Corn Allergen List

This list was originally posted on Jenny Connor's website, which she recently took down. We are working on an updated list, but now this should be sufficient.

Acetic acid

Alcohol

Allulose

Alpha tocopherol

Artificial flavorings

Artificial sweeteners

Ascorbates

Ascorbic acid

Astaxanthin

Baking powder

Barley malt

Bleached flour

Blended sugar (sugaridextrose)

Brown sugar

Calcium citrate

Calcium fumarate

Calcium gluconate

Calcium lactate

Calcium magnesium acetate (CMA)

Calcium stearate

Calcium stearoyl lactylate

Caramel and caramel color

Carbonmethylcellulose sodium

Cellulose microcrystalline

Cellulose, methyl

Cellulose, powdered

Cetearyl glucoside

Choline chloride

Citric acid

Citrus cloud emulsion (CCS)

Coco glycerides (cocoglycerides)

Confectioners sugar

Corn alcohol

Corn extract

Corn flour

Corn gluten

Corn oil

Corn starch

Corn sweetener, corn sugar

Corn syrup, corn syrup solids

Corn, cornflour

Corn, cornmeal

Corn, popcorn

Crosscarmellose sodium

Crystalline dextrose

Crystalline fructose

Cyclodextrin

d-Gluconic acid

Decyl glucoside

Decyl polyglucose

Dextrin

Dextrose (also found in IV solutions)

Dextrose anything (such as monohydrate or anhydrous)

Distilled white vinegar

Drying agent

Erythorbic acid

Erythritol

Ethanol

Ethocel 20

Ethyl acetate

Ethyl alcohol

Ethyl lactate

Ethyl maltol

Ethylcellulose

Ethylene

Ethylene Glycol

Fibersol-2

Flavorings

Food starch

Fructose

Fruit juice concentrate

Fumaric acid

Germ/germ meal

Gluconate

Gluconic acid

Glucono delta-lactone

Gluconolactone

Glucosamine

Glucose

Glucose syrup (also found in IV solutions)

Glutamate

Gluten

Gluten feed/meal

Glycerides

Glycerin

Glycerol

Golden Syrup

Grits

High fructose corn syrup

Hominy

Honey

Hydrolyzed corn

Hydrolyzed corn protein

Hydrolyzed vegetable protein

Hydroxypropyl methylcellulose

Hydroxypropyl methylcellulose pthalate (HPMCP)

Inositol

Invert syrup or invert sugar

Iodized salt

Lactate

Lactic acid

Lauryl glucoside

Lecithin

Linoleic acid

Lysine

Magnesium fumarate

Magnesium Stearate

Maize

Malic acid

Malonic acid

Malt syrup

Malt, malt extract

Maltitol

Maltodextrin

Maltol

Maltose

Mannitol

Masa

Methyl gluceth

Methyl glucose

Methyl glucoside

Methylcellulose

Microcrystaline cellulose

Modified cellulose gum

Modified corn starch

Modified food starch

Molasses

Mono and di glycerides

Monosodium glutamate

MSG

Natural flavorings

Oil, Canola

Oil, Vegetable

Olestra/Olean

Paracetic Acid

PLA - Biodegradable Plastics

Polenta

Polydextrose

Polyethylene Glycol (PEG)

Polylactic acid (PLA)

Polysorbates (e.g. Polysorbate 80)

Polyvinyl acetate

Popcorn

Potassium citrate

Potassium fumarate

Potassium gluconate

Powdered sugar

Pregelatinized starch

Propionic acid

Propylene glycol

Propylene glycol monostearate

Pullulan

Rice Syrup, Rice Malt, Rice Malt Syrup.

Saccharin

Salt

Sodium carboxymethylcellulose

Sodium citrate

Sodium erythorbate

Sodium fumarate

Sodium lactate

Sodium starch glycolate

Sodium stearoyl fumarate

Sorbate

Sorbic acid

Sorbitan

Sorbitan monooleate

Sorbitan tri-oleate

Sorbitol

Sorghum syrup

Starch (any kind that's not specified)

Stearic acid

Stearoyls

Threonine

Tocopherol (vitamin E)

Treacle

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

Xanthan gum

Xylitol

Yeast

Zea mays

Zein

The Subtle Side of a System of Bullying those with Food Allergies

We’re having a conversation in our group about schools and activities, with emphasis on accommodations for kids with allergies.

And I am seething in anger.

Rewards for achievements is class trips to a movie theatre, during school hours. I guess there are worse things, like rewarding kids with candy. 

