Q: How is Catalina Crunch Grain-Free if it contains Non-GMO Corn Fiber?

Short Answer: Catalina Crunch is Grain-Free and Paleo-Friendly because Corn Fiber is NOT the same thing as Corn! Corn is a Grain. Corn Fiber is not a Grain, it is a Prebiotic Fiber. This is why Catalina Crunch is Grain-Free and Paleo-Friendly.
Scientific Evidence & Explanation:
The easy way to answer this question is to simply ask: what is the definition of a “Grain”? The definition of a “Grain” is a “dry, hard seed of a cereal crop”. Corn Fiber is dry, but it is not hard and it is not a seed, therefore it is not a Grain.
While this answer is correct, it is letting us off the hook a bit. Even if Non-GMO Corn Fiber is technically not a Grain, how does it measure up to the spirit of a Grain-Free or Paleo-Friendly lifestyle?
Is Non-GMO Corn Fiber just “not a Grain” by technicality, or does it live up to the spirit of these lifestyles?
Here’s why Non-GMO Corn Fiber does indeed live up to the spirit of these lifestyles.
First, let’s examine the reasons Paleo and Grain-Free thought leaders argue we should not eat Grains:
  1. New ways of processing Grains have led to decreases in the nutrients contained in Grains. Namely, these processing methods have led to decreases in the amount of fiber and protein contained in Grains (by stripping the bran and germ from the seeds).
  2. Grains may contain large amounts of anti-nutrients like lectins and phytic acid.
  3. Grains may cause an overgrowth of bad bacteria in the gut.
And here is how Non-GMO Corn Fiber stacks up on all three dimensions:
  1. Corn Fiber is 90% fiber, so it is extremely nutrient-dense (fiber is a nutrient). Corn Fiber is actually the opposite of the “Grain Problem”. I.e. with Corn, Paleo thought leaders worry all the fiber has been removed from the Grain. Here we have the exact opposite situation - Corn Fiber is essentially all Fiber and all the Starch has been removed instead.
  2. This is a problem in GMO crops of Corn. Non-GMO Corn Fiber is routinely tested and contains only trace amounts of anti-nutrients (than 0.1% of the lectins and phytic acid contained in GMO Corn).
  3. Studies have actually shown Corn Fiber promotes the growth of good bacteria in the gut because it is a prebiotic fiber.