Is white vinegar safe to eat if you are allergic to wheat? How is it made?
White vinegar is also called spirit vinegar. It is made by distilling ordinary malt vinegar to produce a very strong, colourless liquid high in acetic acid. It is less pungent than malt vinegar, and is used in home-made pickles, and especially where the colour of the food needs to be retained for example, pickled pears.
Malt vinegar is made from barley, so white/spirit vinegar is by association also made from barley. If you are in doubt about a particular white vinegar product then it is best to err on the safe side and get the actual manufacturer to confirm that their product is wheat free.
(submitted 28/05/05)