Oh wait..  these movie trips also include popcorn and candy.

If it was my kid, I would be raising holy hell.  How about instead give the kids a fun activity that isn’t sitting in seats like they do all day every day?

How about exploring a museum? Having a picnic in a park, or even just going to the park to play for a few hours in the afternoon? Maybe they can have a game of badminton or soccer or football or basketball and the winning team gets a prize… like a free cone at DQ or a $5 gift card or even just a badly made trophy that they can get bragging rights? 

But instead, lets fill them with sugar and sit them down for 2 hours.

Then there’s the popcorn parties, and food parties, where parents have offered to supply popsicles or other “treat” so that their child could take part… and they were refused.

Instead, the child is forced to miss school that day or from what I just heard today… This girl was made to sit in a room alone for 2 hours with work to do and self-teach. ALONE. ABANDONED.

And that’s not the worst of it.

One parent was given the option of having their child sit in the library with the detention kids or they could pull the kid from school that day and be marked absent.

Yes, please lets teach our kids to expect exclusion if they want to avoid their allergens. That’s going to go over really well, and is probably why there’s so many reports of kids dying in school.

Let's continue to make these kids who already feel different.. Let's make them also feel more alone.. More abandoned.. more isolated.. Because it's inconvenient. 

Facebook is ok with hate speech and death threats - as long as you have allergies.

Update 2/17 9pm - Facebook eventually removed the page, but not until 9 hours after this post was written and after multiple people reported the page and it's posts, and a Change.org petition had over 1.5k signatures.

Update 2/18 11am - The page is backup. Not enough angry smilies to express the rage. But they did add propaganda using Tom Hanks (wonder if he knows), making a joke of attempted murder by feeding someone their known allergen.

______


I, among others, have reported a Facebook page as against Facebook's rules, and yet Facebook says it's within it's community guidelines.  Here's the guidelines that we think it fails:

Facebook does not tolerate bullying or harassment. We allow users to speak freely on matters and people of public interest, but take action on all reports of abusive behavior directed at private individuals. Repeatedly targeting other users with unwanted friend requests or messages is a form of harassment.

Facebook does not permit hate speech, but distinguishes between serious and humorous speech. While we encourage you to challenge ideas, institutions, events, and practices, we do not permit individuals or groups to attack others based on their race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, sex, gender, sexual orientation, disability or medical condition.

I'm guessing the reviewer also thinks that hate speech, bullying, and yes, death threats against those with allergies is funny.

I will give them credit, a few of the posts on their page could be consider "humor".  Such as this post:

Cuz well that's a meme. Replace Gluten with Rape. Ok so it's super dark humor, but I can see it.

However, most of their posts are not funny, but hate speech and one in particular is bullying.

I don't know who Jessica, Rheia, or Erica are, but this kind of bullshit is deadly, and yes is hate speech AND bullying of those three girls.

I think we all know who "they" are.. Jessica, Rheia, and Erica.

And I mean really, who doesn't have an allergic reaction when they can't have lesbian sex on top of some kegs out in the open at a party?

How is this not hate speech?

Yep. There you have it. The top 8 symptoms of allergies. This makes me stupid angry. To not believe someone has an allergy, can be deadly, and these people are not helping.

Oh and this one is sure to help kill someone.. 

Yes, lets help these hard working servers kill someone because they think allergies aren't important, or real. 

And then we come to the death threat portion.. 

Yes.. lets encourage people to hold people at bay by waving deadly weapons at them.  For many food allergic, holding their allergen near them is enough to cause a problem, and this promotes an intended "call to action" for people to do just that... and maybe even slip that peanut into the allergic person's food.

This idiocy needs to stop.

Please feel free to let Facebook know that posts like this are a danger to our very lives.

To see the page mentioned here, feel free to visit: https://www.facebook.com/mypooforyou

Oh and if you're tired of FB reviewers being too stupid to see the hate speech, please feel free to snail-mail a letter to their legal department:

Facebook
Attn: Legal Department
156 University Avenue
Palo Alto, CA 94301

Top 10 Foods to Plant this Spring

Photo - Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds

Depending on your area, your planting season may vary, but now is a good time to get started planning your spring garden. What should you grow, and when to plant will depend a bit on what area of the country you're in. So you'll want to ask local growers in your area for tips on how best to plant these and what varieties do best in your area if you're not already blessed with a big green thumb.  There are a few good foods to plant for a great corn-free feast at low cost. Some of these items are nearly impossible to find in your grocery stores fresh & corn-free, so planting can really help ease your budget and add to your diet.

