Can I trust the gluten free label if a product was made in a facility that also processes gluten?

[Doris Barnes]

Buying choclate, I recently boght a bar from Hu Kitchen (on your list of recommended candy. It says it is free of gluten. However on the same package in small print it says "please be aware that the product is produced using equipment that also processes nuts, soy, milk and wheat. Allergen cleans are made prior to production". So my question is can I trust that there is no cross contamination.  If the allergy clean is not done carefully it could cause gluten exposure. Does anyone know of a choclate brand that is made at a facility that does not also use wheat, a gluten free facility. Thank you.

[trents]

Welcome to the forum, @Doris Barnes!

You do realize don't you that the "gluten free" label does not mean the same thing as "free of gluten"? According to FDA regulations, using the "gluten free" label simply means the product does not contain gluten in excess of 20 ppm. "Certified Gluten Free" is labeling deployed by an independent testing group known as GFCO which means the product does not contain gluten in excess of 10 ppm. Either concentration of gluten can still cause a reaction in folks who fall into the more sensitive spectrum of the celiac community. 20 ppm is safe for most celiacs. Without knowing how sensitive you are to small amounts of gluten, I cannot speak to whether or not the Hu Kitechen chocolates are safe for you. But it sounds like they have taken sufficient precautions at their factory to ensure that this product will be safe for the large majority of celiacs.

[Scott Adams]

If you are super sensitive you may want to look for only Certified Gluten-Free Products, as @trents mentioned.