Hydroxypropylmethylcellulose

[pretender]

Just back from one of the big four UK supermarkets, I went looking for some foods without any derivatives but found that most foods had a similar ingredient, "Hydroxypropylmethylcellulose". Does anyone have problems with this?

[FionaGFG Administrator]

Hi what products were you looking at that had that in ?

[jan44]

Hi Pretender

I have been wondering for some time if this particular ingredient is the source of my digestive problems which began when I was diagnosed as coeliac and have had to eat a gluten free diet since. It is certainly better on the days when I avoid foods with this ingredient in it. When a food states it contains 'cellulose' I don't whether this is the same product or a lesser version. I haven't seen it in other things other than GF bread, rolls and teabreads.

[FionaGFG Administrator]

Yes that's what I've seen it in too. It is a thickening agent, often used to bulk up GF bread. Personally I've found a lot of breads in it just bloat me up. However, the Sainsbury's own brand seeded one seems a bit better. I often find I feel a lot better not eating any processed GF bread. Have you tried ditching it all together? Or making your own? I do enjoy scrambled eggs on toast so tend to have it a few times a week when I crave it. But a lot of Coeliacs find going bread free works for them.

[jan44 in reply to FionaGFG]

Hi Fiona I too have found that some of the sainsburys rolls aren't so bad but only the smaller cheaper ones and I only dare eat one. Also the 'yes you can bread' seems better. I have tried to ditch the bread but I start to miss it and then eat it and start the vicious cycle all over again. I didn't have much success in the beginning with DIY bread but I have got some different flours now and will have another play. I'm not a huge salad, bean and lentil fan so I don't know what to eat as an alternative other than rice cakes or crackers.

[virgolizzy in reply to jan44]

Hi

I don't like any of the bought FF bread as it bloats me up the same as other 'normal' bread so try & avoid it at all costs. I do like bread though so make my own in my breadmaker & have tweaked with several recipes & now have one that I feel works well & freezes beautifully. If you want the recipe please holler & I have to say my breadmaker (which I bought before I was diagnosed) is well worth the money. Yes I also tend to make all my own food (luckily I like cooking) but still find that having a slice of bread a couple of times a week is a god send.

[ymbat in reply to virgolizzy]

Recipe please as I haven't found a good one for breadmaker.

[e-mail]

[virgolizzy in reply to ymbat]

Beat 1 egg & add 350ml of sparkling water. Put in breadmaker pan.

Add 4tbsp rice bran oil (or olive oil), 1tsp of rice vinegar (or lemon juice), 1 1/2tsp salt, 1 1/2 tbsp sugar, 400g Doves white bread flour, 1 tsp xanthum gum, 1tbsp of fast action dried yeast (ie 1 little pkt).

I put mine on my fast action white bread mix which takes 2 hrs & finish it off in the oven for 10 mins if it isn't quite done,

I also sometimes add 100g of Doves Brown bread flour & just 300g of the white.

Delicious!

[ymbat in reply to virgolizzy]

Thank you will try where do you get Dove's Flour from please?

[virgolizzy in reply to ymbat]

Can get it in Tescos, Sainsburys & Morrisons in the GF sections, & probably other supermarkets too. Failing that, Doves Farm has an online shop of the same name.

Enjoy making it.

[IANJSAVAGE in reply to ymbat]

SUPERMARKETS DO IT

[MisssVeronicaLake in reply to virgolizzy]

Thank you :)!

[MisssVeronicaLake in reply to virgolizzy]

Please share the breadmaker recipe!!

[Tybee in reply to jan44]

For bread I have found Jules Shepard gf bread flour and mix is the best on the market. You can find her on line. The best bread ever.

[pretender]

This may answer some of your questions, it is a gluten substitute which helps the product rise pharmaceuticalonline.com/do...