1. Greens - Lettuce, Cabbage, Spinach, Kale, etc.
2. Peppers - Bell peppers, hot peppers.
3. Potatoes or Sweet Potatoes
4. Carrots
5. Green Onions
6. Green Beans
7. Tomatoes
8. Broccoli/Cauliflower
9. Summer Squash and Cucumber
10. Peas

Some recommendations on places to find good seeds (non-GMO, not that it really matters for a corn-free diet, but since most of us are anti-big agribusiness buying non-GMO helps):

Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds. 

Eldorado Heirloom Seeds.

St. Clare Heirloom Seeds in Gillett, WI.  

SeedsNow.com

Defining Corn-Lite, and Corn-Free, and all that wordy jazz.

The term corn-lite was coined (as far as I could research) back on 12/10/2007, not long after the invention of  corntamination (earliest record 4/27/2007 as corn-tamination, the hyphen was dropped shortly after that). And though I don't really recall inventing them it seems that I did or at least I have the first recorded use of them that I could find. I do like to invent words, especially if there is no single word for what I need. I'm ultra-efficient (lazy) like that. 

However, there seems to be lots of argument of what is actually corn-lite exactly and what does it mean? 

Here's a definition of corn-lite that I posted back in 2009: "Corn-lite would be avoiding the major corn ingredients like corn syrup, corn starch, corn meal, etc.. and trying to avoid as much citric acid and ascorbic acid as possible.  Basically eating lots of fresh veggies, meats, and homebaked goods."

At it's most basic, "Corn-Lite" means that's it's not corn-free, but also doesn't obviously contain corn.  A person can be described as corn-lite, if they primarily eat a diet that may appear, but isn't really corn-free.

And this is where the confusion starts.  To truly define corn-lite, you also have to define corn-free.  Both terms are completely subjective and yet reliant on each other, and if you talk to most medical professionals, our use of corn-lite IS corn-free just to make the waters on this topic even more muddy.

Defining Corn-Free:

To us and our recommended support groups (Delphi & Facebook) and for our Corn-Free Foods List, our definition of what is corn-free is vastly different than you'll ever get from almost all medical professionals. 

To us, corn-free means that the item is not made from, contains nothing made from, is not contaminated by corn or it's derivatives (no corntamination) in it's processing or packaging, and otherwise has no relationship with corn from it's conception to it's end product.

The only exception to that definition is in regards to animal meats & products. We consider animal meats, eggs, milk, and the like to be corn-free as long as they are processed and packaged cleanly without the use of any corn-derived products.  Some people in our corn-free community do react to animal products if the animal has been fed corn; it is a rare occurrence and only among the most sensitive, so we have adopted this exception.

A truly corn-free lifestyle only contains foods and products that are as close to this definition as humanly possible.

(The use of corn in products and processing is not required to be labeled at this time, and will likely not be required to be labeled any time soon. There is also no lab testing for the presence of corn that is even close to accurate enough for those allergic to corn. The use of corn-free on labels, as far as we can tell, is completely voluntary and unregulated, and thus unreliable.)

Defining Corn-Lite:

The term corn-lite was developed with the intent to put a category on foods that aren't quite full of corn, but aren't quite safe enough for most corn allergic persons either. It is also used to describe people in the corn-free lifestyle who are able to eat slightly corny foods without noticeable ill effects. The main point of the term was to help define things for the safety of all persons within the corn-free lifestyle, much like the difference between vegetarian and vegan for example.

Corn-Lite products are any products that do not have obvious corn in the ingredients, but the product does contain trace amounts of corn. 

Since there are quite a few corn derivatives that are not "obvious corn" to the uneducated and at this point of time "trace amounts of corn" is highly subjective, we could parse this term to death and create words like "Corn-Lite-Lite" or "Extremely Corn-Lite" and so on.

If you utilize my 2009 definition of corn-lite, you'll notice that derivatives such as citric acid and ascorbic acid (two very commonly used ingredients derived from corn) are also included in things to avoid for corn-lite. So products that use either of these ingredients should not be considered corn-lite, nor are products that use synonyms for obvious corn products without using the name "corn" in title. (Of course this is true as long as these questionable ingredients are derived from corn, and most of them are, even if the company says they're not - companies sadly don't always know or the person you ask may not be correctly informed.)

Synonyms for "Obvious Corn" derivatives: starch, modified starch, glucose syrup, fructose syrup, baking powder, grits, maize, zea mays, zein. 

