USASillyYaks: Valentine Chocolate Info and a Valentine Round-up

Valentines Day is coming up.....let me repeat that for those of you who were not listening the first time......VALENTINES DAY IS COMING UP QUICKLY!!! Ok, so now you can't tell your loved ones that you "forgot" because I JUST reminded you....twice!
I thought I would share some important Valentine related info. with you such as what brands of chocolate are safe. Chocolates and Valentines Day go hand in hand. It would be HORRIBLE to give your sweetie a box of chocolates that glutens them. So let's talk chocolates for a while:

Hershey's Chocolate: FAQ says: "We have found that allergen lists quickly become outdated as our product lines change over time. Rather than have you make purchase decisions based on outdated information, we encourage you to check the ingredient label on the package. This label provides accurate, current information about all the ingredients in the package."

Mars (M &M's, Snickers, Skittles, 3 Musketeers, etc). : Allergen Info Page which basically says the label is your best source of information

NECCO (Conversation hearts, NECCO wafers, etc): FAQ Page says:We make the following products which do not contain gluten from wheat, rye, oats or barley: Necco Wafers, Mary Janes, Mary Jane Peanut Butter Kisses, Sweethearts Conversation Hearts (Valentines only), Canada Mint & Wintergreen Lozenges, Haviland Thin Mints and Candy Stix

In addition, Clark Bars, Skybars, Haviland Peppermint & Wintergreen Patties, Necco Candy Eggs (Easter), Talking Pumpkins (Halloween), Squirrel Nut Caramels and Squirrel Nut Zippers, Banana Split and Mint Julep Chews, ULTRAMINTS are also gluten free.

Russel Stover, Whitman's, Pangburns, Weight Watchers Candy: Their website FAQ says: "To the best of our knowledge, our products are gluten free — with the exception of products containing cookies, such as S'mores and Cookies and Creams. These products contain a small amount of gluten, and ingredient labels indicate clearly that they contain wheat.

Be aware that products containing wheat are produced on equipment that's also used to make other products. So we can't completely rule out the possibility of cross-contamination, despite efforts to prevent it."

Tootsie Roll Industries (Cellas Choco. Covered Cherries, tootsie rolls, Andes Mints, Blow Pops, Junior Mints, Sugar Babies, Sugar Daddies, etc etc etc): Please look at their website to see ALL of their products because they have LOTS. Their FAQ section says that: " At this time, all of our confections are gluten free with the exception of Andes cookies. We do not use wheat, barley, rye, oats, triticale, spelt or any of their components and that includes our dusting on our conveyor belts. We do use corn and soy products in the manufacturing of our products."

Zachary Chocolates : I called them and they said that they don't really have a list. They only have one product that has gluten and that is a cookies and creme Easter Bunny which is made on it's own dedicated line.

I know that those aren't the ONLY candy companies out there, but this should allow you to get your Sweetie some chocolate for Valentines day. If your favorite candy isn't listed, then check out their website, call their 1-800 number and find out if it is safe. Don't assume!!
Don't forget that you can also make your Sweetie something nice. I'm sure you would score more brownie points with a homemade treat than a store bought treat anyways......here are a few ideas: