Hershey's Chocolate

[campcour]

I have read on here many times that all kinds of hershey's chocolate bars are safe, for example: eat more, oh henry, reese's peanut butter cups, and hte list goes on and on. But i wanted to contact hershey's to make sure and when i phoned she said she could mail me the list of gluten-free hershey products. So i was excited... until i got the list yesturday which lists "chipits - semi sweet baking chocolate, hershey chocolate syryp, hershy kisses chocolate, hershy milk choc. bar and milk choc. bar with almonds, and jolly rancher hard candy." This is great to have some things, but now I am wondering if all those other hershey products are not safe. I am wondering if anyone can shed any light on this from what they know or have researched. Thanks

[lovegrov]

I can't tell you about Canada. A lot of the responses you've seen might have been about Hershey USA.

richard

[Terri-Anne]

Campcour,

I am surprised by the response you received from the Hershey company.

I called the Hershey company myself because my son had an allergic reaction one afternoon, and I could not pin down what had caused it. I supspected perhaps the Reese's pieces I had purchased in their box, out of a cafeteria vending machine. The lady on the phone assured me it would NOT have been the Reese's pieces that caused the reaction, as they are definitely gluten free. She took my personal information in order to contact me if she discovered anything contrary to that information. A couple of weeks later, my son received a package in the mail from the Hershey company. The package contained a letter that restated that their Hershey's products (specifically the Reese's Pieces) are gluten free, and expressed sympathy for his allergic episode, a denim baseball cap that said Hershey's on it, a nice Tee-shirt that had an animated Hershey Kiss character on it, and a bag of Hershey's kisses. I was quite impressed with Hershey. I've called plenty of other companies, some of whom have said, something to the effect of, "While that product doesn't have wheat in it specifically, it IS run through lines which have previously had wheat in them, although they are washed between products" with no apology, no sympathy, no concern what-so-ever. Just an emotionally flat, dry statement of the facts, in a "cover-my-butt" sort of manner.

I am in Ontario.

Does this help answer your question at all?

[KaitiUSA]

I also received that list but they also told me that they wouldn't hide gluten under labels. I was also very impressed by Hershey's and the way I was treated by them. I'm not sure about their policies on gluten-free products in Canada but here in the US they won't hide it.

[Lane R]

Has someone posted this list? I'm looking around for what candies I can have at a party we are having.

[penguin]

Has someone posted this list? I'm looking around for what candies I can have at a party we are having.

Hershey is one of the awesome companies that will clearly list gluten in the ingredient statement. If the ingredients look safe, the product is safe.

[Nancym]

I think most companies won't call anything gluten free unless it is made in a factory that doesn't use the same equipment with wheat. I think they'd always wash down the line but there's always the chance that there could be something in the first product off the line. Lots of companies are putting information about the factory on their label like, "Made on equipment in a facility that also processes XYZ".

I was reading up on how manufacturer's get the "Kosher" approval. It is very stringent about the manufacturing process having much higher standards than run-of-the-mill manufacturering. So I was thinking that if you found something that didn't have gluten in the contents and was also kosher you would have a better chance of getting something without gluten contamination.

Personally, I don't think I'm so sensitive that I need to only eat things made on dedicated equipment. But everyone is different.

[schuyler]

I love Hershey's because they won't hide anything; which saves me a lot of work.

[Chocol8]

Hershey's chocolate bars taste really good and dark chocolate is good for health.I have heard that they are good for the heart.How many of you have tried Belgian chocolates ?

Open Original Shared Link-Gorgeous hand finished Belgian Chocolates, delivered in beautiful individually wrapped packaging.

[darlindeb25]

Hershey's has recently changed hands and moved some of the company out of the USA, so I don't think I would be so trusting anymore. Just as so many of us found with our Cadbury Eggs, they were gluten free for so many years, now they contain gluten. The single egg has such tiny wording on it, I would not beable to read it, and thankfully, I read here about the gluten free status having changed BEFORE I found them in the store, or I would have been glutened, simply because I trusted Hershey. If I were you, I would be calling for a new list now!

[blueeyedmanda]

Hershey's has recently changed hands and moved some of the company out of the USA, so I don't think I would be so trusting anymore. Just as so many of us found with our Cadbury Eggs, they were gluten free for so many years, now they contain gluten. The single egg has such tiny wording on it, I would not beable to read it, and thankfully, I read here about the gluten free status having changed BEFORE I found them in the store, or I would have been glutened, simply because I trusted Hershey. If I were you, I would be calling for a new list now!

They didn't change hands, they wanted to cut costs, so they moved productions to other areas outside the company. It is still under the same management.

[JennyC]

I am very disappointed in Hershey's. The only Hershey's products that are safe for people with celiac disease are their plain chocolates and jolly ranchers. They will not tell you, even if you call with the IPC number, if any product with natural flavors is gluten free. The phone reps don't have the information. This makes me really mad because I know I have called Hershey's multiple times, including just before Halloween, and I was told that they disclose gluten. However, the phone rep I spoke to said their natural flavor policy has been this way ever since she's worked for Hershey's--since August! I have given my son Reeses Peanut butter cups on numerous occasions!