Corn-lite should also not include: iodized salt, dextrose, fructose, glucose. 

Persons described as "corn-lite" are people who can eat, and/or knowingly choose to eat minor corn derivatives without noticeable health issues or without any issue at all, but must avoid the major sources of corn or obvious corn.  Based on the definition of "corn-lite foods", technically a person who can eat products with unknown sourced citric acid in the ingredients listing without a problem should not be using the term corn-lite to describe themselves; however, in an effort to not invent any more words (such as Lite-corn-lite) anyone who is not eating at the corn-free level and yet must avoid foods with obvious sources of corn will be considered to be corn-lite. (We invented more words.)

In removing corn from your diet, corn-lite is generally one of the first stages of removal before you achieve corn-free. Those who are simply intolerant to corn may tolerate a corn-lite diet and may tolerate several corn-derivatives for years if not their entire lifetime. Most people with an actual allergy to corn do require a diet that is corn-free as defined above if not more restrictive than that. Many ill-informed corn allergic persons may eat a corn-lite diet and still function in society; however these persons usually also suffer from "mysterious" symptoms and health concerns that are often relieved temporarily or kept in check by steroids, anti-inflammatory medications, or antihistamines. These persons usually find these "illnesses" or symptoms cured while on a corn-free diet.

(Just some tidbits on the use of corntamination: A web search shows that corntamination was used once in 1867 and was likely a typo. And there's a use of corntamination in 2000 as a term to mean that corn itself was contaminated. The use and definition we use was first recorded in April of 2007 on Delphi Forums. The term corn-lite as we use it is rarely used outside of the forums.)

The Best Food Allergy Diary

Keeping a diary of your food intake can be daunting. What can be worse is trying to go back through what you've entered to find answers.

For those of you highly experienced in Excel or computerized spreadsheets, this may be easier for you. For those of you who like to use pen and paper, this might be more challenging.

First, you'll want to have a small notebook that you can carry around with you 24/7. It's often hard to remember everything you ate, everywhere you went, and everything you did if you're just recording it at the end of the day.

For accurate results, you will need to be detailed.

I recommend that each new day start at the top of a new page. It may take you several pages to note everything for the day, depending on how big your notebook is and how small you write. You will want to be as detailed in your notes as possible as this is your original notes.

At the beginning of the notebook, inside the front cover (or if you have a way to mark the outside of the notebook) put the start date make sure to include the day, month, and year, and when you fill up the notebook mark on the front cover the end date of that notebook.

Each entry should start with the following:

• The Exact Date
• Time of waking and how many hours of sleep
• Mood upon waking
• Weight (try to take your weight measurement before eating or drinking anything for the day, even before water. If you go to the bathroom first, make sure you continue to do so with each weigh in.)

You may also want to include any extra notes about any of the above. Did the baby cry all night? Was there a big stressful meeting that morning? Was your sleep unusual in any way? And feel free to be as frank about your mood as you like, if you feel like roadkill, go ahead write it down.

Other things that you may also want to include are:

• Waking Temperature - Get a basal thermometer, and keep it right next to your bed with your notebook. When you just wake up, roll over, grab your thermometer, place it under your tongue while you lay there and wake up for a couple minutes. This will also help you (if you're a woman) know when your ovulating.
• Waking blood sugar - If you suspect any kind of blood sugar issues, head to your nearest pharmacy and buy the cheapest blood sugar testing kit - make sure the strips are also cheap as that is where most of the cost will come from. If you're doing this, you may want to also test your blood right before eating meals and 2 hours after eating. Eating allergens can affect your body's ability to utilize sugars, so I actually advise this for pretty much anyone who is suffering.)
• Daily Pollen Count - record the pollen concerns for your area.
• Exercise/Activity - What kind of exercise did you do and how much? Did you do something odd or unusual that you don't do every day, such as clean the toilet, mop floors, travel, etc.?
• Places - Did you go someplace outside of your normal? Grocery stores? Did you go clothes shopping? The air sometimes at certain places can cause reactions so keeping note of these things can help.
• Symptoms - Any symptoms that you experience, even if you don't think it's a symptom. If you notice it, write it down along with the time you noticed it. For example, if you notice that you're tapping your pencil on your desk. You may not always do it, but sometimes you do, write it down (it can be a sign of jitteriness). If you stumble into your coffee table, write it down. If you notice your mood changes, even if you think it might be due to a co-worker (unless it's real normal thing - like you're sad but you just heard your dog died. Being livid at your co-worker for pronouncing your name wrong, you should probably write that down.) At least at first, you never know what is going to be an actual symptom and what isn't. Allergic reactions do a wide range of things in the body, so something you may have attributed to something else may actually be an allergic reaction.
• Bodily Functions: While urinating is likely not to be a big deal, you should at the very least record your bowel movements. If you have any gastronomical reactions to your allergens, then this will help give you more information. You'll also want to record information about your stools such as the Bristol Stool Scale.
• Household Products: Did you change your laundry soap? Bath wash? Dish soap? Make sure to record those changes as well.

