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

Godiva

plumbago

Recommended Posts

plumbago Experienced
plumbago
Posted

I've seen many many many posts about good ole Godiva chocolates. I was at a tiny store today. The sales clerk gave me the typical line - that all products may contain gluten. Classic CYA I figured. I bought the Limited Edition Truffles anyway. (And sampled an in-store chocolate which also happens to be in this collection.) I have not opened my box yet.

The posts on this forum repeat both the POV that it is CYA and that they may contain gluten. One person said that their chocolates are sweetened with barley malt.

Barley malt is not listed in the ingredients. Neither is flour/wheat, nor of course rye.

I read about how they get their ingredients from third parties and can't guarantee them. But they'd have to list wheat, right? That's the law. I read how people have eaten them without a problem, after reading the ingredients and seeing that there is no unsafe ingredient in the list.

Shortcut: to me it does seem like CYA, and that is probably partly because I want to eat them. But, strength is not lacking to give them away as a present if need be. So what does everyone think?

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

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


eatmeat4good Enthusiast
eatmeat4good
Posted

I don't buy them...I used to love them but the risk seems too great for me.

I had too many years sick.

I happily eat Dove Chocolate.

I hope you post how you do with it.

IrishHeart Veteran
IrishHeart
Posted

This is from their website--couldn't be any clearer:

Allergy Information

Does your chocolate contain dairy products? ALL of our dark, milk, and white chocolate may contain dairy or milk products. Any person with a dairy allergy should NOT consume ANY of our products.

Does your chocolate contain nuts? ALL of our products including solid chocolate pieces may contain nuts and/or peanuts. Any person with a nut allergy should NOT consume ANY of our products .

Does your chocolate contain gluten? ALL of our products including solid chocolate pieces may contain gluten. Any person with a gluten allergy should NOT consume ANY of our products.

Anyone you know have a birthday coming up?? :)

FernW Rookie
FernW
Posted

I eat Dove and Hersheys (same company). I would not try Godiva risk is too great but if you do try it you may not be as senstive as I am. I get sick for a month and I hate loosing a whole month.

plumbago Experienced
plumbago
Posted
  • Author

I have not partaken. I just wanted to see if there was much to be added to the discussion.

Off to the office they go.

However, I am not convinced that they are not gluten free. What I have been finding is that more and more food processors are just opting out of the game by saying that they 'may' contain gluten. Well it 'may' rain tomorrow. They're damned if they do, damned if they don't, I guess. And so are we. And round and round we go.

Plumbago

eatmeat4good Enthusiast
eatmeat4good
Posted

Thanks for posting back.

I have been wondering about you sitting there with that box of chocolates.

If they didn't make you sick I might have tried them.

Darn.

But we are probably better off anyway.

Lucky people at the office.

IrishHeart Veteran
IrishHeart
Posted

Honestly, their company statement is pretty emphatic, not wishy-washy or CYA, so I would never try it!

Too bad; I loved Godiva. :rolleyes:

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

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


plumbago Experienced
plumbago
Posted
  • Author

Honestly, their company statement is pretty emphatic, not wishy-washy or CYA, so I would never try it!

Too bad; I loved Godiva. :rolleyes:

To me, it's total CYA. If you look at the ingredients, there is nothing gluten in them. There is no wheat, barley, there is no "may contain traces of," - nothing. It's only their web site that says that. That's why it makes me say it's total CYA.

It's my opinion that food companies just want to opt out so they say (not on the package, mind you) "may contain" blah blah.

They just want to end the conversation. Or never get in on it.

Plumbago

eatmeat4good Enthusiast
eatmeat4good
Posted

Well, it's not top of the line, but I ate Palmer's chocolate covered peanuts and it said may contain traces of peanut or treenut. No mention of wheat. I ate them. I figured they would have a statement if it could contain traces of wheat. But no. Nothing. I got soooo sick. After I came out of hell, I googled and sure enough, they have the "may contain traces of wheat" on their website but not on the bag. No gluten ingredients whatsoever. I thought it would be ok... It was not.

