Tuesday, March 8. 2005

wheat by any other name

It really isn't easy identifying wheat in a lot of the ingredients lists of foodstuffs, drinks, body products and medicines.

Why is this we asked? Well it seems that wheat by any other name often looks better on an ingredients list, for example doesn't 'triticale' look better than 'wheat' on a posh facial product? The trick is to make you think you're getting something special, rather than just a cheap, over produced, chemically polluted cereal.

So what are the names that you need to look out for?
Binder or binding
Cereal
Cereal binders
Cereal protein
Edible starch
Farina
Filler
Flour
Food starch
Fu
Gum base
Hydrolysed wheat protein
Kamut
Manna
Modified food starch
Modified starch
Rusk
Semolina
Special edible starch
Spelt
Starch
Thickener or thickening
Triticale
And of course it goes without saying, anything with the word 'wheat' in it, (except buckwheat which is a member of the rhubarb family so perfectly safe).

I'm sure that the list above is not exhaustive, so if we've missed anything out please let us know.

The problem is that ingredients lists are often so long that it's easy to miss the offending item among the chemicals, additives, and constituents of the product.

The face, hair and body products manufacturers are certainly the worst offenders, and without doubt the biggest users of the term triticale. Have a look at all the beauty products in your house, those that you use, and those that others in the house use. Wheat appears in a lot of makeup, shampoos and conditioners, and I bet that you're using some of them without necessarily realising.

Now I'm not suggesting that you become paranoid about every product containing wheat, or a derivative of wheat. There's no need to throw out your partners posh hair products because they contain wheat, just don't steal them to use on yourself and you'll be fine.

But if you do suffer from a wheat allergy then take a few extra seconds to read the ingredients of the beauty products that you're buying, we all do it religiously with foodstuffs, so why not the external body products too.

Look carefully, you'll be amazed at how often it crops up. Had sore eyes after applying makeup? Well check out the contents of your mascara, probably 50% of the mascara on the market contains wheat, or wheat by any other name...
Posted by Helen Fletton in wheat blog at 04:05 | Comments (8) | Trackbacks (0)

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Spelt is an ancient variety of wheat and is not the same as modern wheat. It was used by the Romans. Don't forget that although it is wheat, many wheat sufferers and coeliacs can tollerate it. It does depend on how sensitive you are. I am very sensitive to wheat and gluten, but am very stable of Spelt. I can't have oats, or any other type of wheat!! In fact, Aramanth came up, although it is suppose to be wheat and gluten free. I have a friend who is a severe coeliac, but she can tollerate Spelt. Try Spelt and if you have symptoms that you get having wheat or gluten, then you know you can't have it. I was told by a specialist that although spelt is wheat, it is an old version and so different to the modern form of wheat, that many can tollerate it. Modern wheat is just not the same as Spelt.
#1 Eli on 2005-03-28 06:49 (Reply)
I read in an article (I can't remember which of the many allergy sites I read it on) that US food companies use corn or potato for "Modified Food Starch", and it can be eaten by allergics. This is supposedly only for US companies, it's important to check the brand, but if it is US you can eat it.
#2 Elizabeth on 2005-11-22 13:34 (Reply)
Just wanted to say thank you for your wheat by any other name. I get so confused by labels, that I want to scream. My daughter is gluten sensitive. Did you know wheat is coated on pork rinds! (we don't eat them but just wanted to read the label while in line one day) I would like her to only eat fruit and veges, but teens, it's hard to keep them off junk!! Did you know some gum is coated with a form of wheat. All this modifying has modified us!!! Take care, keep on gluten-free.
#3 Toni Smith on 2006-08-14 06:35 (Reply)
I read that Malt products are also a no-no. Like Matodextrine. Is this true? Because it is in A LOT of products.
#4 Michelle on 2007-03-18 12:20 (Reply)
I am wondering if you meant maltodextrine? In the U.S. It is made from corn, rice or potato. Not barley or wheat.
#4.1 Tammy on 2007-10-16 17:18 (Reply)
Does anyone know of a gluten-free mascara?
#5 K. Weller on 2007-12-28 19:46 (Reply)
yes. In fact ALL levera or Trend make up is Gluten free. they also do gluten free lotions and facial cleansers, Sun block, after-sun and self-tanning. I have Celiac of the skin (apparently very rare) and cannot tolerate ANYTHING on my skin that has gluten. I have been using their line for about 2 years, and my eyelashes stopped falling out! and my face stopped being itchy! they do not make a water proof mascara, so if anyone knows about that it would be great to hear from you!
Cheers!
#5.1 emma on 2008-05-16 12:04 (Reply)
I want to thank you for the list, I couldn't find one anywhere. My one year old is allergic to wheat and Milk, so it is doubly difficult to find something without both! If anyone has any suggestions I would greatly appreciate it!
#6 Dee on 2008-06-23 14:18 (Reply)

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