Gluten-Free Easter Candy

Another holiday is quickly approaching and we all know that means a round of candy that is shaped specifically for the season.  While these varieties sure are cute & enticing, they may not be safe like their “normal shaped” counterparts.  Just when you think you have it all figured out, what is safe to eat & what is not, things change.  I know how frustrating this can be.  Sometimes it feels like all of the hard work I put into deciphering labels & making phone calls is for nothing.

Celiac.org does all of the work for you. They have one of the best Easter candy lists around.  Not only does this list seem to include every piece of candy that I looked up, but it is current.  There are many lists floating around cyberspace and while I appreciate the hard work that went into these lists, especially having compiled one myself, the list is only as good as the date the information was gathered.  Even candy that was verified last year or season needs to be checked on again.

Why?  Why is it that we have to constantly update these lists?  Manufacturers change their procedures; they look to improve their product, and inadvertently end up adding an ingredient that contains gluten; they change suppliers to get a lower-cost product and make a bigger profit. There can be any number of reasons. The bottom line is – always read the label, look it up or make a phone call – just like it was your first time checking the gluten-free status.

Here is a prime example of the confusion that surrounds the reason for this post:

Are all Cadbury Mini Creme Eggs safe for a GF diet?

NO!

Even if they all look identical, they are not all made at the same place or under the same conditions. Before eating any of these Easter treats, you must determine what package they originally came from. Here is why:

154g & 381g bag of mini creme eggs – NOT SAFE
“May contain peanuts, tree nuts and/or wheat.”

154g & 381g bag of assorted mini eggs (caramilk, dairy milk, creme eggs) – NOT SAFE
“May contain peanuts, tree nuts and/or wheat.”

80g tube of mini creme eggs – SAFE!
“May contain peanut, tree nuts.”

Happy and Safe Easter!

If you have questions about a specific candy and are unable to find the status on their website, please email them with the following information & they will do their best to find out for you:

brand name

product name

size

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