Pacific Natural Foods

So excited about this link I found. I hate that it hasn't been updated since 06.2009 but I called to ask about their condensed soups - CORN FREE - all of them and requested they update the information. It's a great chart - even if most of their products contain corn or soy.

Rookie Error

I spent this weekend in Galveston with two of my favorite girl friends. One of them was one of the main reasons David and I sought allergy testing and discovered his corn allergy. While we were away I brought items to make chili. My friend is allergic to wheat and several other things such as cayenne pepper. I brought along my handy "chili powder" seasoning to add when we made chili. I have been using this repeatedly without reading the label. I assumed it was, literally, powdered chili pepper. My friend casually pointed out the back of the container.

INGREDIENTS: CHILI PEPPER, SPICES, SALT, SILICON DIOXIDE (ADDED TO MAKE FREE FLOWING), AND GARLIC.

*scream*

I constantly say "read everything" and work so hard to make sure that our home and our food is corn-free and here I hadn't even THOUGHT to read something I use profusely. My friend was so gracious - I wanted to smack myself upside the head.

Two things are wrong with this label:
^1. The ubiquitous "spices" a generic term that is often used and typically hides additional things within that term. When I see "spices" on any label on any food, I drop the item and find something else.
^2. While I can't verify it, nearly always free flowing agents include corn products. This product specifically says "silicon dioxide" which should be just an oxide of silicon with a chemical formula SiO₂. However, I never purchase items with the words "free flowing agent" of any kind and in any context.

Technically this might be a safe product but had I read the label I wouldn't have continued using it when cooking for Hubs. I left that "spice" at the beach house for future guests. Thanks for the reminder my friend not to become complacent in food purchases and prep!

plaCes t O Read iNgredients

I checked a book out of the library that was all about purchasing organic foods. The bottom line was that home cooking from scratch was the best way to avoid additives and preservatives.... Well of course but for those of us with a corn allergy even home cooking from scratch can cause allergic reactions.

This means I'm the one parked in a corner at the grocery store carefully reading all the labels before anything gets placed in my cart. Organic does not = corn free. 100% organic means that in the labeling not much can be hidden under the ambiguous "spices" or "natural flavors". Corn is ubiquitous. It is used as a sweetener, lubricant, thickener, adhesive... and on and on...

Home cooking from scratch is basically all we eat. But chicken is sometimes packed with "broth". Even the whole chickens or the chicken breasts packed separately. Veggies are coated with wax to help prevent bugs and make them look prettier... and that wax often contains corn. One can see where I am headed with this.

I wish that corn and corn products were only found in food items but when I shop I have to read the labels on detergents, soaps, deodorants, household cleaning products, dog shampoos, toilet paper, medicines and so on. We have friends that have an allergy to wheat. I wish David had an allergy to wheat. Avoiding wheat is much more common. Individuals and families avoid wheat not just for allergy purposes but as a diet preference. It is easy to find "gluten free" items at the market in every aisle. I've only found one item that specifically says "made with out corn", but then it's in a list that also includes: soy, wheat and so on. That's ok, I'll take it.

Prior to corn allergy discovery (PCAD) I cooked from scratch for fun and because that's what my mom did. When time was of the essence however, I would occasionally pick up short cut meals such as frozen pasta with sauce in a bag and in the summer I purchased all our bread (we live in Texas and I made all our bread from scratch in the cooler months but hated running the oven in the summer heat). PCAD one could open the pantry, the fridge or the freezer and find these shortcut items. Now my pantry contains two short cut items that I purchase regularly and never make from scratch BECAUSE I DO NOT HAVE TO. Kraft Macaroni & Cheese is corn free. (Who-da-thunk??) I've emailed Kraft and have had a response. Ingredients do change in products but David has not had a reaction to this product so we continue to purchase and eat it. And of course Kitchen Basics products.

Happy label reading!! Be diligent even with safe products as companies do change ingredients from time to time.

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