Wheat deproteinized starch x naturally gluten-free ingredients

A few years ago, the situation on the gluten-free food market was completely different. On the one hand, the standards for the limit amount of gluten contained were much more benevolent (up to 100 mg per kg of food intended for consumption) and on the other hand, foods were divided into naturally gluten-free and other gluten-free, with different limits for each group. Today, this division does not apply and foods must meet much stricter criteria. Only foods that contain a maximum of 20 mg of gluten per kg of food intended for the end customer can be labeled as "GLUTEN-FREE", regardless of whether or not it is naturally gluten-free. Thanks to more efficient production technologies, space has been created for a raw material that was previously produced only as a by-product of gluten production. Today, companies specializing in deproteinized wheat starch guarantee their customers that their product meets the standards for gluten-free food, i.e. that it contains a maximum of 20 ppm. However, from our own experience we can confirm that the gluten content is in the vast majority of cases much lower and does not even reach the limit of determination (5ppm). Our company guarantees the use of only this high-quality starch. The raw material prepared in this way is the one that the Codex Alimentarius has evaluated on the basis of comparative studies as completely safe for everyday consumption.

So what exactly is deproteinized wheat starch? It is a purely natural raw material that is obtained by separating the starch fraction from the gluten fraction from white wheat flour. This uses the excellent properties of gluten, which coagulates in water. By centrifuging (a mechanism similar to, for example, in a washing machine), it is then easily separated from the so-called starch milk (a suspension of starch in water). In order to achieve maximum purity, this starch milk is washed with water until even the finest gluten particles are removed. Then, starch is obtained from it by drying. The resulting raw material meets strict standards for a gluten-free diet and the gluten content values ​​are of course tested. Yes, such wheat starch is safe.

And how to answer the next question regarding naturally gluten-free raw materials? It would be nice to answer this question with a clear conscience with a yes, but it would definitely not be true. The idea circulating in the public consciousness is that all naturally gluten-free raw materials are absolutely gluten-free. Unfortunately, this idea is wrong. And the reason for this is contamination. This is not because some processor would add gluten on purpose. This is because if sufficient care is not taken to the raw material, which is gluten-free in itself, focused on possible contamination during the entire production and processing process, it can become contaminated in many places, for example with fragments of cereal grains, cereal dust, etc. The gluten content value even in naturally gluten-free raw materials can then reach very high values. So, due to the different conditions when handling such raw materials, the result can be a pure food or a food that is completely unsuitable for celiacs. This applies primarily to buckwheat, corn, millet and rice and products made from them.

And finally, knowledge from many years of production experience. Our company processes (and has processed over the years of practice) many hundreds of tons of naturally gluten-free raw materials into its products, the selection of which we understandably pay the greatest attention to. Since we were asked, we did a retrospective analysis of the chemical analyses of our raw materials over the last three years and found interesting numbers. While certified deproteinized wheat starch produced with the aim of being suitable for a gluten-free diet usually contained amounts of gluten below the detection limit (which is 5 ppm according to the method used by accredited laboratories) and only exceptionally around 7 ppm, naturally gluten-free raw materials were always a much bigger problem. Only half of the millet delivered was below the 5 ppm limit, the average gluten content in the remaining deliveries was 39.9 ppm. For buckwheat, this ratio was even worse (only 1/6 was below the 5 ppm limit), the highest value reported was even 795 ppm. Thanks to our strict input control, such non-compliant deliveries are immediately returned. However, it is not common for naturally gluten-free ingredients to be monitored in this way.

And why do we manufacturers add deproteinized starch to our products? It gives baked goods the best and most attractive properties for consumers, whether it concerns texture or taste. This makes its character similar to conventional pastries.