Regarding specially formulated wheat starch, why does the package say 200 ppm under the ingredients, while it also says “20 ppm total gluten content” on the front of the package?
This is an excellent question, and one that is confusing for many people. “20 ppm total gluten content” refers to the entire mix, and is the important measure of what you will consume. The package specifies the 200 ppm contained in the wheat starch because some people want to know. This amount of gluten is allowed in the wheat starch so long as the total gluten content of the mix is less than 20 ppm. In other words, the Codex Alimentarius wheat starch is only part of the total ingredients. It contains less than 200 ppm of gluten, and when combined with all of the other gluten-free ingredients, the total gluten content of the mix is less than 20 ppm. At 20 ppm total gluten content, the mix is considered gluten-free in Europe according to the Codex Alimentarius. This standard is currently under consideration by the US FDA as the definition of gluten-free in the United States.
