Jump to content
  • Welcome to Celiac.com!

    You have found your celiac tribe! Join us and ask questions in our forum, share your story, and connect with others.


  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A1):
    Celiac.com Sponsor (A1-M):
  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Our Content
    eNewsletter
    Donate

Gourmet Chocolate


bakingbarb

Recommended Posts

bakingbarb Enthusiast

It is getting very frustrated not trusting Hershey to provide a candy we can eat. The information is so confusing but let's face it, they as a company do not address this issue properly anyways.

My daughter looked online for a safe but yummy chocolate and she found this company, Open Original Shared Link. They straight up address the issue of gluten but it still isn't perfect as they state it may contain gluten. It is a UK company which isn't the greatest idea for shipping anyways but I kept looking and they have a warehouse in Boston. When I go on the US link and search for gluten free the chocolates list if they are Open Original Shared Link. I am a bit confused by what the UK site says about the gluten but the Open Original Shared Link says which ones are safe?! I am going to email them and get clarification because I NEED good chocolate without the worry. And I mean GREAT not just good!


Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):



Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):



bakingbarb Enthusiast

I had to ask! Here is the response they gave me and let me say they responded asap. SIGH, SOB, WAHHHHHHH

Dear Barb,

Thank you for your email.

I apologise for the confusion and we shall address this issue all of our products do contain gluten due to the environment they have been produced in. I am sorry for any disappointment this may cause and if there is anything further we can help with please do contact us.

Kind regards,

Christopher J. Stutley

Service Support Team

Hotel Chocolat Ltd

celiac-mommy Collaborator

Scharffen Berger, it's the best gourmet chocolate I've tasted

This stuff is AMAZING. Here's the statement from the company:

Q: Is there gluten in chocolate?

A: No, there is no gluten in our chocolate. Gluten is a mixture of plant proteins occurring in cereal grains, chiefly wheat, rye and barley. Our chocolate ingredients: (cacao beans, sugar, vanilla bean, cocoa butter, and soy lecithin as an emulsifier) do not contain gluten. We also do not have any cereal grains present anywhere in our manufacturing facility at any time. Please note that our Cocao Powder and Sweetened Cocoa Powder are processed in a facility that handles wheat products, and thus may contain traces of gluten.

bakingbarb Enthusiast
Scharffen Berger, it's the best gourmet chocolate I've tasted

This stuff is AMAZING. Here's the statement from the company:

Q: Is there gluten in chocolate?

A: No, there is no gluten in our chocolate. Gluten is a mixture of plant proteins occurring in cereal grains, chiefly wheat, rye and barley. Our chocolate ingredients: (cacao beans, sugar, vanilla bean, cocoa butter, and soy lecithin as an emulsifier) do not contain gluten. We also do not have any cereal grains present anywhere in our manufacturing facility at any time. Please note that our Cocao Powder and Sweetened Cocoa Powder are processed in a facility that handles wheat products, and thus may contain traces of gluten.

Thank you thank you thank you

Oh my gosh that is such good information and it is hard because it seems like you have to check every brand. I seem to be in one of those moments when I am so frustrated by this stuff.

Michelle1234 Contributor

I've been buying a brand of chocolate bar called Dagoba organic chocolate. It comes in about 15 different exotic flavors (don't worry it also has plain). It says Gluten Free right on the back of every bar. I love supporting a company that says it right on the bar and I don't have to do a bunch of leg work to figure it out. It is at my local Vitamin Cottage so maybe a health store in your area carries it too. The company is located in Ashland Oregon. Their web site is www.dagobachocolate.com.

Good luck on your quest!

Michelle

jerseyangel Proficient
I've been buying a brand of chocolate bar called Dagoba organic chocolate. It comes in about 15 different exotic flavors (don't worry it also has plain). It says Gluten Free right on the back of every bar. I love supporting a company that says it right on the bar and I don't have to do a bunch of leg work to figure it out. It is at my local Vitamin Cottage so maybe a health store in your area carries it too.

Good luck on your quest!

Michelle

I was going to suggest Dagoba, too. Their Dark Chocolate Mint Bar is fabulous.

bakingbarb Enthusiast

I will be looking for these chocolates today. I enjoy all kinds but when I want a craving filled, it is for creamy but full flavored chocolate. ARGH I will have to go look soon! LOL


Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):



Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):



cruelshoes Enthusiast

Almost all of Open Original Shared Linkis gluten-free, and they are all over the beautiful Pacific Northwest.

I am boycotting all of Hershey's products now because of their ridiculous natural flavors policy. Dagoba and Sharfenberger are both owned by Hersheys. Glad you guys like them, though.