I called Master Foods (Mars) and they still disclose gluten. As does Nestle and Wonka.

[darlindeb25]

Excuse me--things have changed within the company and things have already started changing. Many celiacs are already complaining. I can't find the link I wanted to post about Hershey closing plants here in the US, and putting people out of work, one plant alone was over 600, which is a bad thing. I find that one good reason to stop supporting them.

[mommida]

My response from the company... 10% of the products are going to be manufactured in Mexico.

I don't feel comfortable with the changes. I would like to know which products are being manufactered in Mexico, and what the companies statement on gluten free status for those products are.

Laura

[blueeyedmanda]

Excuse me--things have changed within the company and things have already started changing. Many celiacs are already complaining. I can't find the link I wanted to post about Hershey closing plants here in the US, and putting people out of work, one plant alone was over 600, which is a bad thing. I find that one good reason to stop supporting them.

I live in Hershey, I know things are changing, most of us stopped supporting them when they started closing the factories. Hershey is a small town, and the plant was the biggest employer...many are without jobs here. I only ever bought the mini-eggs. The rest of their chocolate bars were starting to taste bad. Plus they have raised the prices sky-high lately...now a regular sized bar costs 80 cents in a grocery store. That is outrageous.

[dbmamaz]

This makes me so sad! I grew up in PA and went to Hershy Park a few times - Hershey was the home-town chocolate. I always tried to avoid buying Nestles, becuase they had awful practices with a formula-company they owned, giving free samples to third-world moms, who's milk would dry up, and then they couldnt afford the formula, so they'd water it down with unclean water ... . and they didnt stop after it was exposed. So i'm so sad about Hersheys going down hill!

[Lisa]

As many have noted, Hershey will NOT disclose the source of their "Natural Flavors" due to it being outsources and they consider that information "Propriety" and not subject to disclosure.

ALL of Hershey products that contain "Natural Flavor" are NOT considered gluten free, as per the company's customer service supervisor.

Pity

Hershey should be removed for the company safe list of those who will clearly disclose.

[debmidge]

et tu Hershey?

I'd pay the 80 cents for a Hershey 's candy bar if it was made in US and I knew it was gluten free.

However, I have to say that their chocolate quality has dipped in the last few years....their product tastes waxy.

[Joni63]

et tu Hershey?

I'd pay the 80 cents for a Hershey 's candy bar if it was made in US and I knew it was gluten free.

However, I have to say that their chocolate quality has dipped in the last few years....their product tastes waxy.

The taste has changed a lot in the past few years. What happened to the creamy milk chocolate I used to remember as a child?

[blueeyedmanda]

There is a horrible after taste too....

[Annaem]

I have read on here many times that all kinds of hershey's chocolate bars are safe, for example: eat more, oh henry, reese's peanut butter cups, and hte list goes on and on. But i wanted to contact hershey's to make sure and when i phoned she said she could mail me the list of gluten-free hershey products. So i was excited... until i got the list yesturday which lists "chipits - semi sweet baking chocolate, hershey chocolate syryp, hershy kisses chocolate, hershy milk choc. bar and milk choc. bar with almonds, and jolly rancher hard candy." This is great to have some things, but now I am wondering if all those other hershey products are not safe. I am wondering if anyone can shed any light on this from what they know or have researched. Thanks

I got the same response last year and i am also from canada....

[Nanjkay]

As many have noted, Hershey will NOT disclose the source of their "Natural Flavors" due to it being outsources and they consider that information "Propriety" and not subject to disclosure.

ALL of Hershey products that contain "Natural Flavor" are NOT considered gluten free, as per the company's customer service supervisor.

Pity

Hershey should be removed for the company safe list of those who will clearly disclose.

I know i am late to this thread...but just to be clear in my nervous head (I get no gluten reaction whatsoever, it is a silent killer for me, so I have to go by labeling only to know if there is gluten in something):

If we read the label on a Hershey's product and it does not list "natural flavors" or any other gluten derivatives of course, can we consider it safe? In other words the only thing Hershey's is not being held accountable on is the "natural flavors'?

Sorry, but I try to be as specific as possible otherwise I can be a nervous wreck. The Hershey's products I was eating until I read this thread of course, did not have "natural flavors" listed.

Thanks-

Nancy

[Lisa]

As you know, Hershey US would be required by law to list wheat if an ingredient. Barley, malt and rye can be hidden in "Natural Flavors", or specific . This is not to say that Hershey products that do have "natural flavors" may be gluten free, but they refuse to clarify it's gluten status.

[larry mac]

I'm hearing a lot of extranious issues that have nothing to do with gluten-free or not gluten-free.

My take on Hershey's. I will occasionally eat a Reeses peanut butter cup (with some hot buttered microwave popcorn), and I also use a little Hershey's syrup in my chocolate milk. Other than that, they've really got no other products I'm interested in.

I like Snickers, Butterfingers, and Almond Roca.

If there's no gluten listed in the ingredients, I don't worry about it.

best regards, lm

[amber]

Hershey - chocolate only an American could love.