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I assume most folks on special multiple allergy diets have cast an uneasy eye on the new Expandex modified tapioca starch. I recently purchased a bag to experiment with and did a little investigating on the product in order to hopefully shed some light on things.
I contacted Corn Products U.S. technical support last week and a company representative responded (albeit after almost a week of waiting). Perhaps that is a good sign. The representative may have been digging deep to make sure the information presented is factual and accurate….
My contact confirmed that Expandex Modified Tapioca Starch is made in a dedicated facility where no gluten or corn are processed.
They claim that as a single ingredient Expandex is safe for folks with corn allergies.
The company also stated that their product is free from artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives and does not contain aspartame. They cannot say whether or not they are ’safe’ for Feingold or Failsafe dieters beyond these claims.
The company will not disclose how their product is made, as it is a proprietary secret but they did say that the process is similar to processes used for other modified starches.
So what are the processes used for other modified starches?
Modified Starches are degraded through various processes depending on the desired outcome. Methods may include: cross-linking, acid treating, alkaline modification, bleaching, enzyme treating, pre-gelatinizing, and the use of oxidation.
Manufacturers alter food starches in order to create products with a longer shelf life and with better freeze and thaw cycles. The most common modifications include cross-linking, a process that toughens the starch granule and makes it resistant to heat and acid; and chemical substitution, which creates better freeze and thaw cycles.
Is modified starch organic?
The answer is no, unless the manufacturer declares the product organic. At this time I have yet to find a single such product. Traditionally modified starches have used harmful chemicals like chlorine to chemically alter the flour. Now manufacturers can process flours using a special heating technique that avoids utilization of harmful chemicals. This is the exception and not the norm. Additionally, there is no way to determine if the original flour utilized is itself an organic grain, conventional, or a GMO.
New USDA regulations on organic labeling and increased public interest in organic and natural foods may lead to more natural, healthier alternatives to the popular chemically-altered modified food starches in our processed foods. Without the commitment from Corn Products U.S. to disclose the method they use in making Expandex, I urge consumers to consider the worst case scenario and determine for themselves that it is not safe if they have to exclude chemicals from their diets for neurological or other health related needs.
We did bake a few of my family’s favorite bread recipes with Expandex added and were impressed with the results. Expandex does all that the product claims; it lengthens the shelf-life of the bread, cuts down tremendously on crumbliness, and provides a ’sandwich’ worthy home-baked bread without the use of yeast.
I think folks concerned about the possible chemical elements in Expandex could get similar successful results in their home-baked bread by using natural gums like guar and xanthan (if you are corn allergic be wary), or by using other natural binders such as kefir (made with milk) and natural fruit pectins like apple sauce.
Tags: Corn-free, Expandex, Feingold Diet, Gluten-free, Guar Gum, Maize-free, Modified Food Starch, Starch, Tapioca
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Thanks for sharing this info! Since going gluten free, I seen Expandex advertised but never tried it.
Good information! After eating a gluten free flour with Expandex, I am experiencing pain and stiffness all over my body. This is not common for me. I am wondering if there is a connection with the Expandex and the onset of these symptoms? I am doing my research from now on BEFORE I consume “modified” food products!!!
Thanks Caryn,
Tammy
It is confusing since Expandex is manufactured by Corn Products International, but Expandex is a modified tapioca starch and does not contain any corn? I still trying to make it sounds legitimate heehee.
Anyway, it is a modified tapioca starch that is claimed to enhance gluten free baking. According to my colleagues, it will make your gluten free baked goods rise better, brown better and just plain taste better. More like wheat baked goods. But still it raises concern to those who have family members with corn allergies like myself.
I know what you mean about the corn free claim. They assured me that it was made in a separate facility. We actually live fairly close to a corn plant (less than 10 miles) and it has a very distinct odor when we pass by it on occasion. We have used the Expandex but I am not a fan of using it regularly. I tend to bake moist breads and use kefir or applesauce a lot. We also avoid yeast 99% of the time. The claim that it helps “keep” bread longer is true. I can get the same kind of consistency with guar gum.
I prefer to take only organic starch. Modified starch is not organic and consuming it for long term may show some side effect because of chemical used. I’m sure they process this starch in a facilitity that processed other supplementary products like dairy, egg, etc. This may effect badly on lactose intollerent people like me. Have you heard of maize starch? I’m hearing a lot of good reviews on this product these days.
Maize starch is the same thing as corn starch in the States. We frequently travel to Ireland and most gluten free products there have corn in them in some form (labeled as ‘maize’). Maize does hold together well, but corn is frequently toxic with mold, you know– for someone with autoimmune problems, inflammation, or multiple allergies it is a very good idea to avoid corn, as it is loaded with mycotoxins (fungi). Wheat, corn, and peanuts are the top crops that are typically infested with mycotoxins. So in small doses in a healthy person it is doable, but if a person already has a compromised immune system and a known fungal issue I would say steer clear of the maize starch. I have used apple sauce, guar gum, arrowroot starch as thickeners and all work well. I agree with you on the modified starch. We try to stay as chemical free as possible in our house. Banana is also good when baking if you have an egg allergy, and so is flax seed.
Have you tried taro powder or taro flour as an alternative flour or thickener?
Hi, You said: “We did bake a few of my family’s favorite bread recipes with Expandex added and were impressed with the results.”
I’m curious, did you eat them? I can’t imagine using eating a product that has “probably” been bleached and “possibly” made form a genetically modified flour. Are you recommending this product or against it, or neither?
One last thing, “The company also stated that their product is free from preservatives”.
The genetic modification of the flour and bleaching of it’s starch is, I thought they said, for shelf life???