Mango04 Enthusiast

If you have a health food store nearby, they should have a selection of fair trade, organic chocolate. It's usually pure, high quality stuff, and in most cases you just need to read the label to see if it's safe.

missy'smom Collaborator

Check this one out.

Open Original Shared Link

I found it at Whole Foods and the cinnamon was delicious.

I contacted them via their website(which I can't find right now :( ) and unfortunately their response is saved on my old computer that died last month :( I ate it(several month ago) so it must have been gluten-free but my memory's so bad lately. I would recommend contacting them again just to be sure.

pixiegirl Enthusiast

Does anyone know of any chocolate that is gluten-free and peanut free?

Susan

ptkds Community Regular

I eat hersheys all the time, and I haven't gotten sick from them once (at least that I know of!)

What is their "natural flavors" policy?

tarnalberry Community Regular

As you can guess from my sig, I like chocolate.

If I were to recommend a few, I'd go with Michel Cluizel (available in some places, most easily at Chocosphere) and Domori (ditto previous parenthetical). Locally, I'll often get Dagoba or Endagered Species (though that is a shared facility - not equipment, facility) or Chocolove or Vosges (also share facility, iirc).

Those are my preferences, but most will run you ~$6-8 per ~2.5oz bar.

(Also, each of those - paritcularly the first two - make a number of very different tasting chocolates. Their 1st cru, single source chocolates all have their own flavor, besides just their strength, and their mixed blends are different from those. It's really a matter of trying them and finding what you like. But the trying is really rather fun. :) That's why we have chocolate Thursday at my workplace. :D )

bakingbarb Enthusiast

Scharffen Berger is da bomb! Wonderful chocolate but quite spendy!

I refuse to buy Hershey brand any more for any reason. If they are going to hide what might or might not be safe then I won't buy them for any reason.

I respect when a company says it was processed on shared facilities. I don't like it but I respect it. One company goes so far on their website to say it is shared facilities but...well here is what they say:

The handling of the dry goods that we package may not be done in an allergen free facility, but every effort is made to prevent cross contamination from one product to another. All of our packaging is performed by hand and never on mechanized filler lines where bagging machines can have residue left in the system. The packaging area is cleaned in between each product and all utensils are changed.

I found this chocolate at an upscale grocery store but I think Fred Meyer has Dagoba so will be trying it next time I am there.

Green12 Enthusiast
I refuse to buy Hershey brand any more for any reason. If they are going to hide what might or might not be safe then I won't buy them for any reason.

Just to restate what Colleen posted, Hershey's bought out Scharffen Berger and Dagoba chocolates as part of their premium chocolate division.

I like Chocolove chocolate.

Green12 Enthusiast
I eat hersheys all the time, and I haven't gotten sick from them once (at least that I know of!)

What is their "natural flavors" policy?

I think this is being discussed, or was discussed, in the thread titled Cadbury Mini Eggs.

Hershey's, from what I understand, will no longer confirm if their natural flavorings are gluten-free or not. So if the ingredient list includes "natural flavors" it may or may not contain gluten.

bakingbarb Enthusiast
Just to restate what Colleen posted, Hershey's bought out Scharffen Berger and Dagoba chocolates as part of their premium chocolate division.

I like Chocolove chocolate.

Wouldn't that figure. I love the chocolates but if they are Hershey now then I will probably stick with Open Original Shared Link. They are gluten free, as stated on the website.

Q: Are your chocolate products gluten-free?

A: Our products and our processing are gluten free.

bakingbarb Enthusiast

This is the email from Valrhona

Our dark chocolates and our milk chocolates (bloc, beans, pistols, bars and squares)do not contain gluten, cereals or derivatives like ingredients, when the ingredients listdoesn't mention it.Nevertheless, we use starch wheat for molding our chocolates candies. Even if thetwo production lines of these two varieties of products are different, we can notstrictly exclude the hypothesis of a coincidental contamination which could concerntiny traces of gluten.In the obvious target to preserve everyone from this allergy, so we can not guarantee the complete absence of gluten traces.

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Celiac.com:
    Join eNewsletter
    Donate

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):
    Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):





    Celiac.com Sponsors (A17-M):




  • Recent Activity

    1. - Florence Lillian replied to Jane02's topic in Gluten-Free Foods, Products, Shopping & Medications
      11

      Desperately need a vitamin D supplement. I've reacted to most brands I've tried.

    2. - catnapt replied to catnapt's topic in Celiac Disease Pre-Diagnosis, Testing & Symptoms
      2

      results from 13 day gluten challenge - does this mean I can't have celiac?

