corn gluten

come on , you guys are starting to sound a bit paraniod don't you think.

ORIGINAL: tori2006

come on , you guys are starting to sound a bit paraniod don't you think.

I would have agreed with this originally, but now I think it's not out of the question.  Any plant-protein fraction should raise alarm...

I would have said the same thing a few weeks ago - I'm definitely of the "give them the benefit of the doubt" type of person. It's gotten much too widespread now, however. Nothing seems safe other than homecooking - and watch out where you get your individual ingredients!

RC products here use corn gluten. I remember when I used the mini on Cord and thinking that was the only possibly objectionable ingredient.

I've switched to a product that is produced in the local mill that sells it. It's not very high quality but it doesn't make up much of their diet, Cord can eat it (it's a soft milled food similiar to Bil-Jac), and by George I know exactly where all the ingredients come from. The mill owner says that he's having trouble keeping up with the demand for this food now! I can believe it.

RC products here use corn gluten. I remember when I used the mini on Cord and thinking that was the only possibly objectionable ingredient.

  I asked them where their corn gluten comes from that's used to make products sold in this country and they said it comes from the U.S.

ORIGINAL: jessies_mom

RC products here use corn gluten. I remember when I used the mini on Cord and thinking that was the only possibly objectionable ingredient.

I asked them where their corn gluten comes from that's used to make products sold in this country and they said it comes from the U.S.

Well that's good.

Becca,
 
What food is this (from the mill) and where is it located? I may be interested in checking it out.

ORIGINAL: jessies_mom

RC products here use corn gluten. I remember when I used the mini on Cord and thinking that was the only possibly objectionable ingredient.

I asked them where their corn gluten comes from that's used to make products sold in this country and they said it comes from the U.S.

Apparently, if you'd asked NB the same thing about their rice protein concentrate a week ago, they would have told you that it came from the U.S. (if they admitted it was in their food).  But now we know it would've been a lie.

I'm really not a paranoid person at all.  And I hate this feeling.  But at this point I don't trust any of 'em. 

I'm really not a paranoid person at all. And I hate this feeling. But at this point I don't trust any of 'em.

  I did buy Eagle Pack Fish for our cats yesterday and tossed out the rest of the Royal Canin we were feeding them since it had corn gluten; this was before I received their reply. And now that I learned on here this morning that they were recalling products with rice gluten and hadn't listed the ingredient on their bags, I'm really glad I made the switch. Our cats love EP and do well on it. I trust Eagle Pack but that's probably because I've e-mailed them several times over the last few years and always received a prompt and direct answer to my inquiries. Before I changed Jessie to their foods I spoke to John on the phone and he seemed genuinely concerned about the allergy problems Jessie was having and offered suggestions like using an allergy filter, so I felt this was a company I could trust. This is some information he posted here yesterday;

"Dyan...sorry I did not reply. I was attending a pet food seminar on safety in pet food. And we are being swamped. First, not to worry. We do not use wheat gluten in dry or canned, and what the label says you can believe. We do not use Rice Gluten/Protein in any dry or canned food with exception of one Prism label. The Rice Gluten was removed and bags stickered to reflect the true contents. New bags are due May 10. Holistic Transition shows Rice Protein and has been tested as safe but the next label will show stabilized rice bran and that is what will be in the product.The primary thrust of the food safety seminar was "Know Your Source", and that means the true source, not the U.S. company that imported an ingredient for you. There is a lot more I could say but I don't know how much company specific info I can post. I would be delighted if anyone wants to email me, but give me a day or so to respond."

Here's part of his responce to Dyan's e-mail; 
All our grains are domestic.
 
We are EU Certified, which means you must have ingredient source tracebility; and we do.
 
AND  we have tested everything.

Renee, it's from Keystone Feeds/Camp Chemical - I know they've got a location in Roxboro, NC but I don't know where else besides the store in South Boston, VA where I get it. It's called Chester's Choice (lol).

ETA: The protein percentage is quite low, but it's inexpensive enough to use as a supplement to fresh meat.