[windymillersue]

I had a ? On this ingredient. Found bloating, too full feeling not nice. I am currently bread free, athough keep intending to try totally home made efforts. I havnt had a sliceof bread for about 3 years

[windymillersue]

Ps link doesnt work

[pretender]

Hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose (HPMC) are becoming increasingly popular as capsule materials for drug delivery and dietary supplements. HPMC is synthetic (not animal based) and is chemically less active than traditional gelatin. HPMC is inert to formaldehyde, while gelatin cross-links in the presence of formaldehyde. Cross linking of gelatin causes incomplete capsule shell dissolution and, thereby problems with drug release.

HPMC is produced by the reaction of methyl chloride and alkali cellulose. The resulting methylcellulose is then further reacted with propylene oxide to give hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose. During the manufacturing process propylene oxide can react with hydroxide to form formaldehyde and acetaldehyde. Also, methyl esters can be oxidized to produce formaldehyde. Therefore, leachable formaldehyde from HPMC is a major concern to pharmaceutical industry. Formaldehyde leaching out of the capsule material could react with any active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) with an amine group and degrade it to its imine (N-methyl derivative). Insulin is known to be modified by reaction with formaldehyde. Formaldehyde-induced modifications change the accessibility and reactivity of the peptides forming small proteins. An estimation of the amount of formaldehyde leaching out of HPMC capsules and possibly reacting with the API is an important toxicological concern in all pharmaceutical applications.

Formaldehyde is a known carcinogen. Both EPA and OSHA have set permissible exposure limits for formaldehyde. The Product Quality Research Institute (PQRI) recommends a safety concern threshold (SCT) for carcinogens. SCT is the level of toxicity over which leachables must be identified and quantitated.

Aspartame as I understand it also produces formaldehyde in the gut.

[Mandy63 in reply to pretender]

There are a multitude of choices other than bread. The natural choices would be fruit and veg. Jacket or boiled potato and sweet potato baked alongside any meat or fish are my staples. Bulking up this way reduces your risk of bowel cancer. Conversely using chemically enhanced foods wo

uld increase that risk. Change your mindset and forget the substitutes.

[lamcg in reply to Mandy63]

In the past, I have had this bloating too-I'd started to wonder if it was rice, from the rice flour I couldn't take, especially when I had a bad reaction to a risotto which was supposed to be GF! How can you tell what it is, on a day to day basis in the real world? It could be so many things! It's very confusing!! What do folks who don't eat bread & crackers etc have for breakfast? I often enjoy egg on toast for breakfast of lunch. it's hard without bread!

[Hidden]

Hi folks, Hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) is a long chain molecule and is an edible plasticiser. It is used in eye drops, in the construction industry as an adhesive and in some foods as an emulsifier/binder. So it bulks food out and emulsifiers help bind oil and water based ingredients hence it being used in mayo.

Methylcellulose is used as an emulsifier, egg replacer and to treat constipation, methylcellulose is indigestible so passes straight thro' our bodies.

So I agree with the others as I eat naturally gluten free foods and I think this is the main advantage to being a coeliac, which's the opportunity for a natural based healthy diet based on fresh food.

At the end of the day we are what we eat...

[RusticRita in reply to Hidden]

Hey thanks for the info. Urrgh WTF! I eat very few processed foods, but do indulge in GF bread. I had no idea about the source or products of this ingredient. I'm very suspicious of anything regarding plastics in the environment, especially the xeno-oestrogens being produced. I was watching Newsnight last night and there was a report on the dangers of plastic waste and how it was killing off the turtles and albatross off Hawaii, absolutely heart-breaking. If its poisoning them it's likely to be slowly poisoning us too..

[Hidden in reply to RusticRita]

Hya, this is interesting that this was on Newsnight and I wonder if they mentioned that it was the Pacific garbage patch? which I first came across in a book by Mark Edwards (a freelance photographer) who put the words of the song Hard rain by Bob Dylan to pictures after being rescued in the desert by nomads who played him a tape of hard rain. And in the book there's a picture of children swimming amongst all this discarded plastic with the words ''where the pellets of poison are flooding their waters'' all very profound. hardrainproject.com/hard_ra...

