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If you are allergic to corn I offer you my sympathy. Corn must be one of the most pervasive foods out there. Most individuals who discover they have a corn allergy or intolerance struggle to eliminate it from their diet.

You may already cautiously read the label on every food item, scanning for corn flour, masa flour, corn meal, corn syrup. Yet, some apparently corn-free foods still make you feel awful. Or worse, your health never improved after eliminating corn and you don't know why.

If you suffer from an allergy to corn you should beware of the following list of food additives. Each of these additives can be made from corn and could make you sick. Fortunately, many companies are beginning to print allergy warnings on their food items that say 'does not contain '' or 'may contain ''.

If the food you pick up does not explicitly state the allergy information then don't make any assumptions. Print this lengthy list out and keep it in your wallet or purse so that you can check food labels for these hidden sources of corn.

Food Additives That May Contain Corn:
Calcium lactate or stearate
Calcium stearoyl lactylate
Dextrin or Dextrose
Ethyl maltol
Fumaric or Lactic acid
Gluconolactone or Glucono delta-lactone
Glucose
Glycerine
Hydrolyzed vegetable protein
Lecithin
Linoleic acid
Malt, Maltodextrin, Maltose or Maltol
Mannitol
Polydextrose
Polysorbates
Potassium gluconate
Propylene glycol monostearate
Sodium ascorbate or other ascorbates
Sodium stearoyl fumarate
Sodium-, Magnesium-, Calcium- or Potassium-fumarate
Stearyl citrate
Tocopherol (alpha-Tocopherol, vitamin E)

Source:
Farlow, C. Food Additives: A Shopper's Guide to What's Safe and What's Not. 1993.