Quoted from Dianne

Spring - I think you meant to post this in the thread about stress.  

Quoted from Squirrel

Xanthan gum is made by allowing a bacteria to feed off corn sugars to convert them into simple sugars and produce a goo, in much the same way that Nutritional Yeast is a yeast that feeds off sugar cane. I wonder how much of the corn is left in the xanthan gum, or how much of the sugar cane (a bigger problem for me than corn) is left in the nutritional yeast? Putting aside the allergy factor for the moment, could there be enough left to cause a lectin problem?

Quoted from http://foodreference.about.com/od/Food-Additives/a/What-Is-Xanthan-Gum.htm

Xanthan gum is usually made from grains and other plants because they contain glucose an sucrose, two sugars that X. campestris can naturally ferment. A special strain of the X. campestris bacteria was developed that can ferment lactose, a major component of whey. Whey, a byproduct of the cheese process, is now used as an inexpensive source of carbohydrate for xanthan gum production.

Quoted from C_sharp

The bacteria Xanthomonas campestris that is used to make xanthan gum can be raised on a variety of starch sources. Including both wheat and corn.

Your Xanthan gum may not have been from corn. Or it may have been GMO free corn or it may have been cleaned in such away to remove the part of the corn you have problems with or you may have not had problems with corn back then.

I do not know how long ago your children were in college, but I think if it was a significant time ago the bacteria was likely was grown on wheat starch instead of corn. Food manufacturers did not used to use as much corn as today.

Quoted from http://www.theglutenfreelifestyle.com/gluten-free-flour-mix.html

GF FLOUR MIX MYSTERY CLUE #3: The Flour Stretch Is Critical
Baking with gluten-free flours requires additional tender loving care to make it work. Without gluten, you do not have the key factor of pliability that helps you work the dough and keep the bread together after it is baked. So, you must add extendibility to your dough with xanthan gum, the most widely used “protein” replacement. Guar gum is an alternative to xanthan gum. But, once again, the mystery ensues when you ponder how much xanthan gum to add to your GF Flour Mix. Thankfully, Bette Hagman has already cracked the “stretch factor” case and recommends a specific formula for adding xanthan gum to your GF Flour Mix. According to Hagman: add

¾ teaspoon [xanthan gum] per cup of flour for breads;
½ teaspoon [xanthan gum] per cup of flour for cakes; and
¼ to ½ teaspoon [xanthan gum] per cup of flour for cookies.

Because GF flours lack the stretchy protein known as gluten, in addition to xanthan gum you will need to add more leavening or protein to your recipe such as egg whites, gelatin, or dry milk powder. (Source: The Gluten-Free Gourmet Revised Edition by Bette Hagman, page 39).

Quoted from Dianne

I have sent an e-mail to Bob's red mill regarding their source for making xanthan gum.

Quoted from TJ

I don't understand how it can be gluten-free if grown on wheat.  Crazy!  They must have some extremely thorough process for separating the proteins from the rest of it.

Quoted from TJ

The page also talks about flours, just not the part I quoted.I baked a loaf of rice bread last night with the xanthan gum.  It held together very well, but holy cow was it dense, and doughy in the middle.  Perhaps it needed to rise longer and be baked longer at a lower temperature?