Some fish are eating small particles of the brightly coloured plastic and will change sex several times during their lives, so yes it is scary and the only people who do anything about it are Green peace who regularly use fishing nets to try and clean it up.

google.co.uk/search?q=pacif...

I do eat gluten free bread but make my own using a flour mix with naturally gf flours including quinoa flour, pumpkin seeds and no chemicals.

[RusticRita in reply to Hidden]

Big thanks for those links Jerry, I'm going to do some more reading up on it. I'd heard about the Pacific Garbage patch, but seeing the evidence of even a small portion of its affect on film was truly shocking. The Newsnight feature is here: bbc.in/WAZLHw and mainly covers the effects on the albatross and its young on a small Hawaiian island.

I'm really suspicious of the effects of plastic waste on the immune and hormonal systems and wonder if it could be associated with the big rise in cases of auto-immune disease like coeliac and thryoid? I know there's definite links with some cancers.

I'm certainly inspired to attempt to make my own bread again (past attempts weren't so successful) so I'm going to try VirgoLizzy's and do a search for other recipes. Is yours on here anywhere and can you recommend a source of Quinoa that's not contaminated by gluten btw? I recently got a rash from the Morrisons brand! Cheers.

[Hidden in reply to RusticRita]

Hi Rita, it is an eye opener to see the flip side of our consumer society and I came across the Hard Rain exhibition and went several times and so I bought the book. And then there was a documentary on cable tv about the pacific garbage patch.

I also agree with you about the effects of chemicals on the immune system and there are links to those electronic air fresheners and ADHD (behaviour problems with children) and there are many articles about air fresheners in general and allergies so here's a link:

medicalnewstoday.com/articl...

Now bread making I first started with ready mixes Like Doves Farm gf bread flour which has xanthan gum added and is a blend of gf flours and then moved onto making my own mixes, so here's the recipe I use and some pictures:

withoutgluten.co.uk/recipes...

One thing to be wary of with home made bread is many 'instant yeasts' contain wheat so I always use the ordinary ones and the secret with them is to mix the yeast with luke warm water and a little sugar and leave it to wake up (eg go frothy) And just to encourage you I like making bread the most and usually make it twice a week.

I buy Essential organic quinoa flour from a local independent health food shop:

essential-trading.co.uk/ext...

I've never had issues with it and it says that it is organic, free trade and gluten free on the packet.

And good luck with your bread making.

[RusticRita in reply to Hidden]

Hi Jerry, Love your Bread Blog and tips! Thank you so much for passing all this info on, I'm going to enjoy trying out some different recipes. I tried the Dove's farm own recipe a few times but found the texture too heavy and oily. I didn't know about the quick yeast sometimes having wheat sources either - doh. The essential trading site looks good too, I try to buy from co-ops when possible.

Thankfully I never use those awful air fresheners, its hard enough to keep plastic waste to a minimum without them! I found a site/blog for the people who are attempting to do something about cleaning up the Pacific Garbage which might be of interest: projectkaisei.org

Many thanks for your help, I'll let you know how I get on. Cheers, Rita

[pretender]

The point here is that Hydroxypropylmethylcellulose used in Gluten free foods as a gluten substitute is the same as Hypromellose which is used in medicines. The end product being Formaldehyde.

[jan44]

Hi, these answers do confirm a lot of my suspicions about the nasty ingredients in specially manufactured foods either in the freefrom aisle or on prescription. Explains now why I was writhing in the doctors surgery in agony with tummy pains after 2 weeks on a GF diet at the time I had no idea that the lovely free samples provided by the specialist food manufacturers were probably the culprit neither did the dietitian who organised for me to have a prescription for more of the damn stuff! There must be lots of people who don't have a clue how nasty the ingredients are in the GF foods judging by the amount of it dispensed at the chemist and the fact that the food is also recommended by the Gastro after he makes the diagnosis of CD and then metaphorically 'pats you on the head' and as a sweetner to the bad news tells you that you can have lots of food on prescription and the diet is quite easy really...