Therefore, I can't be brave anymore. I believe all CYA statements, because it covers my "A" too. :)

plumbago Experienced
plumbago
Posted
  • Author

Well, it's not top of the line, but I ate Palmer's chocolate covered peanuts and it said may contain traces of peanut or treenut. No mention of wheat. I ate them. I figured they would have a statement if it could contain traces of wheat. But no. Nothing. I got soooo sick. After I came out of hell, I googled and sure enough, they have the "may contain traces of wheat" on their website but not on the bag. No gluten ingredients whatsoever. I thought it would be ok... It was not.

Therefore, I can't be brave anymore. I believe all CYA statements, because it covers my "A" too. :)

Can you provide the web site of Palmer's? I just googled, and could not find it. But this might be interesting - may contain traces on the Web site but not the package. Would be interesting to know if this complies with the labeling laws. But not to nitpick, the Godiva site says may contain gluten, not 'traces of.'

Plumbago

IrishHeart Veteran
IrishHeart
Posted

To me, it's total CYA. If you look at the ingredients, there is nothing gluten in them. There is no wheat, barley, there is no "may contain traces of," - nothing. It's only their web site that says that. That's why it makes me say it's total CYA.

It's my opinion that food companies just want to opt out so they say (not on the package, mind you) "may contain" blah blah.

They just want to end the conversation. Or never get in on it.

Plumbago

They make candies with gluten in them and do not wish to clean machinery in between runs, probably? (just guessing).

The website has this statement:

"Any person with a gluten allergy should NOT consume ANY of our products.

I see this as pretty straight forward. Not CYA--but a warning.

If you want to risk that, that is entirely up to you.

****EDITED TO ADD: What I interpret this is...if the CONSUMER wants to risk that, it's a personal decision.

plumbago Experienced
plumbago
Posted
  • Author

At the risk of prolonging this, I would like to say again that I did not consume the box of chocolates. What I was hoping to get into is a discussion about labeling and companies' appetites for the gluten free market. It's possible that Godiva uses gluten machinery and does not decontaminate it. It is also possible that they do not, but they just don't want the headache. How can we know? I hate mysteries, and -- again -- I did not eat the box of chocolates, and would like to know a bit more without relying on speculation and conjecture.

You have it abundantly on record that you would not eat them. Can we have a broader discussion?

Perusing other blogs about this, I see some of them are asking the same question I am: is it CYA or legit? If it's legit why won't they say what the gluten ingredient is? Again what puzzles and intrigues me is how they can say that all their products may contain gluten, but a reading of the ingredients reveal no gluten in them!

Part of why I am persisting is for the benefit of other curious people in the future who want to know which SPECIFIC ingredient is the one that's the culprit.

I think there's something going on here. But if in the end, there's not, I'll be the first to admit (and explain) it, rest assured.

Plumbago

IrishHeart Veteran
IrishHeart
Posted

I hate mysteries, and -- again -- I did not eat the box of chocolates, and would like to know a bit more without relying on speculation and conjecture.

You have it abundantly on record that you would not eat them. Can we have a broader discussion?

No need to be irritated with me, as I certainly meant no harm. Gosh, I was not trying to be difficult. :) I was just reiterating what the company said --and I thought it was pretty clear, so I am not sure what the confusion is about. I know you did not eat the chocolates ( I saw that) and I did not mean YOU should not eat them---it was an "editorial" you--as in the consumer. The company seems to be saying it is ill-advised.

If I was not clear, that's my fault. But you asked our opinions and I merely gave mine.

I agree about the mystery aspect of the labeling laws and I am afraid I do not know the answer as to why the companies are unwilling/unable to state things more clearly.

So, I'll bow out here and hope you find some folks who know more about this. I'll have to leave this to others to speculate upon with you.

Cheers,IH

kareng Grand Master
kareng
Posted

If I had seen the chocolate at the store, read the ingredients and it didn't mention wheat or malt anywhere, I would have eaten them. But now that I have "seen" that the website says not to eat them I will try to remember not to.

Whether its a CYA statement or not,it is different from the standard "we don't add gluten but can't guarantee the procdures of our suppliers blah blah blah". This pretty much says they think some gluten might slip in. I don't think its an ingredient that has gluten or it would have to be listed (because all ingredients have to be listed). Sounds like a manufacturing practice. If you want to know for sure, email the company. Unless any of us work for them, we really can only guess why they say that.

