I love eating corn! Everything from grilled corn on the cob, to creamed skillet corn, to cornbread, to grits. Unfortunately, it's an unrequited love. I am corn sensitive. When I do break down and devour a bit of corn or a corn-based product, I definitely regret it later. (Hello bathroom! Did ya miss me?!)
That aside, I'm sure you are familiar with some forms of corn. The obvious: corn on the cob, canned corn, popped corn, corn tortillas, corn flakes, corn meal, corn syrup, and pretty much anything with "corn" in the name. The maybe not-so-obvious: grits, alcohol, vegetable oil, butter spreads, artificial syrups...
MMMmmmmmmmm! (Oh, woe is me!)
There are actually an unbelievable number of corn derivatives...in everything from the food you eat, to the shampoo you wash your hair with, to the gas you fill your car with. If you were to suddenly decide to go a week without using any corn products or products containing corn derivatives (not buying anything that is corn free), you would likely find yourself walking around in your cotton underwear, without a bite to eat in your house full of food, with dirty dishes piled up in the sink, and desperately needing a nice long soapy bath.
What can you find corn in, exactly? Pretty much everything. It's a cheap, diverse filler.
And the ingredients labels rarely identify corn derivatives as "corn ____". So, here's are the Many Names of Corn:
*Asterisk denotes items that may or may not be corn derived or corn contaminated. List comes from http://www.cornallergens.com/list/corn-allergen-list.php
Acetic acid
Alcohol
Alpha tocopherol
Artificial flavorings
Artificial sweeteners
Ascorbates
Ascorbic acid
Aspartame (Artificial sweetener)
Astaxanthin
Baking powder
Barley malt* (generally OK, but can be contaminated)
Bleached flour*
Blended sugar (sugaridextrose)
Brown sugar* (generally OK if no caramel color)
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 gluten
Corn extract
Corn flour
Corn oil, corn oil margarine
Corn starch
Corn sweetener, corn sugar
Corn syrup, corn syrup solids
Corn, popcorn, cornmeal
Cornstarch, cornflour
Crosscarmellose sodium
Crystalline dextrose
Crystalline fructose
CyclodextrinDATUM (a dough conditioner)
Decyl glucoside
Decyl polyglucose
DextrinDextrose (also found in IV solutions)
Dextrose anything (such as monohydrate or anhydrous)
d-Gluconic acid
Distilled white vinegar
Drying agent
Erythorbic acid
Erythritol
Ethanol
Ethocel 20
Ethylcellulose
Ethylene
Ethyl acetate
Ethyl alcohol
Ethyl lactate
Ethyl maltol
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)
InositolInvert syrup or sugarIodized salt
Lactate
Lactic acid*
Lauryl glucoside
Lecithin
Linoleic acid
Lysine
Magnesium citrate
Magnesium fumarate
Magnesium stearate
Maize
Malic acid
Malonic acid
Malt syrup from corn
Malt, malt extract
Maltitol
Maltodextrin
Maltol
Maltose
Mannitol
Methyl gluceth
Methyl glucose
Methyl glucoside
Methylcellulose
Microcrystaline cellulose
Modified cellulose gum
Modified corn starch
Modified food starch
Molasses* (corn syrup may be present; know your product)
Mono- and di- glycerides
Monosodium glutamate
MSG
Natural flavorings*
Olestra/Olean
Polenta
Polydextrose
Polylactic acid (PLA)Polysorbates* (e.g. Polysorbate 80)
Polyvinyl acetate
Potassium citrate
Potassium fumarate
Potassium gluconate
Powdered sugar
Pregelatinized starch
Propionic acid
Propylene glycol*
Propylene glycol monostearate*
SaccharinSalt (iodized salt)
Semolina (unless from wheat)
Simethicone
Sodium carboxymethylcellulose
Sodium citrate
Sodium erythorbate
Sodium fumarate
Sodium lactate
Sodium starch glycolate
Sodium stearoyl fumarate
Sorbate
Sorbic acid
Sorbitan* (anything)
Sorbitol
Sorghum* (not all is bad; the syrup and/or grain CAN be mixed with corn)
Splenda (Artificial sweetener)
Starch (any kind that's not specified)
Stearic acid
Stearoyls
Sucralose (Artificial sweetener)
SucroseSugar* (not identified as cane or beet)
ThreonineTocopherol (vitamin E)
Treacle (aka golden syrup)
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* and Vitamin E*
Vitamins*
Xanthan gum
Xylitol
Yeast*
Zea mays
Zein
So, what should you do if you think you might be sensitive or allergic to corn?
1. Start off by keeping a diary of everything you ingest. This isn't a dieting journal, it's for your health, so no cheating! Note the times you eat, what you eat. If you have any symptoms (such as swelling, a rash, itching or burning sensations, worsening eczema, abdominal discomfort, diarrhea or vomiting), be sure to note them and the times they occur, as well.
2. If a pattern starts to emerge, speak with your doctor. S/he will likely set up an allergy test or ask you to start an elimination diet (removing a food or a group of foods, one at a time, from your diet to narrow down the cause of your symptoms). Your doctor may prescribe a medication to help (be sure to check the ingredients, though!).
3. If a sensitivity or allergy is indicated, begin replacing all of your food and hygiene (unless you're a masochist, like me) with corn free products. I know how difficult this can be when you have kids...I have a separate cabinet for my corn free products, so they can still enjoy their favorite foods.
4. Research corn sensitivity/allergy. The above list is far from comprehensive....there are WAAAY more derivatives than what you see here.
5. If you have the ALLERGY, get a medic alert bracelet. Glucose and dextrose are found in IV solutions, and hospital personnel should be aware of your allergy in case you are not in a position to speak.
6. Eating out will seem like a nightmare, at first. But once you become familiar with what you can and cannot eat, it won't feel as intimidating. Don't be shy or afraid to speak with your servers about your allergy. Actually, the first time I ate at TGI Fridays, I was surprised to learn that they have a separate menu that identifies various allergens in their foods.
7. Keep your sense of humor and be flexible. For sure, your lifestyle will change, so adaptations are in order. Not everyone in your extended family (mostly in-laws, LOL) is going to get it and they might not remember at family gatherings (I keep my allergy meds handy, since this is usually the case). But it's not impossible to live with. (Says the girl that can't keep her hands off a warm buttery corn cob.)
Yep......fireworks.....more corn.....Wait...What? xP
@danidee @nicolejb @InPlainSight @ebethoven @MichaelOgg @LAVONYORK @SamTheMallow @shannonl5 @Paulisadroid @YumiMiyazaki @SonTyler @InVinsybll @RaquelArrendondo @AMNII @arnelli @alywoah @christianmordi @humairaa @cullunquigley