[coeliacvegan]

As Jerry points out, one of the huge advantages to following a gluten-free diet is the incentive to eat fresh, home-prepared foods. All processed foods, gluten-free or otherwise, are unnatural, chemically-manipulated products, so it stands to reason that those of us with sensitive systems are likely to react badly to them. Our bodies just weren't designed to process these artificial compounds.

I find I'm cooking a far wider variety of foods than I ever did before I was diagnosed, with a far greater emphasis on fresh fruits and vegetables, along with some non-gluten grains, such as quinoa. As my diet now is so radically different, I haven't really missed bread - it feels like my whole lifestyle has changed, and my newfound good health makes any potential disadvantages more than worth it.

[pretender]

Hi coeliacvegan, must agree with you that cooking natural unprocessed foods is good for most coeliac's but then throw in a "Formaldehyde Allergy" as well this reduces choices even further.

Many natural foods produce formaldehyde and some aquire it as they age so with this and having to exclude anything from a gluten origin my life and diet can be stressful to say the least.

My "Formaldehyde Allergy" has taken seven long years to get diagnosed which Jerry is well aware of.

[coeliacvegan]

Hi Pretender,

I had no idea foods could naturally produce formaldehyde - that must make life very challenging for you. Thank you for mentioning this. Am pleased to hear you now have a diagnosis and hope you are feeling better for it.

[pretender]

In 2006 I used a lot of chemicals (100litres in 12 months) in a Primary School one of these contained a small amount of Hemiformal a Formaldehyde Donor, each Time I used the chemicals it was off to A+E where I had so many different diagnosis (of which I have learnt are CD related) However occupational Health/Respiratory/Cardiology/A+E etc etc were of no help at all. It is through medication/Gluten-Free foods and my persistance that I have finally got this diagnosis after 7 years. No one asked Why this chemical "May produce an allergic reaction"

It is a chemical that is difficult to avoid and one concern I have is the amount of coeliacs who question cosmetics/shampoo's and gluten content, Sources of formaldehyde are deodorants/mouthwashes/household cleaners/shampoos/shower gels/Airfreshners and even exhaust fumes as well as many others.

Life is very restricting and yes challenging, restrictions can be controlled in your own environment but not away from it. This Allergy on top of the Brittle Complicated Coeliac Disease is extremely stressful and depressing and little understood because we are all treated as textbook.

[pretender]

If your interested have a look: cfs.gov.hk/english/whatsnew...

[urbangirl]

Hello Pretender

At the weekend I went shopping in a well known supermarket and bought their own brand of gf bread and ciabbata as an experiment, Several weeks ago I tried another brand of gf bread and did not like it. I hoped this brand was going to be different. Both the ordinary bread and the ciabatta made me ill. It is only today after reading your post that I checked on the label and saw both contain hydropropylmethylcellulose ingredient. I am now aware of this ingredient. However, I think that there are two problems about this (which equally applies to other products) - (1) the writing is so small and difficult to read on sometimes on reflective wrapping; and (2) there are so many letters in the ingredient. It is so confusing and hard to remember what is what, especially when there are many other ingredients to work through on the packaging that are unfamiliar. Besides, being quite new to this gf stuff I have been tending to trust the gf label. I think I am learning quite a bit. BTW both the breads tasted disgusting! Like others I quite agree that it is better to stick to natural ingredients.

[pretender]

Hi Urbangirl, you will now find hydroxypropylmethylcellulose in most of the bread type products in prescription as well as in the free from aisles, it is a gluten substitute so good for those who cannot tolerate Codex Wheat starch, Your comment regarding the size of the lettering is very valid and one I shall try to raise at my Tribunal on 20th February which is not good for our older sufferers.

To me a warning is in the wording "Gluten Free" it has gluten in it and words with to many letters needs looking at.

After all my fun and games the Solicitors are going to reopen my case which brought all my issues about.

