Facts on Food Hypersensitivity to Corn

This handout was published by the now defunct Allergy Asthma Association of Alberta in 1987. Some of the information is probably outdated by now but at least it will give you some ideas of where to look for corn sources.

A person who is hypersensitive to corn must avoid corn and all corn derivatives in food and non-food items.  Simple avoidance of corn as a vegetable is not difficult, it is the avoidance of corn derivatives that is a challenge to the person hypersensitive to corn.  Some individuals may be able to tolerate corn in its vegetable form but not corn derivatives.

Corn sensitivity can result from contact inhalation or ingestion:  the smell of corn popping or fresh corn on the cob cooking, body/bath powders, starch on clothing when ironing or contact on the skin to clothes that have been starched, glue in shoes or gloves which may contain corn, can all produce various symptoms of different degrees.

Corn is used to "dust" many containers of cardboard and plastic surfaces.  Try frozen cans of juice instead of "drinking boxes" or use fresh meat and vegetables wrapped and frozen and home canned fruit.  Corn may also line the milk "cartons" so bottled milk may be wise.  Many medications are also not corn free so check with the manufacturer before using them.

All corn and corn derivatives must be avoided.  Look for these terms in ingredient listings:

corn	maize
corn starch	hominy
grits	glucose
starch	succotash
fritters	corn oil
dextrose	corn syrup and corn syrup solids
corn sugar

Foods containing unspecified vegetable oil or shortening should not be used, as the source of the oil may be corn.
 

Substitutions
Baking powder usually contains "starch".  To make a corn-free baking powder, use one of the substitutions below:

• Combine equal parts (by volume) of baking soda, cream of tartar and potato flour or starch.
• Arrowroot may be substituted equally.
• Combine 4 oz of cream of tartar, 2 oz baking soda, and 4 oz ground rice - sift together

Medication:
Aspirin and other tablets
Cough syrups
Dentifrices (Toothpaste)
Expectorants or dilutents in capsules, lozenges, ointments, suppositories, tablets, vitamins
Gelatin capsules
Laxatives
Vitamins
Suppositories
 

Foods which may contain refined corn and other corn products:
 

Ale	Bacon	Baking mixes
Baking powders	Batters for frying	Beers
Bleached/unbleached wheat flours	Bourbon and other whiskies	Breads/other pastries
Cakes	Candy	Carbonated beverages
Catsups	Cereals, many processed	Cheeses
Coffee, instant	Colas	Cookies
Confectioner's sugar (icing sugar)	Corn Flakes	Chinese Dishes
Cream Pies	Cream Puffs	Dates, Confection
Deep fat frying mixtures	Dextrose	Fish, prepared and processed
French dressings	Frostings	Fruits - canned, frozen
Fruit juices	Frying fats	Gelatin dessert
Glucose	Graham crackers	Grape juice
Gravies	Grits	Chewing gums
Gin	Ginger Ale	Hams
Ices	Ice cream	Cooking fumes of popping corn
ICING SUGAR
Popcorn	Starch	Jams/Jellies
Ketchup	Leavening agents, baking powders, yeasts	Lemonade
Life Savers	Liqueurs	Margarines/shortenings
Meats, processed and cold cuts	Milk, in paper cartons	Monosodium glutamate
Pastries / Cakes/ Cup cakes	Peanut Butter	Peas, canned
Pickles	Pies, creamed	Powdered sugar
Preserves	Puddings	Ravioli
Rice, coated	Root Beer	Salt
Salad Dressing	Sandwich spreads	Sausages
Sherbets	String beans - canned/frozen	Soups
Soy Bean milks	Syrups, commercially prepared "Cartose", glucose, "Karo", "Puretose", "Sweetose"	Tablets/Medications
Teas, instant	Tortillas	Vegetables
Vinegar, distilled	Waffles	Wines

References:
Allergy Information Association, Corn Information Sheet
Sask. Public Health Dept., "One Man's Meat is Anothers Poison".
Red Deer Health Unit - Nutrition Information.

Written in 1987 but still pretty relevant!

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