In the US, we have no laws about labelling this type of thing. Some companies will say "processed on shared lines" most don't.

Its frustrating.

Lisa Mentor
Lisa
Posted

If Godiva does not want the millions of people with Celiac Disease or gluten sensitivity to purchase their products....it's alright with me. I will gladly comply. :)

psawyer Proficient
psawyer
Posted

Here is my interpretation:

There is no gluten intentionally in the chocolates, but gluten is used in the same facility. As such, they can not be certain that cross-contamination has not happened.

The chocolates are probably gluten-free, but choose another brand if the notice worries you.

  • 3 years later...
Mossy Newbie
Mossy
Posted

I ate some Godiva chocolates today and tonight I am sick. I am usually super careful about what I eat. I did read the label and there were no gluten ingredients. But I didn't google it to check. The website says that people who are sensitive to gluten should avoid all their products. Lesson learned! 

Archived

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

Go to topic listing

  • 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. knitty kitty
      - knitty kitty replied to lizzie42's topic in Post Diagnosis, Recovery & Treatment of Celiac Disease
      6

      Son's legs shaking

      Blood tests for thiamine are unreliable. The nutrients from your food get absorbed into the bloodstream and travel around the body. So, a steak dinner can falsely raise thiamine blood levels in the following days. Besides, thiamine is utilized inside cells where stores of thiamine are impossible to measure. A better test to ask for is the Erythrocyte...
    2. lizzie42
      - lizzie42 replied to lizzie42's topic in Post Diagnosis, Recovery & Treatment of Celiac Disease
      6

      Son's legs shaking

      Neither of them were anemic 6 months after the Celiac diagnosis. His other vitamin levels (d, B12) were never low. My daughters levels were normal after the first 6 months. Is the thiamine test just called thiamine?
    3. knitty kitty
      - knitty kitty replied to lizzie42's topic in Post Diagnosis, Recovery & Treatment of Celiac Disease
      6

      Son's legs shaking

      Yes, I do think they need a Thiamine supplement at least. Especially since they eat red meat only occasionally. Most fruits and vegetables are not good sources of Thiamine. Legumes (beans) do contain thiamine. Fruits and veggies do have some of the other B vitamins, but thiamine B 1 and Cobalamine B12 are mostly found in meats. Meat, especially organ...
    4. lizzie42
      - lizzie42 replied to lizzie42's topic in Post Diagnosis, Recovery & Treatment of Celiac Disease
      6

      Son's legs shaking

      Thank you! That's helpful. My kids eat very little processed food. Tons of fruit, vegetables, cheese, eggs and occasional red meat. We do a lot of rice and bean bowls, stir fry, etc. Do you think with all the fruits and vegetables they need a vitamin supplement? I feel like their diet is pretty healthy and balanced with very limited processed food....
    5. Scott Adams
      - Scott Adams replied to Russ H's topic in Celiac Disease Pre-Diagnosis, Testing & Symptoms
      1

      Anti-endomysial Antibody (EMA) Testing

      That is interesting, and it's the first time I heard about the umbilical cord beings used for that test. Thanks for sharing!
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):

  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      132,871
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    Koyanna
    Newest Member
    Koyanna
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):

  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.5k
    • Total Posts
      1m
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):

  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • knitty kitty
      Son's legs shaking