[urbangirl in reply to pretender]

Thanks for this Pretender. As I have not been eating bread for such a long time I won't really miss it, but it may be tough for others. Back to the labeling - as you can see I couldn't even spell it! On one package hydroxypropylmethylcellulose was split over two lines - end of one line and beginning of the other. You certainly do need strong glasses to read some of these labels and maybe a magnifying glass too. The combination of the shiney packaging and supermarket lights do not help either. Because I am new to this site I don't know what your case is about. Can I read about it in the archives? Good luck with it! And thanks for the helpful info.

[Irene Administrator in reply to urbangirl]

Hi urbangirl. If you want to see previous posts by any member of this group, then just click on their name (blue link) and you will see all the questions, blogs and responses they have made.

[urbangirl in reply to Irene]

Thank you Irene. This site is so good. Since I have discovered it approx 10 days ago I have learnt so much - more than from all the searching on other sites. I think this is because it is a UK site and therefore food standards etc are easier to relate to, people have done their own research over many years and want to share it and there is such a diverse group of members.

[Hidden in reply to urbangirl]

I agree I haven't been a member for very long but find this site soo helpful. This site and Living Gluten Free for Dummies have made something that seems overwhelming at first much easier to understand.

[windymillersue]

I agree this site is great! I just discovered Daniel Field shampoos and colourants, something i have wondered about for a while(make me itch), this was mentioned by a contributor, going to put in an order.

Anything with that many letters is an immediate no in my book, any complicated chemical string may affect me. I am going to make some scones, biscuits not necessarily bread, i havnt had any for so many years, but if you need a snack what to eat? Sometimes you are in a hurry and cant cook complicated things, or on a train journey, shopping etc

I wonder about sls sodium laurel sulphate...it gives me indigestion, makes me itch, appears in many things, even vitamin pills , toothpaste , shampoo and drugs. Its a foamer, presumably to help absorption in the stomach/hair, i have a natural toothpaste with a natural sls of coconut (i think) which is fine. What do they make this out of normally, and any ideas why it should affect me?

Another hidden thing that causes trouble!

[Penel in reply to windymillersue]

Being gf means that you have to plan ahead a lot. I make things like a fruit loaf so I can take a slice with me on a journey. I also carry a bag of nuts, or mixed fruit and nuts.

I avoid SLS too, it seems to affect a lot of people badly.

greenpeople.co.uk/info_feat...

[ronychen]

In processed foods, Hydroxypropyl Methyl Cellulose has many excellent properties. According to the thermal gelation, film-forming, thickening and other properties it can be applied to different foods so as to enhance the taste of food. The formulation of bread contains 1% of Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose, and gelation occurs in contact with hot oil. In this way, a protective layer can be formed at the edge of the frying food, greatly reducing the absorption of fat.

celluloseether.com/sidleyce...

[JanLB]

I'm not sure what this is but I'm not sure I get on with it

[sanderling]

I was taking a herbal supplement Horopito aniseed and after a week was very constipated so decided to investigate and contacted the firm to ask about the capsules which are labelled as vegetarian and they told me they were made from hydroxypropylmethylcellulose, a chemical preparation, (hope I spelled that correctly) and looking it up it appears to soak up water, hence, maybe be a factor of the above problem. I will take them without the capsule in future.

Feel free to comment if I am wrong.

[pretender]

Yes I do, Hydroxypropylmethylcellulose HPMC is an alternative to gluten in baking bread products. I also have a problem with Hypromellose HPMC which is used as a coating on prescribed medications so that the main drug will get past the gut acids. My problem is that I have a Formaldehyde Allergy and HPMC is known in the pharmaceutical industry to have leachable formaldehyde, however it is Gluten Free and safe for Coeliac's

[Venetia]

Thanks everyone, I was so carried away with all the treats on offer after years in SA eating just naturally gluten free foods, all that happened was I put on weight and felt below par all the time and all my gorgeous energy evaporated, this year I have been cutting out that free from aisle and going back to naturally gluten free and am feeling so much better again, so good bye plastic bread