Wednesday, February 28, 2007

Empire Kosher

Empire Kosher's Kosher For Passover products are kitniot-free per the company (as posted on Avoiding-Corn).

This also means that their Kosher for Passover products are also 100% corn-free.

Their plain meats are corn-free still, but do watch labels. Kitniot-free applies to all their products labeled "Kosher for Passover" (including seasoned meats, sausages, etc), but only those labeled "Kosher for Passover".

You can find a list of Empire's Kosher for Passover products here on their website.

Empire Kosher also has an online shopping website as well, for those interested.

Savonnerie Gluten-Free Soaps

Savonnerie soaps have been on our list for a while now. A new company reponse posted on Delphi - Avoiding Corn, gives reassurance that they will continue to strive to be corn-free.

Savonnerie also states that their new lip balm and Massage & Body oil are also corn-free. These two products have not been tested to my knowledge.

If you do have problems with their products, do let us (& them) know.

Elite Bazooka Gum - Kosher for Passover

The only gum that we know of that is truly corn-free is Elite's Kosher for Passover (KFP) gum made in Israel. The most readily found version of their KFP gum is Bazooka.

Their Bazooka gum tastes just like you remember it from your childhood, though the cartoons are not in English.

The KFP Bazooka gum is kitniot-free (see PDF file of the Passover Book). "Kitniot includes any of the following: soybeans, kidney beans, lima beans, sesame, rice, green beans, peas, chick peas, millet, corn, mustard, lentils, and lecithin." Which means to be kitniot-free, the product would also be free of all of those foods.

KFP Bazooka gum can be hard to find, especially if you do not live in an area with a large Jewish community. KFP products are usually found in stores (stores that carry kosher products) in Feb - April of each year.

You can also find KFP Bazooka gum online. I purchased some through Chocolategelt.com last year, though last I checked they were currently out of stock. Hopefully with Passover coming around again, they will be fully stocked with it soon.

A couple other sites that I saw it being sold: (though I cannot endorse these sites personally since I've never used them)
Israeli Products.com
Ari's Judaica Treasures

Elite also makes a couple other kitniot-free KFP gums, but these I have not seen except locally at a Kosher Store. Elite's Bubble Gum Balls and Elite's Mini-Gum (like chicklets).

Here is full list of Elite's products, though I do not know if all of those are kitniot-free.

Florida's Natural OJ with Calcium

A long very explainatory post on Delphi - Avoiding Corn: Florida's Natural with Calcium, has prompted the removal of Florida's Natural juices with added Calcium.

It seems that the calcium in the juice is made using calcium carbonate and citric acid. After much inquiry, the company confirms that the citric acid may be sourced from corn. A reaction prompted the inquiry, and thus has prompted its removal from the list.

Florida's Natural Orange juice without added nutrients will remain on the list.

Martinelli Apple Cider & Juice

Company confirmation from Martinelli states that there is nothing but apples in their juices & ciders.

Any citric acid used is naturally derived from malic acid in the apples. No corn derivatives are used to wash the apples prior to processing, and no corn derivatives are used in the processing or packaging.

There was a reaction reported to Martinelli's Apple Cider, but it is unsure if that reaction is corn-related.

If you do have problems with this product, do let us know.

Kirkman Labs - reactions

Kirkman Labs is being removed from the list, as too many reports of reactions have been made for us to consider it safe.

Of the reaction testimonies are the following:
Delphi - Avoiding Corn: Reaction to Kirkmanlabs Everyday Multivitamin

Delphi - Avoiding Corn: Child's Reaction to Kirkmanlabs Children's Multivitamin

Please use extreme caution if using any of Kirkman Lab's products.

Additional Kirkman Labs coorespondence (Delphi Post)from Dec 2006

Previous Corn-free Foods blog posts about Kirkman Labs:
Kirkman Labs Cross-contamination (Feb 26, 2007)

Kirkman Labs (Jan 11, 2007)

Lodge Cast Iron Pans

Many of the cast iron cookware you see today is already pre-seasoned and most are pre-seasoned with some kind of corn product.

However, Lodge Cast Iron Pans in their original finish are corn-free.

To learn how to season the pan yourself, Lodge's website can help you learn to do that too.

Cast iron pans are also a good way to get iron in your diet.

**It was also advised on Delphi-Avoiding Cornthat you may be able to find unseasoned cast iron cookware at your local hardware store. Do make certain to only buy unseasoned.

RoseArt Crayons

A post on Delphi-Avoiding Corn about RoseArt Crayons (in conjunction with this inquiry), states that RoseArt Crayons are corn-free per the company.