    3. - cristiana replied to hjayne19's topic in Post Diagnosis, Recovery & Treatment of Celiac Disease
      21

      Insomnia help

    4. - SilkieFairy replied to catnapt's topic in Celiac Disease Pre-Diagnosis, Testing & Symptoms
      2

      results from 13 day gluten challenge - does this mean I can't have celiac?

    5. - Lkg5 replied to Matthias's topic in Gluten-Free Foods, Products, Shopping & Medications
      6

      Unexpected gluten exposure risk from cultivated mushrooms

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):
  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      133,353
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748

    ace14219
    Newest Member
    ace14219
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):
  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.6k
    • Total Posts
      1m
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):
  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • Florence Lillian
      Hi Jane: You may want to try the D3 I now take. I have reactions to fillers and many additives. Sports Research, it is based in the USA and I have had no bad reactions with this brand. The D3 does have coconut oil but it is non GMO, it is Gluten free, Soy free, Soybean free and Safflower oil free.  I have a cupboard full of supplements that did not agree with me -  I just keep trying and have finally settled on Sports Research. I take NAKA Women's Multi full spectrum, and have not felt sick after taking 2 capsules per day -  it is a Canadian company. I buy both from Amazon. I wish you well in your searching, I know how discouraging it all is. Florence.  
    • catnapt
      highly unlikely  NOTHING and I mean NOTHING else has ever caused me these kinds of symptoms I have no problem with dates, they are a large part of my diet In fact, I eat a very high fiber, very high vegetable and bean diet and have for many years now. It's considered a whole foods plant based or plant forward diet (I do now eat some lean ground turkey but not much) I was off dairy for years but recently had to add back plain yogurt to meet calcium needs that I am not allowed to get from supplements (I have not had any problem with the yogurt)   I eat almost no processed foods. I don't eat out. almost everything I eat, I cook myself I am going to keep a food diary but to be honest, I already know that it's wheat products and also barley that are the problem, which is why I gradually stopped eating and buying them. When I was eating them, like back in early 2024, when I was in the middle of moving and ate out (always had bread or toast or rolls or a sub or pizza) I felt terrible but at that time was so busy and exhausted that I never stopped to think it was the food. Once I was in my new place, I continued to have bread from time to time and had such horrible joint pain that I was preparing for 2 total knee replacements as well as one hip! The surgery could not go forward as I was (and still am) actively losing calcium from my bones. That problem has yet to be properly diagnosed and treated   anyway over time I realized that I felt better when I stopped eating bread. Back at least 3 yrs ago I noticed that regular pasta made me sick so I switched to brown rice pasta and even though it costs a lot more, I really like it.   so gradually I just stopped buying and eating foods with gluten. I stopped getting raisin bran when I was constipated because it made me bloated and it didn't help the constipation any more (used to be a sure bet that it would in the past)   I made cookies and brownies using beans and rolled oats and dates and tahini and I LOVE them and have zero issues eating those I eat 1 or more cans of beans per day easily can eat a pound of broccoli - no problem! Brussels sprouts the same thing.   so yeh it's bread and related foods that are clearly the problem  there is zero doubt in my mind    
    • cristiana
      Thank you for your post, @nanny marley It is interesting what you say about 'It's OK not to sleep'. Worrying about sleeping only makes it much harder to sleep.  One of my relatives is an insomniac and I am sure that is part of the problem.  Whereas I once had a neighbour who, if she couldn't sleep, would simply get up again, make a cup of tea, read, do a sudoku or some other small task, and then go back to bed when she felt sleepy again.  I can't think it did her any harm - she lived  well into her nineties. Last week I decided to try a Floradix Magnesium supplement which seems to be helping me to sleep better.  It is a liquid magnesium supplement, so easy to take.  It is gluten free (unlike the Floradix iron supplement).  Might be worth a try.        
    • SilkieFairy
      It could be a fructan intolerance? How do you do with dates?  https://www.dietvsdisease.org/sorry-your-gluten-sensitivity-is-actually-a-fructan-intolerance/
    • Lkg5
      Thank’s for addressing the issue of mushrooms.  I was under the impression that only wild mushrooms were gluten-free.  Have been avoiding cultivated mushrooms for years. Also, the issue of smoked food was informative.  In France last year, where there is hardly any prepared take-out food that is gluten-free, I tried smoked chicken.  Major mistake!
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

NOTICE: This site places This site places cookies on your device (Cookie settings). on your device. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use, and Privacy Policy.