The Royal Canin Recall in South Africa was due to Melamine tainted corn gluten.  I have a feeling they'll recall corn gluten products next here in the US.
QUOTE
Royal Canin SA last week recalled dry dog food after several dogs fell ill with renal problems caused by melamine.Royal Canin SA MD Gregory Watine said yesterday tests had indicated that corn gluten, used in the production of dog and cat dry pet food products manufactured by Vets Choice and Royal Canin, had been contaminated with melamine.
*The corn gluten was imported from China.*

End Quote

[linkhttp://allafrica.com/stories/200704200140.html]http://allafrica.com/stories/200704200140.html[/link]

The odds are slim to none that we would actually import corn gluten into the US. It would be like importing sand to the Sahara. Corn gluten is a co-product of ethanol and high-fructose corn syrup production so we have it literally thousands of tons of the stuff.

ORIGINAL: jenhuedepohl

The odds are slim to none that we would actually import corn gluten into the US. It would be like importing sand to the Sahara. Corn gluten is a co-product of ethanol and high-fructose corn syrup production so we have it literally thousands of tons of the stuff.

 
I sure hope you're right.  But I have to ask, isn't the same thing true of wheat gluten?  Shouldn't we have plenty of that here, too?

I got to wondering exactly how corn gluten is produced and found this from the North Dakota State University Agriculture and University Extension
 
 
I would assume the process to be similer for Wheat and rice gluten.
 
Accepted lots of corn grain are thoroughly cleaned by screening and aspiration. Cleanings are added to the coproduct feed. The clean corn is then steeped for 30 to 35 hours at 47 to 35o C to soften it for the initial milling step. During sub-sequent wet-milling processes, the corn germ is separated from the kernel and processed to remove the oil. After the germ has been removed, the remaining portion of the kernel, which contains the bran (exterior portion or hull of the kernel), gluten and starch is screened and the bran removed. The bran (fiber portion) is then mixed with steep liquor and sold as wet corn gluten feed (WCGF) or with water removed, as dry corn gluten feed (DCGF). The ratio of bran to steep liquor is generally 2/3 to 1/3. When dried and further processed into a kernel or pellet, approximately 12-13 pounds of DCGF is produced per bushel of corn. The germ is marketed for its oil and the starch is further processed into fructose syrup.

 
[font=arial]Corn gluten feed (whether wet or dry) is an excellent feed that is a moderately high source of protein (about 20-25%), low in starch (about 20%), high in digestible fiber and low in oil. Because of these characteristics, cattle can be fed relatively large amounts. Despite its high portion of fiber, it can still be regarded as an energy source. Corn gluten "feed" is often confused with corn gluten "meal." In contrast, the "meal" is high in bypass (ruminally undegradable) protein, while corn gluten feed has a high ruminally degradable protein fraction. The level of protein degradability appears to be slightly lower for DCGF (about 70%) than for wet (about 75%) and is an important factor when considering protein levels in the diet. Fiber in WCGF is somewhat more digestible than in the dry form, permitting greater intakes of wet versus dry corn gluten feed.
Both WCGF and DCGF can vary in color from yellow-light brown to dark brown, depending on the amount of steep liquor, drying temperature and drying time. DCGF generally darkens with increased drying temperature or time. While darker color variations do not identify inferior product, extremely dark DCGF may be heat damaged. Furthermore, care must be taken with diets containing high amounts of corn and corn byproducts which may be limiting in amino acids, particularly lysine. [/font]

We grow a lot of wheat - but we don't manufacture much wheat starch or the wheat gluten that is left during the starch removal. Most US wheat is a higher-quality wheat that is milled into flour for baking.

I work for a pet product distributor that sells Royal Canin.  We also sell Nestle Purina.  Obviously our company would fall apart if Purina had tanted corn gluten.  Sooo... after informing my boss about this exact forum discussion (see I talk about you guys at work) my boss made some phone calls. 

All of the corn gluten used to make Nestle Purina products is bought, grown, and processed in the US.  Yah!  Most of the wheat gluten Nestle Purina uses is also bought in the US, that is why Purina Chows, Pro Plan, Beneful, and Purina ONE have not been recalled.  But they did purchase contaminated wheat gluten for certain formulas of Mighty Dog and Alpo canned foods.  Nestle Purina doesn't use rice gluten in any of their formulas.  Not that I'm endorcing Purina products, but it is the #1 food company out there.  And my job depends on it.