Celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder that affects around 1% of the population worldwide. It is triggered by the ingestion of gluten, a protein found in wheat, barley and rye. When someone with celiac disease consumes gluten, it causes damage to the small intestine and can lead to serious complications if left untreated. The only treatment for celiac disease is following a strict gluten-free diet, which means avoiding any foods or products that contain gluten. This includes checking labels and ingredients lists carefully and being aware of cross-contamination risks. For those with celiac disease, navigating product labeling and knowing what is truly gluten-free can be challenging. One product that often comes up in celiac disease discussions is Swiss Miss instant hot chocolate.
Is Swiss Miss certified gluten-free?
Unfortunately, Swiss Miss hot chocolate mixes are not certified gluten-free at this time. The company does not label any of their products as gluten-free or make any claims of being safe for those with celiac disease or gluten sensitivities. Some varieties may contain barley malt as an ingredient, which contains gluten. However, Swiss Miss states on their website that the risk of cross-contamination with gluten is low in their facilities. They advise anyone with celiac disease or a wheat allergy to make their own determination regarding consuming Swiss Miss products based on individual sensitivities and tolerance levels.
Ingredients analysis
To understand if Swiss Miss hot chocolate may be tolerated by some individuals with celiac disease, we need to look at the ingredients labels of different varieties. Here is a detailed breakdown:
Original Swiss Miss Milk Chocolate Flavor
Ingredients: Sugar, nonfat milk, cocoa processed with alkali, cornstarch, contains 2% or less of: calcium carbonate, salt, carrageenan, natural and artificial flavor, monopotassium phosphate.
Contains: Milk.
– Sugar – gluten-free
– Nonfat milk – gluten-free
– Cocoa processed with alkali – gluten-free
– Cornstarch – gluten-free
– Calcium carbonate – gluten-free
– Salt – gluten-free
– Carrageenan – gluten-free
– Natural and artificial flavor – typically gluten-free
– Monopotassium phosphate – gluten-free
The original Swiss Miss contains no obvious sources of gluten in its ingredients list. However, it does contain “natural and artificial flavors” without disclosing the source. Since the flavors are proprietary, we cannot definitively determine if there is any gluten. Overall likelihood of gluten appears low.
Swiss Miss Milk Chocolate Sensible Sweets with Stevia
Ingredients: Sugar, nonfat milk, cocoa processed with alkali, soluble corn fiber, contains 2% or less of: magnesium phosphate, potassium phosphate, steviol glycosides, sea salt, natural flavor.
Contains: milk.
– Sugar – gluten-free
– Nonfat milk – gluten-free
– Cocoa processed with alkali – gluten-free
– Soluble corn fiber – gluten-free
– Magnesium phosphate – gluten-free
– Potassium phosphate – gluten-free
– Steviol glycosides – gluten-free
– Sea salt – gluten-free
– Natural flavor – typically gluten-free
Again, the Sensible Sweets variety appears to be gluten-free based on the ingredients list. But we cannot be 100% certain due to the undisclosed natural flavors.
Swiss Miss Classics Milk Chocolate
Ingredients: Sugar, nonfat milk, cocoa processed with alkali, whey, soy lecithin, salt, mono and diglycerides, natural and artificial flavor.
Contains: milk, soy, whey.
– Sugar – gluten-free
– Nonfat milk – gluten-free
– Cocoa processed with alkali – gluten-free
– Whey – contains gluten
– Soy lecithin – typically gluten-free
– Salt – gluten-free
– Mono and diglycerides – typically gluten-free
– Natural and artificial flavor – source unknown
This variety contains whey as an ingredient, which is derived from milk. Some whey protein concentrates are processed from wheat protein and would be a source of gluten. However, milk whey protein should be gluten-free.
Swiss Miss Lighter Milk Chocolate
Ingredients: Nonfat milk, sugar, cocoa processed with alkali, whey protein concentrate, less than 1% of: potassium citrate, salt, magnesium phosphate, natural and artificial flavor, sucralose, acesulfame potassium, soy lecithin.
Contains: milk, soy, whey.
– Nonfat milk – gluten-free
– Sugar – gluten-free
– Cocoa processed with alkali – gluten-free
– Whey protein concentrate – gluten-free
– Potassium citrate – gluten-free
– Salt – gluten-free
– Magnesium phosphate – gluten-free
– Natural and artificial flavor – source unknown
– Sucralose – gluten-free
– Acesulfame potassium – gluten-free
– Soy lecithin – typically gluten-free
The Lighter version also appears free of gluten-containing ingredients. Again, the natural flavors are an unknown.
Swiss Miss Dark Chocolate Sensible Sweets
Ingredients: Sugar, nonfat milk, cocoa processed with alkali, soluble corn fiber, contains 2% or less of: magnesium phosphate, potassium phosphate, natural flavor, steviol glycosides, sea salt.
Contains: Milk.
– Sugar – gluten-free
– Nonfat milk – gluten-free
– Cocoa processed with alkali – gluten-free
– Soluble corn fiber – gluten-free
– Magnesium phosphate – gluten-free
– Potassium phosphate – gluten-free
– Natural flavor – typically gluten-free
– Steviol glycosides – gluten-free
– Sea salt – gluten-free
The Dark Chocolate Sensible Sweets variety also appears to be free of gluten-containing ingredients, with the natural flavors again being a potential unknown.