When recording your food, you'll want to note exactly what you ate and when. This includes brand names, ingredients, what recipe you used, etc. Anything that goes into your mouth should be recorded with a time stamp, including gum, candy, medications.

Once you've started recording this information, make an Excel document (or get a big sheet of paper, or write really small) with a row along the side for each symptom you want to monitor, mood, weight, blood sugar, reactions or no reactions, and so on. Along the top, you'll record each day. It is through this documentation that you'll see the patterns start to happen. It is also easier with this to see when the last day you experienced a particular symptom so you can go back to your food diary and compare or contrast the specifics of what went on, and start to trace it back to the cause.

Good Luck, and Happy Recording!

Corn Free Remedies for Dental Pain

Those who are avoiding corn know how hard it is to be faced with finding safe, effective pain relief.  The challenge is only compounded during the time you need it most...when you are in pain.  Dental pain, the kind that comes with a cracked tooth, lost filling or even a cavity, is no exception.  While prevention is, of course, the best remedy, once you are in pain there's no easy way to go back.  You can only move forward and find ways to function.

Kristyreal of Delphi forums recently posted an update about her holiday weekend struggle with dental issues.  She found that while a raw garlic clove is often recommended for cavity discomfort, clove paste and tea tree oil were more effective against the debilitating pain.

Please note that pain relief techniques are NOT a substitute for appropriate dental care.  You still need to see a dentist regularly, and you'll still need to get whatever causes the dental pain taken care of in a timely fashion.  But good pain relief will help you to function until your appointment.

For pain killers, Goodies Headache Powders with caffeine are considered corn free.  Corn free acetaminophen or ibuprofen can also be compounded at your local compounding pharmacy.

Corn Free Gardeners Beware

A new, all natural soil amendment has been released.  This product, Zeba, was designed to improve the hydration of the soil.  It's used to keep the ideal amount of water present in the soil to optimize plant growth.  The problem?  It's made from all natural cornstarch; which undergoes a chemical process that adjusts it's ability to hydrate.

It's not likely that plants grown with this medium are directly a problem for uncornies; but those who are growing their own food will need to beware and avoid soil or enhancers that include Zeba.  It also seems prudent to thoroughly wash vegetables, especially root vegetables, that may have come into contact with this soil enhancer.

Strike Day

A new Corn-Free Magazine

Due to difficult economic times, which has lead to a lack of time I can devote to the list. I've started an online newsletter/magazine to help pay some bills, so I can devote more of my time here. The first edition will be out on the 15th of this month.

I have great plans for this newsletter, and the more subscribers the more I will be able to do. It should be a time-saver for those of you who aren't able to spend 24/7 in the forums. And while I'm not yet setup for it, I do plan publishing in the newsletter anything I remove or add to "The List" so you won't have to scan the entire list to see what's new (in the future anyway).

I also get offers now and then, and those that subscribe will get first notice/chance at it.

For only $2.99 an issue, direct to your email inbox.

Top 10 Signs You Might Have a Corn Allergy

Top 10 Signs You Might Have a Corn Allergy: 

10. You have a non-life-threatening condition with no cure and no tests that prove the disease, but a long list of complicated symptoms, and a bunch of tests which say what it isn't. 

9. You find it nearly impossible to maintain/reach your ideal weight no matter what you do.

8. You look at people strange when they aren't sleepy or don't have heartburn, reflux, diarrhea, or digestive distress after eating.

7. You're completely addicted to sugar, especially at night.

6. You've heard more than once that it's just "stress".

5. You take allergy medication like candy.

4. You have eczema or other skin condition which never goes away nor improves.

3. You have a tendency for mood swings or impulsive behavior.

2. You routinely suffer from migraines or cluster headaches.

1. Your doctor (and possibly your friends/family) is pretty sure you're a hypochondriac.

What do you think? Did I miss anything? What were your top 10 signs looking back that should have clued you in that you had a corn allergy?

(also bonus points if the treatment for #10 includes steriods or corticosteriods.)

Organic labels don't mean allergy-free for corn allergies

There's a trend today among those allergic to corn to look for the easy way out. Easy signs on boxes or keywords to look for that increase their chances of something being corn-free. (Personally I really wish we had trustworthy signs on packages, but that isn't going to happen any day soon.)

Over the last few posts here, we've tried to tackle the "corn-free" label on foods issue expressing our concerns that "corn-free" wording means very little to the corn allergic.

However, we've yet to tackle the "Organic" issue that seems to be bandied about today as the be-all of corn-freedom.

"You must look for Organic"… "Is it organic?".. "If it's not organic it'll contain corn."

There was a time when "Organic" actually meant a farmer grew it safely in his field without harmful chemicals and it was delivered to you without waxes or preservatives.  During this time, hunting for "organic" foods was a wise choice for people with a corn allergy.

Then Big Business got ahold of the "Organic" label. Now organic can mean a lot of things and even include nasty things.

What Organic means today is generally that almost any nasty thing that was once made with petroleum is now made with ethanol (corn) which can be sourced "organically".

I don't want to get into the debate of which is healthier for you or which foods have more nutrients. If "organic" on labels actually meant what it should, this wouldn't even be a post.

What I do want to make sure to point out is that "organic" labeling today essentially ensures that if a preservative or wash was used, it was corn-based (or soy). Wax coatings on organic fruits - corn-based. Washes on organic veggies - corn-based. Even foods at farmers markets labeled organic can use pesticides made from organic corn or corn in the fertilizer and corn-based washes.

Organic canned goods.. will have corn-based "organic" citric acid.  Organic meats are still processed/washed with corny acids most of the time.

I've even seen organic potato chips laden with corn-based dextrose and maltodextrin.

If you want to eat "organic", I have no problems with your choice. I would even encourage it.

However, if you're eating "organic" in hopes of being corn-free, you'll be sadly mistaken.

Company's Corn-Free Claims - Why you can't trust it.

I hear often, especially in regards to our Corn-Free List, that the company says it's corn-free so it's corn-free.

Corn-free means a lot of different things to different people. If you ask an every day normal by-stander if their hamburger is corn-free, they'll tell you yes. They're looking for corn kernels, and since there are none it is corn-free.  A few might say that they don't know thinking there may be corn syrup or corn starch in the bun or condiments.

This is not sufficiently corn-free for the corn allergic.

A letter posted on a Delphi-Member's site from the University of Nebraska - The Food Allergy Research & Resource Program, which is often asked to test foods for proteins so companies can make "-free" claims, had this to say about corn-free claims in the USA:

"...in the U.S., there is no regulatory definition for terms such as corn-free on product labels.  Thus, companies can establish their own definitions and there can be considerable variability.  Obviously that is not a desirable situation as such terms can sometimes be quite misleading."

This is very truly the case with corn-free labels on packaging as it's been tested by corn allergic human subjects, sometimes successfully and sometimes disastrously.  It's hit and miss, which is why we require human-testing for any product that we suspect to be corny or that would be high risk.  As much as we'd love to, we cannot just take a company's word for corn-free status.

This doesn't mean you shouldn't contact companies though. As companies can confirm for you that something definitely is corn, which can save you from trying it out. It simply means that even though a company has said "Yes this is corn-free" you should still use caution until you've tested it yourself.

As I've posted once before, we don't believe that companies are using false corn-free claims in order to do harm, but merely that they lack understanding of what constitutes corn-free and/or that their suppliers are not well informed.

University of Nebraska - The Food Allergy Research & Resource Program "does not have an analytical method to test for corn so we would certainly not have performed any testing for corn." So if you see FARRP mentioned as the source for their corn-free claim, please notify the FARRP organization at UNL (here).

Please also keep in mind that tests for "-free" claims do allow a certain amount of proteins to be present (parts per million - ppm) so if it's made from corn, and claimed that the corn is processed out of it, there still could be a protein left (your allergy may not even be protein based, but that's another story).

What is a Corn Allergy?

When people think of food allergies, they often think of peanuts.  Or possibly lactose intolerance (take a pill).  Some of the more well-educated individuals are aware of the top 8 allergens; Peanuts, Tree nuts, Shell fish, fin fish, Soy, Wheat, Dairy and Eggs. Few realize that any food can be an allergen. 

The normally thought of as 'hypoallergenic', corn is actually an increasingly common culprit of food allergy complaints.

The Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network (FAAN) has this to say about corn allergy:  Allergic reactions to corn are rare and a relatively small number of case reports can be found in medical literature. However, the reports do indicate that reactions to corn can be severe. Reactions to corn can occur from both raw and cooked corn. Individuals who are indeed allergic to corn may also react to corn and grass pollens. Cornstarch may also need to be avoided.  

To those of us with reactions, the story is much deeper.  While there may be individuals who react just to the raw and cooked forms of whole corn and cornmeal, but can ingest cornstarch and undefined derivatives, we began this blog for the individuals who have worked hard to fit the jigsaw pieces of their reactions together in order to finally discover the cause of consistent reactions and come up with...corn.

Like Jenny Connors, we were on our own but not alone.  The definitions and mechanics of corn mediated reactions are still blurry.  There are some who have a definitive diagnosis of corn allergy (blood work or scratch test positive); and many who have only been diagnosed through the less-comfortable elimination and blind introduction method.  Or self diagnosed based on food diaries and symptoms; and deliberate elimination diets and exposures.

A common thread among our medical and popular information sources seems to be that corn derivatives such as microcrystalline cellulose and xanthan gum should not cause any reaction, but these actually cause reactions that are very uncomfortable.  And it isn't that people with corn allergies react to just cellulose, or dextrose.  There seems to be a consistent low level reaction to just about every derivative.

The new Food Allergy Guidelines state that a Food Allergy is any adverse health effect arising from a specific immune response that occurs reproducibly on exposure to a given food.  (and food is defined as a substance intended to be ingested; whether in it's pure form or a processed one)  For the purpose of this blog and the associated ones, the term "corn allergy" will refer to the consistent adverse reactions experienced on exposure to any corn derivative, regardless of the presence of corn protein via food lab tests and/or measurable antibodies in the corn allergic person.  (The guidelines themselves say that diet challenge is the only definitive way to diagnose a food allergy.)

We are not doctors or medical professionals.  Just part of a small group of individuals with a common medical condition, learning from experience.  Our intent is to pool our experiences and research to protect one another, and help those just entering the world of corn-mediated reactions have a smoother transition.

I encourage our readers to find their own level of sensitivity and tolerance.

Companies who make great strides in protecting their food allergic customers have very little to go on when it comes to corn allergies.  When we make recommendations or suggest using caution, it is because multiple people (who already have reproducible reactions to confirmed corn derivatives) trace their reactions to a single product.  It doesn't mean every corn allergic individual is going to react to it, but it sure does help to know that product A has failed being safe for multiple corn allergic individuals and placed on a suspect list when you're planning a pre-graduation dinner or looking for a bite to eat before a job interview.  Hives don't make a good impression, and neither do GI reactions. 

If a product is on a suspect list but looks safe...contact the company to verify it's safety for your own tolerance level and then try it out when you don't have big plans in an hour, or the next day.  If you can enjoy it, celebrate.  And if not, at least you had a "heads up" and don't have to add humiliation to discomfort.

We may not be able to cure this condition, but we can manage it.

Good luck!!! 

Lactic Acid Washes on Beef - not safe for corn allergies.

Just in case you had your doubts, it looks like lactic acid washes on beef in the processing is going to be continuing if not getting more widespread in the future.

An article on the verdict of  “the safety and efficacy of lactic acid when used to reduce microbial surface contamination on beef hides, carcasses, cuts and trimmings”.  (Isn't looking good for those of us allergic to lactic acid.)

Lactic acid can come from milk, but most often comes from corn-based sources now.

In industry, the production of lactic acid is done by lactic acid fermentation performed by lactic acid bacteria.

 Lactic acid fermentation is a biological process by which sugars such as glucose, fructose, and sucrose, are converted into cellular energy and the metabolic byproduct lactate.

This practice isn't just for beef alone though. All meats these days tend to get a good "chemical" wash.

So if you have corn allergy and meats are causing you problems, you'll want to look into purchasing them locally from a farmer who can get them processed safely without acid washes for you.

The Food Allergy Cookbook by Neslon and Ibrisimovic - book review

The Food Allergy Cookbook "A guide to living with allergies and entertaining with healthy, delicious meals." by Carmel Nelson and Amrm Ibrisimovic  (The links in this article go to it's listing on Amazon if you'd like to purchase it.)

About a month ago, I was approached by publicist for this book and asked:

"Would you be interested in reviewing this book on your blog if I gave you a free book?"

