Ingredients Exposed Series: Modified Food Starch
The Chemically Altered Filler Hiding Gluten, Corn, and Industrial Processing What sounds like a simple starch ingredient in your soup is actually a chemically or enzymatically altered substance that's been treated with acids, alkalis, bleaches, or enzymes to change its natural properties. "Modified food starch" isn't just starch, it's an industrially manipulated thickener that can hide allergen sources (gluten, corn), deliver chemical residues, and provide zero nutritional value while bulking up processed foods cheaply. ๐ช๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ฌ๐ผ๐'๐น๐น ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ง๐ต๐ถ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐บ๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐น๐น๐ ๐๐น๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ฆ๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฐ๐ต Modified food starch (listed as modified food starch, modified corn starch, modified wheat starch, or modified tapioca starch) is lurking in products throughout your kitchen: โข Canned soups, gravies, and sauces โข Salad dressings and mayonnaise โข Frozen dinners and TV meals โข Processed deli meats and sausages โข Yogurt and pudding cups โข Baked goods and cake mixes โข Baby food and infant formula โข Instant mashed potatoes โข Pie fillings and desserts โข Gluten-free products (ironically) โข Low-fat and "diet" foods โข Breading and coating mixes ๐ช๐ต๐ฎ๐ "๐ ๐ผ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ณ๐ถ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐๐ผ๐ผ๐ฑ ๐ฆ๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฐ๐ต" ๐๐ฐ๐๐๐ฎ๐น๐น๐ ๐๐ Modified food starch is natural starch (from corn, wheat, potato, or tapioca) that's been chemically or enzymatically altered to change its properties for industrial food manufacturing. The modification process involves: โข Chemical treatment with acids (hydrochloric, sulfuric, phosphoric) โข Alkaline processing with sodium hydroxide (lye) โข Bleaching with chlorine, hydrogen peroxide, or peracetic acid โข Cross-linking with chemicals like phosphorus oxychloride or sodium trimetaphosphate โข Esterification with acetic anhydride or succinic anhydride โข Enzymatic modification with industrial enzymes โข Oxidation with sodium hypochlorite The result: โข Altered molecular structure for specific industrial functions โข Potential chemical residues from processing agents โข Hidden allergen sources (wheat = gluten, corn = GMO) โข Zero requirement to disclose the source or modification method