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. 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗬𝗼𝘂'𝗹𝗹 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗖𝗵𝗲𝗺𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗔𝗹𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 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: • Canned soups, gravies, and sauces • Salad dressings and mayonnaise • Frozen dinners and TV meals • Processed deli meats and sausages • Yogurt and pudding cups • Baked goods and cake mixes • Baby food and infant formula • Instant mashed potatoes • Pie fillings and desserts • Gluten-free products (ironically) • Low-fat and "diet" foods • Breading and coating mixes 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 "𝗠𝗼𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗲𝗱 𝗙𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵" 𝗔𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗜𝘀 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: • Chemical treatment with acids (hydrochloric, sulfuric, phosphoric) • Alkaline processing with sodium hydroxide (lye) • Bleaching with chlorine, hydrogen peroxide, or peracetic acid • Cross-linking with chemicals like phosphorus oxychloride or sodium trimetaphosphate • Esterification with acetic anhydride or succinic anhydride • Enzymatic modification with industrial enzymes • Oxidation with sodium hypochlorite The result: • Altered molecular structure for specific industrial functions • Potential chemical residues from processing agents • Hidden allergen sources (wheat = gluten, corn = GMO) • Zero requirement to disclose the source or modification method