      By knitty kitty · Posted

      Blood tests for thiamine are unreliable.  The nutrients from your food get absorbed into the bloodstream and travel around the body.  So, a steak dinner can falsely raise thiamine blood levels in the following days.  Besides, thiamine is utilized inside cells where stores of thiamine are impossible to measure. A better test to ask for is the Erythrocyte Transketolace Activity test.  But even that test has been questioned as to accuracy.  It is expensive and takes time to do.   Because of the discrepancies with thiamine tests and urgency with correcting thiamine deficiency, the World Health Organization recommends giving thiamine for several weeks and looking for health improvement.  Thiamine is water soluble, safe and nontoxic even in high doses.   Many doctors are not given sufficient education in nutrition and deficiency symptoms, and may not be familiar with how often they occur in Celiac disease.  B12 and Vitamin D can be stored for as long as a year in the liver, so not having deficiencies in these two vitamins is not a good indicator of the status of the other seven water soluble B vitamins.  It is possible to have deficiency symptoms BEFORE there's changes in the blood levels.   Ask your doctor about Benfotiamine, a form of thiamine that is better absorbed than Thiamine Mononitrate.  Thiamine Mononitrate is used in many vitamins because it is shelf-stable, a form of thiamine that won't break down sitting around on a store shelf.  This form is difficult for the body to turn into a usable form.  Only thirty percent is absorbed in the intestine, and less is actually used.   Thiamine interacts with all of the other B vitamins, so they should all be supplemented together.  Magnesium is needed to make life sustaining enzymes with thiamine, so a magnesium supplement should be added if magnesium levels are low.   Thiamine is water soluble, safe and nontoxic even in high doses.  There's no harm in trying.
    • lizzie42
      Son's legs shaking

      By lizzie42 · Posted

      Neither of them were anemic 6 months after the Celiac diagnosis. His other vitamin levels (d, B12) were never low. My daughters levels were normal after the first 6 months. Is the thiamine test just called thiamine? 
    • knitty kitty
      Son's legs shaking

      By knitty kitty · Posted

      Yes, I do think they need a Thiamine supplement at least. Especially since they eat red meat only occasionally. Most fruits and vegetables are not good sources of Thiamine.  Legumes (beans) do contain thiamine.  Fruits and veggies do have some of the other B vitamins, but thiamine B 1 and  Cobalamine B12 are mostly found in meats.  Meat, especially organ meats like liver, are the best sources of Thiamine, B12, and the six other B vitamins and important minerals like iron.   Thiamine has antibacterial and antiviral properties.  Thiamine is important to our immune systems.  We need more thiamine when we're physically ill or injured, when we're under stress emotionally, and when we exercise, especially outside in hot weather.  We need thiamine and other B vitamins like Niacin B 3 to keep our gastrointestinal tract healthy.  We can't store thiamine for very long.  We can get low in thiamine within three days.  Symptoms can appear suddenly when a high carbohydrate diet is consumed.  (Rice and beans are high in carbohydrates.)  A twenty percent increase in dietary thiamine causes an eighty percent increase in brain function, so symptoms can wax and wane depending on what one eats.  The earliest symptoms like fatigue and anxiety are easily contributed to other things or life events and dismissed.   Correcting nutritional deficiencies needs to be done quickly, especially in children, so their growth isn't stunted.  Nutritional deficiencies can affect intelligence.  Vitamin D deficiency can cause short stature and poor bone formation.   Is your son taking anything for the anemia?  Is the anemia caused by B12 or iron deficiency?  
    • lizzie42
      Son's legs shaking

      By lizzie42 · Posted

      Thank you! That's helpful. My kids eat very little processed food. Tons of fruit, vegetables, cheese, eggs and occasional red meat. We do a lot of rice and bean bowls, stir fry, etc.  Do you think with all the fruits and vegetables they need a vitamin supplement? I feel like their diet is pretty healthy and balanced with very limited processed food. The only processed food they eat regularly is a bowl of Cheerios here and there.  Could shaking legs be a symptom of just a one-time gluten exposure? I guess there's no way to know for sure if they're getting absolutely zero exposure because they do go to school a couple times a week. We do homeschool but my son does a shared school 2x a week and my daughter does a morning Pre-K 3 x a week.  At home our entire house is strictly gluten free and it is extremely rare for us to eat out. If we eat at someone else's house I usually just bring their food. When we have play dates we bring all the snacks, etc. I try to be really careful since they're still growing. They also, of course, catch kids viruses all the time so I  want to make sure I know whether they're just sick or they've had gluten. It can be pretty confusing when they're pretty young to even be explaining their symptoms! 
    • Scott Adams
      Anti-endomysial Antibody (EMA) Testing

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      That is interesting, and it's the first time I heard about the umbilical cord beings used for that test. Thanks for sharing!
×
×
  • 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.