Flour
Food starch
Modified starch
MSG (monosodium glutamate), often made from wheat starch
Rusk
Special edible starch
Starch
Thickener
Thickening
Vegetable protein
Contamination by wheat
Rye, barley, oats and rice are traditionally stored, milled and packed in the same factories and mills as wheat. Contamination is inevitable, as in any flour mill wheat dust is everywhere – all over the machinery, on all ledges and surfaces, on the workers and in the air. So, while it would seem to be the obvious choice to use rye, barley, oats and rice flour on a wheat-free diet the contamination problem has made this difficult for some. There is also the point to be considered that rye, barley, oats and rice are not as versatile as wheat for baking, and usually they need to be combined with wheat flour for best results. Oats can be used on their own in a limited way, but appear in the shops as ‘rolled oats’ and ‘oatmeal’ and not as a flour. Oats have an individual taste and are not as bland as wheat.
A very allergic person would be wise not to use rye, barley or rice flour, oats or oatmeal because of the risk of wheat contamination. It is possible to buy ground rice that is guaranteed non-contaminated, but not rice flour. The less allergic person may be able to tolerate the wheat contamination in ordinary milled rye, barley, oats and rice. However, a return of symptoms may mean a stricter approach is necessary, and most people will probably feel it is not worth the risk, preferring a 100-per-cent wheat-free diet to a low-wheat diet.
Contamination in the home
One of the problems of wheat-free baking is that contamination of wheat-free foods and ingredients can occur easily if care is not taken to avoid the problem. The main culprit will be wheat flour which is inclined to be dusty and easily becomes airborne. Wheat may also be present on tins and utensils and this too can lead to contamination. Most people on a wheat-free diet prefer to keep one set of utensils and baking tins etc., just for wheat-free cooking. Wheat flour under the fingernails, wheat flour on overalls or apron can also be a source of contamination. An electric toaster which is used for both wheat bread and wheat-free bread can again be a problem as the crumbs from both kinds of bread accumulate in the bottom. A way round this is to use the grill for toasting wheat-free bread and the toaster for ordinary bread.
For someone who is acutely allergic to wheat a separate set of utensils is a must. Otherwise be scrupulously clean and use the same utensils etc., for both types of baking/cooking.
What wheat provides
Basically wheat contributes carbohydrate, protein, vitamins (especially from the B group), minerals (especially iron) and cereal fibre to the diet. In the average diet wheat can provide up to one sixth of the daily intake of protein, more often than not in the form of bread.
To replace wheat in the diet other foods can be used, e.g. protein is readily available in meat and fish. The B-group vitamins can be supplemented by Brewer’s Yeast or by vitamin tablets. Many previously bought ready-made foods will need to be made at home, such as bread, cakes, biscuits, etc. If wheat bran has previously been used in the diet, other types of fibre will have to be substituted such as rice bran or soya bran.
What to avoid
The following other products must not be consumed or used in wheat-free cooking unless you are sure they do not contain any wheat:
Baked beans in tomato sauce
Baking powder
Batter mixes
Bedtime drinks
Biscuits and biscuit mixes
Blancmange powders
Breadcrumbs
Breakfast cereals
Cakes and cake mixes
Cereals
Chocolate (cheap brands)
Chutney
Cocoa
Coffee (instant)
Communion wafers
Corned beef
Cornflour (cornstarch)
Cream (non-dairy)
Crispbreads
Crumble topping
Curry powder
Custard (powder or ready-made tinned)
Desserts and instant puddings
Drinking Chocolate
Gravy powder and mixes
Ice creams
Macaroni
Stuffings
Mayonnaise
Mustard
Oat porridge (instant)
Pancake mixes, pancakes
Pastas
Pastry mixes
Pickles
Pie fillings