Another inquiry posted on Delphi-Avoiding Corn confirms that RoseArt’s Jumbo Washable Crayons are corn-free.

The crayons are made using just wax and food coloring. It was also confirmed that their products do not contain corn, soy, or coconut/palm.

The person inquiring was not very impressed with the knowledge of the RoseArt representative, and felt that the information provided was not well researched.

That said, RoseArt crayons will be showing up on the list. If you do have any information about the corn-free status of RoseArt or reactions to their products, do let us know.

Colorations - Wheat-Free & Gluten-Free Playdough

Colorations Wheat-Free & Gluten-Free Dough (playdoh) has been on our list for a while, and is carried by Discount School Supply online.

A recent inquiry into the dough has given us a bit more information as to potential allergens that may be in the dough. While the dough is still corn-free, it has been found to contain potato, and the vegetable oil used in the dough may also contain soy.

Playdoh - unsafe

For some of us, even getting into the same room with Playdoh by Hasbro can cause problems.

A recent inquiry into Playdoh's contents confirms their use of corn starch as an ingredient.

Do not use this product with a child that has a corn allergy.

RoseArt Modeling Clay

A post on Delphi-Avoiding Corn shares the results of an inquiry into RoseArt's modeling clay.

The RoseArt Company claims their modeling clay is corn-free. It does contain wheat and mineral oil for those that that may affect.

If you have any problems with this product, do let us know.

Kiss My Face - Olive Oil Bar

It seems that Kiss My Face has been adding citric acid to some of their olive oil bars. These bars are not safe.

Reactions have been reported to the Kiss My Face olive oil bars, but it is uncertain if these bars had citric acid or not.

To avoid confusion and problems in the future, the Kiss My Face olive oil bars will be removed from the list until the bars are deemed safe again.

Links to Kiss My Face testimony:
Delphi-Avoiding Corn: Citric acid in Kiss My Face
Delphi-Avoiding Corn: Uses of Kiss My Face (testimony that some bars do have citric acid and some do not)

**** UPDATE 4/07 Kiss My Face Pure Olive Oil soap no longer using citric acid. Delphi - Avoiding Corn post Watch labels for any remaining citric acid containing bars.

Enzymedica

Enzymedica's Pro-Bio probiotic has been on our list for a while now, but company confirmation posted on Delphi-Avoiding Corn, now expands our listing of Enzymedica products.

Cellulose used in the Pro-Bio vegetarian capsules is sourced from Pine. The Xylitol in their Kid's Digest is sourced from Birch.

Enzymedica does claim that all their products are corn-free, and so far no word to the contrary.

Tuesday, February 27, 2007

Corn-Free Foods - Finding Local Resources

Getting more control over the sources of your foods helps when you're trying to eliminate contamination. Small farmers and local suppliers are often very willing to help out and work with you on your special needs. It's also nice to know that you're helping to support your local economy.

Finding these sources can be daunting but there are a couple places that may help:

EatWild.com can help you locate grass-fed meats: beef, lamb, goats, bison, poultry, pork, & dairy.

FoodRoutes.org lists several local suppliers of meats, veggies, poultry, eggs. Their search engine makes it easy to locate possible suppliers in your area.


Do know that you will need to check with each supplier about the processing of the products to make sure it doesn't get contaminated with corn (or other allergen specific to your needs).

Happy Hunting.

Redmond's RealSalt Seasoned Salt

Redmond's RealSalt has been on our list or at least in our kitchens for a while now.

A recent post on Delphi-Avoiding Corn has confirmed that Redmond's RealSalt Seasoned Salt is corn-free. The company confirmed that there is no corn in it, nor is there any corn processed on the same equipment.

As always its nice to add something new to our menus. Please let us know if you have any problems with this product.

Monday, February 26, 2007

Authority - Harvest Baked Dog Food

I couldn't find a website for Authority Pet Food Company, but their products are sold at Petsmart among other locations.

Authority's "Harvest Baked Dog Food" is labeled as corn-free, and contains no obvious sources of corn. Meaning the ingredients list no corn starch, corn oil, or other huge red light of corn. There is however a large list of added enrichments in the product which may or may not have a corn-based carrier, as well as some "natural flavor" and "extract" which might be questionable.

I am not aware of any human trials of this product or of any corn allergic animals trying this product, so I cannot verify for certain that it is completely corn-free or that your child wouldn't react to "accidentally" eating it. However, this may be an option for those of us looking to limit the amount of corn exposure in our households, while still keeping that favorite member of the family.