I said, "Hell yes."

I'm a little bit of a book cookbook junkie, and I do like to have some idea of the new books coming out just so I know whether or not to recommend them.

The Food Allergy Cookbook really is a very good attempt at cutting out a few allergens from your diet. It is almost corn-free (there's a couple recipes which call for ingredients you're not going to be able to find corn-free), wheat-free, gluten-free, dairy-free, possibly soy-free though there's a couple recipes which include ingredients you won't readily find soy-free.. and thats about it. (The recipes do include eggs, beans, nuts, fish, gluten-free grains, rice, and many include coconut.)

This is a really great cookbook for anyone newly gluten-free, or needing to avoid wheat and milk.

My one point of contention with the book is that the authors at the beginning of the book attempt to give lessons on how to eat allergy-free for some allergens (like corn) and fail to give adequate advice. The advice they do give isn't bad, but it's not nearly detailed enough, and should not be taken as your sole source of advice on avoiding these allergens. You definitely should not take their advice about avoiding corn as their advice on it is so incomplete that it could be harmful.

Actually, I advise just skipping the first part of the book and going straight to the recipes.

The recipes look good, and I trust that they are. Unfortunately since I am allergic to almonds, coconut, beans, fish, eggs, rice, most vegetables, and nearly all the gluten-free grains, there isn't much in the book that I could safely make so I've not made any.

I would highly recommend the Food Allergy Cookbook to anyone new to gluten-free cooking or new to dairy-free cooking as there really are some great recipes and ideas in the book.

If you have questions about what is or isn't in the book.. looking for something special? Just ask, I'll check the book for you.

Grading the severity of your allergy: Sensitivity vs Reaction Level

When it comes to allergic reactions there are essentially two measurements to grade your reactions.

On one side there is reactivity. The severity of a reaction can be as simple as making you miserable, or as life threatening to land you in the ER.

On the other side, there is sensitivity. One whiff of your allergen from 6 miles away might set you off, or you might just simply be able to pick off the offending food from your plate.

These two measurements of allergenicity (is that a word? probably not).. These two measurements of your allergy do not have a single thing to do with one another.

You can go into anaphylactic shock with every reaction, but still only react with direct contact.  Another person can simply not feel well with each reaction, and have that reaction if someone even walks in the room with the offending item.

This is where people get confused, and this confusion can sometimes cause people to proclaim things to be totally safe when they're not, or misrepresent themselves. Often this is not done with evil intentions, but with well meaning people trying to share their experiences and help others out.

Whether you tested a 1 or a 4 for your allergen, whether or not it lands you in the ER, does not make you sensitive. An allergy's sensitivity is about just how little contact or exposure is required to make you react at all in any sense.

In sensitivity, there are also two main gauges of sensitivity. Internal and External.

Internal sensitivity is when the allergen is ingested. This includes eye contact and breathing it in, as these both allow the allergen to get "inside" the body with possible absorption by the mucus membranes.

External sensitivity is direct skin contact. Keep in mind, even those without much external sensitivity may find themselves reacting to contact if their skin is broken, or if the corny substance is wet, or if they're in the shower, as wet or broken skin allows the body to more readily absorb the allergen through the skin weakening it's protective barrier.

Someone who is internally sensitive is not always necessarily externally contact sensitive. Those who are externally sensitive may not always be internally as sensitive.

This allows for a lot of confusion when grading products for reliability of corn-free status.

Even at my most sensitive, I could still pick up a corn chip with my fingers or touch a corn cob (I didn't because of my fear of accidentally getting residue of it in my mouth.) without much of a reaction or without a reaction at all.  Others would break out into a full body rash on contact with a corn chip, but be able to eat some contaminated products that would leave me sick as a dog for days.

So just to clarify.. The severity of your reaction while horrid does not make your reactions more valid for testing the presence of an allergen, it's your sensitivity (how much it takes to set you off) that is a much better test of the presence of an allergen.

So when you're out there on boards and forums, do a lot of reading and pay attention to what products people are using. Find the person who best fits your own sensitivity level, and join forces.

The best way to get through this allergy is with someone else who also can help you weed out problem products and make safe recommendations.

Don't trust anyone just because they sound right, or are saying what you want to hear.  Sometimes the thing that sounds the most unbelievable with this allergy, is the one you should rely on. 

In truth, question everything.


(If you're part of our groups, please also see terminology descriptions: http://no-corn.blogspot.com/2018/03/defining-your-sensitivity-level-for-our.html)