Corn is not the most common food allergy among kids, but it is growing. According to Robyn O'Brien, founder of the independently funded allergy organization AllergyKids, "Corn is considered a 'new' food allergy, as corn was never known to have allergy-inducing properties. It is often found in families that consume a diet high in processed foods." She also says incidence is underreported, since parents often think the allergy is to additives or preservatives. If your child is diagnosed with a corn allergy, there are numerous foods to avoid besides just corn.
Corn
Obviously, if your child's allergic to corn, you'll want to avoid corn on the cob, frozen or canned vegetable mixtures that contain corn, soups with corn in them, and popcorn. But don't stop there; some breakfast cereals, breads and snacks are also made with corn as a main ingredient.
Corn Additives
Corn is the also basis of numerous common food additives and sweeteners. These ones are easy to spot, so check the label for corn syrup, high-fructose corn syrup, corn sugar, corn sweetener, corn oil, corn starch, cornmeal, corn flour, corn gluten, corn alcohol or hydrolyzed corn protein. Products that are often made with these ingredients include breads, cereals, crackers, cookies, cakes, candies, packaged snacks, sweetened beverages and many other products that are probably in your kitchen right now. Even infant formulas are often made with high-fructose corn syrup.
Hidden Additives
While seeing the word "corn" on a list of ingredients is a surefire giveaway, corn is hidden in many less-obvious additives found in processed and pre-packaged foods and beverages. Caramel contains corn ingredients, citric acid can sometimes be derived from corn instead of fruit, and sodium citrate, which is used in cream-based products, can be corn-based. Other seemingly innocent ingredients that may contain some corn are baking powder, artificial sweeteners, confectioners' sugar, crystalline dextrose or fructose, xylitol, maltol, maltodextrin, malt extract, MSG, food starch, iodized salt, distilled white vinegar, ethyl alcohol and vanilla. Since corn allergies are not yet regulated in the same way that peanut and other serious food allergies are, you won't find disclaimers saying a product "may contain corn" or has been "manufactured in a plant that processes corn." More surprise corn-based additives can be found at cornallergens.com.
Corn-Fed Meat
Some farm animals are given a corn-based feed, and a child that's allergic to corn can often also be allergic to the meat from these animals. The most common corn-fed animals are chickens and pigs, so dishes containing chicken, pork, ham, bacon and sausage may be affected.
Member Comments