Authority's "Harvest Baked Dog Food" is rather pricey, about 2-3 times the amount of normal cheap dry dog food, but for me it makes feeding the dog a much less scary event.

If anyone does "trial" this dog food and knows for certain that it would be safe for accidental ingestion, please let us know.

Foster Farms - Natural Flavoring

Foster Farms plain chicken and turkey meats have been on our list for safe meat products for quite a while.

However, questions arose as to the safety of their ground meats which include "natural flavoring" which is listed as "spice extractives of rosemary" on their website.

Thanks to an inquisitive member of Delphi-Avoiding Corn, we've learned that the rosemary is extracted using a carbon dioxide technology and then dissolved in vegetable oil. According to Foster Farms, the vegetable oil could possibly contain corn.

So please use caution with any Foster Farms product with natural flavorings, as the possibility of it containing corn is pretty high. Their kosher plain meats should still be safe.

Biscoff Cookies

Biscoff Cookies, as posted on Delphi-Avoiding Corn, advises using caution with their Biscoff cookies from Belgium for those with corn and oat allergies.

While the recipe itself seems to be corn-free, and some have eaten their cookies with no problems, there is a risk of cross-contamination for corn and oats. Reactions to the cookies have also been reported.

In the light of safety, Biscoff Cookies will not be appearing on the list. However, if you are not very sensitive to corn, these cookies may be safe for you.

(fyi - Biscoff cookies are primarily soy and wheat-based)

FAGE - Total Greek Yogurt

A very informative company response was posted on Delphi-Avoiding Corn about the corn-free status of this product.

FAGE Products clearly states that their Total Greek Yogurts are free of any corn or corn starch, and that there is no possibility of cross-contamination in their facility because they do not process any products with corn starch or corn-derivatives.

The animals are fed alfalfa, soybean, cottonseed, barley, rye, and maize (corn). So if you cannot tolerate corn-fed animal milks, then this product may not work for you. Otherwise the product is completely corn-free per the company, and has been successfully tested by several.

Do let us know if you have any updated information about this product.

Frontera Products

Frontera foods has been mentioned a couple times over the years as being corn-free, as many of their products do not contain questionable ingredients.

A company response posted on Delphi - Avoiding Corn claims that there is no citric acid in their tomato ingredient.

This is the only company confirmation of corn-free that we have at this time. Their products have been successfully eaten by a couple people and will be appearing on the list.

Do watch labels though for any suspicious ingredients, and if anyone does verify with the company on corn-free status, do let us know.

Koda Farms - Rice Flour

According to an inquiry posted on Delphi - Avoiding Corn, Koda Farms makes a sweet White Rice flour that is corn-free & gluten-free.

Koda Farms' Mochiko flour was once carried by Trader Joe's under the now discontinued product label "Trader Joe's Sweet White Rice Flour".

If you cannot find this product in your area, please visit Koda Farms website as they will be willing to help you locate a place to purchase it.

As with all products here, if you have any reactions to a product here, please let us know.

Spectrum Canola Oil

According to a post on Delphi forums, Spectrum has confirmed that their Canola Oil is corn-free.

If you have any corn problems with this product, do let us know.

Spectrum Distilled Vinegar

According to a post on Delphi forums, Spectrum confirms that their distilled vinegar is sourced from corn and rye.

Do watch your Spectrum products to make sure there is no distilled vinegar.

LifeMaster 2000 No-VOC Paint

LifeMaster 2000 paints have been on our list for a while. They were verfied as corn-free a couple years ago, though no one has verified it recently. The following links are information about the paints and how to obtain them.

LifeMaster 2000 No-VOC Paint by Cyndi Norwitz

LifeMaster 2000 Technical Datasheet

ICI paints - Manufacturer of LifeMaster 2000 paints

Kirkman Labs - cross-contamination

In January, we posted about Kirkman Labs' Vitamin D being derived from corn.

Another response from Kirkman Labs about corn in their vitamins was posted on Delphi Forums - Avoiding Corn.

This inquiry was questioning their Hypoallergenic Calcium with Vitamin D. Kirkman Labs states that this product does not contain any "corn protein fraction" but that it may be run on the same production line with corn starch containing products or with vitamin C derived from corn.

Do use caution with their products.

Lewis Lab's Brewer's Yeast - Nutritional Yeast

A post on Delphi recommended Lewis Lab's Brewer's Yeast.

This yeast is a nutritional yeast and for more explaination of its benefits you can read the company statement for yourself at Lewis Labs website.

According to the Delphi poster as well as the Lewis Labs website, the yeast is grown on sugar beets. Nothing is added, and its also gluten-free.

