Gluten & Fibro Free

While running to the store to pick up some last minute items for a cook-out on Mother’s Day, I happened to spot the latest products by Udi’s. I picked up a couple of packs of the whole grain hamburger buns and the classic hotdog buns. These buns have a great texture and a nice flavor.

Udi's Hamburger and Hot dog buns

I decided to make just a good old fashioned hamburger on the grill, accompanied by some brats. I also grilled up some squash and zucchini for my Mother’s Day feast. While these buns are soft and delicious and do not need toasted, I did warm them up for a few minutes on the grill. Everything tasted so great I ended up stuffing myself.

While these buns are definitely tasty, I’m a bit concerned about a couple of the ingredients in them. The whole grain hamburger buns have Molasses in them, which can contain Sulfur. Udi’s doesn’t list on the packaging whether or not they use unsulfured Molasses. I have a sulfur allergy and I ate one of these buns before realizing this. I think this is why I might have suffered some digestive upset from eating them. Or I could possibly be reacting to the resistant corn starch. I’ve suspected a sensitivity to corn for a while now, but when I eat corn on the cob I don’t seem to have a problem. Why would I react to corn starch or corn syrup and not whole kernel corn?

When reading about the processing of Molasses, I came across an article that describes sulfur and sulfite content in syrups (Read more about corn syrup, molasses, and maple syrup). I have always thought that I reacted badly to corn syrup because of the corn, but maybe it is a problem with sulfur or sulfite intolerance instead. Apparently, corn syrup and molasses are both usually processed with sulfur dioxide. Whole Foods has a great article about the processing of molasses. Learn more about molasses processing here. Even though the classic buns by Udi’s don’t have molasses, perhaps the cultured corn syrup could be a problem to those with sulfur or sulfite intolerance. Sulfite intolerance symptoms can include headaches, joint pain, heart palpitations, asthma, and hives.

So what is “resistant corn starch” anyway?

Nutrition Diva explains a resistant starch as being any starch that does not break down into sugar. The benefits of using resistant starch can include improved bowel function, appetite control, regulated blood sugar, and reduced calories. There are apparently four types of resistant starch, ranging on a scale RS1 to RS4.¹ Anything in the RS4 category would be chemically modified. I am also wondering if the resistant corn starch in Udi’s buns comes from genetically modified corn? The food label doesn’t answer this question.

Delicious summer BBQ made easy thanks to Udi's

I have had a problem with extreme bloating after eating these buns. This could be a simple matter of the resistant starch increasing my fiber intake to an amount that is higher than what my digestive tract is use to processing. Or perhaps I am having some type of reaction to sulfur/sulfites. I have not had a problem with my tongue and throat swelling like when I take sulfa drugs, so I am thinking it is probably just too much fiber.

Even though I am worried about reacting to a couple of the ingredients in the new buns by Udi’s, I cannot deny that they are delicious. My Mother’s Day celebration was complete as I could dine on the tastiest hamburger I have had in a long time. I hope that I will be able to enjoy these for the duration of the summer BBQ season; however if my intestinal bloating does not subside I may have to give these buns up for good, which is rather unfortunate. If you haven’t already tried this product, I do highly recommend them.

1. Resistant Starch http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Resistant_starch [↩]

Kelly Review Gluten-Free, Review, Udi