Catherine Saxelby's Foodwatch | Q. Is cornflour suitable for me as I’m on a gluten-free diet?

Q. Is cornflour suitable for me as I’m on a gluten-free diet?

A. In Australia, products sold as “cornflour” used to be made from wheat, not corn or maize (its alternative name). The word “corn” has historically been used to describe all grains in general which is how “cornflour” got its name in the first place.

These days, however, many of the cornflours at the supermarkets are now produced from maize. So if you are aiming to avoid wheat, then look for a cornflour which is labelled made from maize. You see the wording “Maize cornflour” on the front somewhere or else on the list of ingredients on the back of the pack.

Alternatively rice flour is also an excellent thickener and binder and has the added bonus that it doesn't go lumpy.

To help people with food intolerances, almost all commercial thickeners and starches in commercial foods are derived from maize or potato or tapioca, not wheat. Again you can check this for yourself on the label – the list of ingredients should say:

• THICKENER FROM MAIZE

 or

• THICKENER FROM POTATO
  
  

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