Please let us know if you have any issues with this product.

Biota Colorado Pure Spring Water

Its honestly a sad day when we have to post a caution about water, but unfortunatly that's just the day it is.

A warning posted on Delphi initially started this cloudy day, but an article on Naturally Boulder confirms it.

Biota Colorado Pure Spring Water is bottled in compostable bottles made from corn. There have been several reported incidents of corn allergy reactions to these corn-based plastics, so do use caution with these new plastics.

Only Natural Pet Store - shipping corn.

For those with pets and looking to order things online, a post on Delphi utters a caution.

Only Natural Pet Store uses cornstarch packing peanuts in their packages for shipment.

Eden Foods - Wheat-free Pastas

A company reponse posted on Delphi, confirms that there is nothing added Eden Food's pastas, and the ingredients are exactly as labeled.

Their 100% Buckwheat Soba and their 100% Organic Rye Spirals pastas are corn-free according to the company, Eden Foods. The Buckwheat Soba has been tried without reaction.

If you are interested in buying these foods, Eden Foods has its own online store, where these products and others are available.

As always, if you do have any reactions to these products, do let us know.

NorQuin - Quinoa.com Pasta

An inquiry into NorQuin Organic Special Blend Pastas found at Quinoa.com, has confirmed that the pastas are corn-free.

The Northern Quinoa Corporation (Norquin) has confirmed that their Quinoa Pasta is simply a blend of quinoa and brown rice. This product is also gluten-free.

To my knowledge this product has not been human tested. Please let us know if you have any problems with this product.

Friday, February 23, 2007

Elmer's Glue

Elmer's glue has been contacted several times over the years and each time the company claims their products are corn-free.

However, there have been several reports of reactions to their products as well. Please use extreme caution with their products.

Faber-Castell Products

A report on Delphi-Avoiding Corn about children's craft items states good news about Faber-Castell.

After contacting the company, it seems all Faber-Castell products are corn-free except their "Creativity for Kids" kit which contains corn.

Crayola Colored Pencils

A report on Delphi-Avoiding Corn about children's craft items states bad news about Crayola.

After contacting Crayola about possible corn in their products, it was found that the only truely "corn-free" Crayola product is their colored pencils. Their colored pencils do contain soy though.

More Info about Crayola products: Crayola Crayons Review or select Crayola under "labels" at the end of this post.

Quercetin - natural antihistamine

Quercetin was recommended on Delphi Forums as a natural antihistamine remedy for mild allergic reactions.

Sources:
Twinlabs - Vit C + Quercetin (Vit. C is sourced from Sago Palm and should be safe)
Jarrow Formulas Quercetin 500mg (unsure if completely corn-free)
Swanson High Potency Quercetin (unsure if completely corn-free)

These sources were recommended by others in the thread listed above, but do use caution.

As an additional FYI, natural sources of Quercetin are: Green Cabbage, Cranberries, Kale, Grapes, Pears, Apples, Spinach, Garlic, Onions, Grapefruit.

If any of the above listed vegetables/fruits are highly allergenic for you, you may find it beneficial to contact the company for the source of their quercetin prior to trial.

KerryGold Dairy Products

Correspondence from KerryGold posted on Delphi Forums, gives much reassurance that their products are completely corn-free.


KerryGold dairy products are imported from Ireland and use grass-fed cows. They are entirely hormone and preservative-free.

The company's correspondence goes into much detail about how careful they are in making sure only the best and purest milks are used in their products.

Their cheese products have been successfully trialed by several on the Delphi Forum-Avoiding Corn.

KerryGold Product Description: "It's 7 oz. It's in waxed paper. On the front sticker it says "100% Natural/Kerrygold/Aged Cheddar Cheese/Rich Creamy Cheddar/7oz (198g)/Imported from Ireland" and there's a picture of cows eating grass inside a stone-walled pasture. On the back sticker is the nutrition facts and it says "Packed for: Irish Dairy Board Inc./Wilmette IL 60091/Product of Ireland/www.kerrygold.com"

While this description is just for the one type of KerryGold cheese, all their cheeses should be in similar packaging, or it has probably been repackaged in the USA and may have cross-contamination.

Another review of KerryGold cheese can be found here: KerryGold Dublinear & Mild Cheddar

KerryGold also makes a butter, which is probably also corn-free but hasn't been definitively tested yet to my knowledge.

Expandex - Modified Tapioca Starch

Expandex, manufactured by Corn Products International, is definately something to watch.

The company claims the item to be corn-free, but we're still a bit suspicious.

As far as I know, this item has not been human trialed.