic acid

Aspartame (Artificial sweetener)

Aspirin

Astaxanthin

Automobiles (everything on wheels)

- cylinder heads

- ethanol - fuel & windshield washer fluid

- spark plugs

- synthetic rubber finishes

- tires

Baby food

Baking powder

Barley malt* (generally OK, but can be contaminated)

Batteries, dry cell

Beer

Bleached flour*

Blended sugar (sugaridextrose)

Breakfast cereals

Brown sugar* (generally OK if no caramel color)

C.M.A. (calcium magnesium acetate)

Calcium citrate

Calcium fumarate

Calcium gluconate

Calcium lactate

Calcium magnesium acetate (CMA)

Calcium stearate

Calcium stearoyl lactylate

Candies

Canned vegetables

Caramel and caramel color

Carbonated beverages

Carbonmethylcellulose sodium

Cellulose microcrystalline

Cellulose, methyl

Cellulose, powdered

Cetearyl glucoside

Cheese spreads

Chewing gum

Chocolate products

Choline chloride

Citric acid*

Citrus cloud emulsion (CCS)

Coatings on wood, paper & metal

Coco glycerides (cocoglycerides)

Colour carrier in paper & textile, printing

Confectioners’ sugar

Corn alcohol, corn gluten

Corn chips

Corn extract

Corn flour

Corn meal

Corn oil, corn oil margarine

Corn starch

Corn sweetener, corn sugar

Corn syrup, corn syrup solids

Corn, popcorn, cornmeal

Cornstarch, cornflour

Cosmetics

Crayon and chalk

Crosscarmellose sodium

Crystalline dextrose

Crystalline fructose

Cyclodextrin

DATUM (a dough conditioner)

Decyl glucoside

Decyl polyglucose

Degradable plastics

Dessert powders

Dextrin

Dextrose (also found in IV solutions)

Dextrose (intravenous solutions, icing sugar)

Dextrose anything (such as monohydrate or anhydrous)

d-Gluconic acid

Disposable diapers

Distilled white vinegar

Drying agent

Dyes

Edible oil

Erythorbic acid

Erythritol

Ethanol

Ethocel 20

Ethyl acetate

Ethyl alcohol

Ethyl and butyl alcohol

Ethyl lactate

Ethyl maltol

Ethylcellulose

Ethylene

Explosives - firecrackers

Fibersol-2 Fiberglass (Insulation)

Finished leather

Flavorings*

Flour & grits

Food starch

Frozen foods

Fructose

Fruit juice concentrate*

Fuel ethanol

Fumaric acid

Germ/germ meal

Gluconate

Gluconic acid

Glucono delta-lactone

Gluconolactone

Glucosamine

Glucose syrup* (also found in IV solutions)

Glucose*

Glutamate

Gluten

Gluten feed/meal

Glycerides

Glycerin*

Glycerol

Golden syrup

Grits

Gypsum wallboard

High fructose corn syrup

Hominy

Honey*

Hydrolyzed corn

Hydrolyzed corn protein

Hydrolyzed vegetable protein

Hydroxypropyl methylcellulose

Hydroxypropyl methylcellulose pthalate (HPMCP)

Ink for stamping prices in stores

Inositol

Insecticides

Instant coffee & tea

Insulation, fiberglass

Invert syrup or sugar

Iodized salt

James, jellies and preserves

Ketchup

Lactate

Lactic acid*

Latex paint

Lauryl glucoside

Leather tanning

Lecithin

Licorice

Linoleic acid

Livestock feed

Lysine

Magnesium fumarate

Maize

Malic acid

Malonic acid

Malt syrup from corn

Malt, malt extract

Malted products

Maltitol

Maltodextrin

Maltol

Maltose

Mannitol

Margarine

Mayonnaise

Methyl gluceth

Methyl glucose

Methyl glucoside

Methylcellulose

Microcrystaline cellulose

Modified cellulose gum

Modified corn starch

Molasses* (corn syrup may be present; know your product)

Mono and di glycerides

Monosodium glutamate

MSG

Mustard, prepared

Natural flavorings*

Olestra/Olean

Paper board, (corrugating, laminating, cardboard)

Paper manufacturing

Paper plates & Cups

Peanut butter

Pharmaceuticals - The Life Line of The Hospital

Polenta

Polydextrose

Polylactic acid (PLA)

Polysorbates* (e.g. Polysorbate 80)

Polyvinyl acetate

Potassium citrate

Potassium fumarate

Potassium gluconate

Potato chips

Powdered sugar

Pregelatinized starch

Propionic acid

Propylene glycol monostearate*

Propylene glycol*

Rugs, carpets

Saccharin

Salad dressings

Salt (iodized salt)

Semolina (unless from wheat)

Shaving cream & lotions

Shoe polish

Simethicone

Soaps and cleaners

Sodium carboxymethylcellulose

Sodium citrate

Sodium erythorbate

Sodium fumarate

Sodium lactate

Sodium starch glycolate

Sodium stearoyl fumarate

Soft drinks

Sorbate

Sorbic acid

Sorbitan

Sorbitan monooleate

Sorbitan tri-oleate

Sorbitol

Sorghum* (not all is bad; the syrup and/or grain CAN be mixed with corn)

Splenda (Artificial sweetener)

Starch & glucose (over 40 types)

Starch (any kind that's not specified)

Stearic acid

Stearoyls

Sucralose (Artificial sweetener)

Sucrose

Sugar* (not identified as cane or beet)

Syrup

Tacos, tortillas

Textiles

Threonine

Tocopherol (vitamin E)

Toothpaste

Treacle (aka golden syrup)

Triethyl citrate

Unmodified starch

Vanilla, natural flavoring

Vanilla, pure or extract

Vanillin

Vegetable anything that's not specific*

Vinegar, distilled white

Vinyl acetate

Vitamin C*

Vitamin E*

Vitamins*

Wallpaper

Wheat bread

Whiskey

Xanthan gum

Xylitol

Yeast*

Yogurts

Zea mays

Zein

*Might not always contain corn but proceed with caution!! Sources used to compile this list include: http://www.cornallergens.com/list/corn-allergen-list.php http://www.ontariocorn.org/classroom/products.html http://www.cornproducts.com/products/pd_descript/index.php