Sheesh . . . I just want to eat. . . . is that too much to ask?

Mellow Greetings, Yookie Dookie! I am making chili for dinner (with leftovers to last for a while).

Thanks to an intrepid notation made by my sister-in-law, I have been researching two items today - Maltodextrin & Xanthan Gum. I spent over three hours at two different grocery stores yesterday, and ran into these two ingredients everywhere.

While considered to be a carbohydrate, maltodextrin is understood to be more easily digested than some other forms of carbohydrates, leaving behind less of the potential for health issues. This can be especially important for an individual who is trying to manage their Type 2 diabetes with their diet. Usually made from rice, corn, or potato starch, maltodextrin is produced by cooking down the starch. During the cooking process, which is often referred to as a hydrolysis of starch, natural enzymes and acids help to break down the starch even further. The end result is a simple white powder that contains roughly four calories per gram, and extremely small amounts of fiber, fat, and protein. (Definition courtesy of wisegeek.com)

Xanthan gum is considered a polysaccharide in scientific circles, because it is a long chain of three different forms of sugar. What's important to know is that all three of these natural sugars are present in corn sugar, a derivative of the more familiar corn syrup. The Xanthomonas campestris bacteria literally eat a supply of this corn sugar under controlled conditions, and the digestion process converts the individual sugars into a single substance with properties similar to cornstarch. Xanthan gum is used in dairy products and salad dressings as a thickening agent and stabilizer. Xanthan gum prevents ice crystals from forming in ice creams, and also provides a 'fat feel' in low or no-fat dairy products. (Definition courtesy of wisegeek.com)

So . . . Maltodextrin = corn syrup and Xanthan gum = corn syrup. yippee skippee (insert 'blah' tone of voice here). I was just hoping that I would come across more ingredients to avoid. . . . (please note sarcasm).

Xanthan Gum appears to be in EVERYTHING. It's the ingredient that keeps salad dressings and sauces from separating. I would be more than willing to shake the bottle before pouring it on my food. It looks like I am going to have to start making my own dressings and sauces. . . . . At this juncture, I shall also have to recant my prior assertion that Marie's and Bolthouse Farms Salad dressings are free of added sugar. They both contain xanthan gum. However, I am going to follow up my discoveries with this pondering:

Xanthan gum and maltodextrin are not used as sweeteners. Xanthan gum is used as a bonding agent, and maltodextrin is used as a thickener. In discussing my findings with MomK, she reminded me that in her original experiment, what she did was remove sugars used as sweeteners from her diet. I am not going to throw out my salad dressings . . . . for now. I will however, continue to seek out alternatives and share all my findings here.

:)
JamiK