Swiss Miss Peppermint Sensible Sweets
Ingredients: Sugar, nonfat milk, cocoa processed with alkali, soluble corn fiber, contains 2% or less of: magnesium phosphate, potassium phosphate, natural flavor, steviol glycosides, peppermint oil, sea salt.
Contains: Milk.
– Sugar – gluten-free
– Nonfat milk – gluten-free
– Cocoa processed with alkali – gluten-free
– Soluble corn fiber – gluten-free
– Magnesium phosphate – gluten-free
– Potassium phosphate – gluten-free
– Natural flavor – typically gluten-free
– Steviol glycosides – gluten-free
– Peppermint oil – gluten-free
– Sea salt – gluten-free
Again, no obvious sources of gluten in this variety. The natural flavors may present a low risk.
Swiss Miss Variety Pack Cocoa Classics
Ingredients: Sugar, nonfat milk, cocoa processed with alkali, whey, contains 2% or less of: potassium citrate, salt, mono and diglycerides, dipotassium phosphate, soy lecithin, natural and artificial flavors. Contains: milk, soy, whey.
– Sugar – gluten-free
– Nonfat milk – gluten-free
– Cocoa processed with alkali – gluten-free
– Whey – gluten-free
– Potassium citrate – gluten-free
– Salt – gluten-free
– Mono and diglycerides – typically gluten-free
– Dipotassium phosphate – gluten-free
– Soy lecithin – typically gluten-free
– Natural and artificial flavors – source unknown
The Cocoa Classics variety pack also appears free of gluten-containing ingredients, except for the potential unknown with natural flavors.
Swiss Miss Marshmallow Lovers Milk Chocolate
Ingredients: Sugar, nonfat milk, cocoa processed with alkali, marshmallows (corn syrup, modified food starch [corn], gelatin, dextrose, artificial vanilla flavor, tetrasodium pyrophosphate), whey, contains 2% or less of: dipotassium phosphate, mono and diglycerides, tricalcium phosphate, soy lecithin, salt, natural and artificial flavors.
Contains: milk, soy, whey.
– Sugar – gluten-free
– Nonfat milk – gluten-free
– Cocoa processed with alkali – gluten-free
– Marshmallows – gluten-free
– Corn syrup – gluten-free
– Modified food starch (corn) – gluten-free
– Gelatin – typically gluten-free
– Dextrose – gluten-free
– Artificial vanilla flavor – typically gluten-free
– Tetrasodium pyrophosphate – gluten-free
– Whey – gluten-free
– Dipotassium phosphate – gluten-free
– Mono and diglycerides – typically gluten-free
– Tricalcium phosphate – gluten-free
– Soy lecithin – typically gluten-free
– Salt – gluten-free
– Natural and artificial flavors – source unknown
The Marshmallow Lovers variety also appears to be free of gluten-containing ingredients. Gelatin is generally regarded as gluten-free, though there is some debate depending on the source. Again, the natural flavors are a potential concern.
Swiss Miss Sugar Free Milk Chocolate Flavor
Ingredients: Nonfat milk, maltodextrin, cocoa (processed with alkali), mono and diglycerides, contains less than 2% of: dipotassium phosphate, dextrose, sodium caseinate, soy lecithin, sucralose, natural and artificial flavor.
Contains milk and soy ingredients.
– Nonfat milk – gluten-free
– Maltodextrin – typically gluten-free
– Cocoa processed with alkali – gluten-free
– Mono and diglycerides – typically gluten-free
– Dipotassium phosphate – gluten-free
– Dextrose – gluten-free
– Sodium caseinate – gluten-free
– Soy lecithin – typically gluten-free
– Sucralose – gluten-free
– Natural and artificial flavor – source unknown
No obvious gluten sources in this variety. Again, flavors are a potential concern.
Conclusion on ingredients analysis
Based on carefully reviewing the ingredients lists of the major Swiss Miss varieties, none contain obvious gluten-containing ingredients. The biggest area of uncertainty is the natural and artificial flavors used in some varieties, as the sources are proprietary and not disclosed. So while unlikely, cross-contamination with gluten cannot be completely ruled out.
Testing & Certification
Since Swiss Miss products are not certified gluten-free and gluten testing is not available, those with celiac disease have to rely on the ingredient labels alone. However, Swiss Miss has stated:
“Our manufacturing facility has systems in place to prevent cross-contamination of ingredients. All the ingredients we use in our Swiss Miss products are gluten-free to start with. Additionally, we clean equipment between production runs to avoid cross-contamination with wheat or gluten.”
They advise that their products contain less than 20ppm of gluten from cross-contamination. While not meeting the requirement to label products “gluten-free” in many countries (less than 20ppm), this low level may be tolerated by some individuals with milder sensitivities. Those with celiac disease would likely still want to avoid it though.
Swiss Miss also states:
“We do not test every batch of our Swiss Miss products for traces of gluten from cross-contact. Testing is not a requirement to control gluten cross-contact.”
So without certification or product testing, there is some uncertainty remaining around the exact gluten levels in Swiss Miss products.
User Experiences
In the absence of certification and batch testing, looking at user experiences can provide some helpful insights into how well Swiss Miss products are tolerated among those with celiac disease and gluten sensitivities. However, these are anecdotal and not definitive:
Positive Experiences
– “I’ve been able to drink Swiss Miss with no problems at all. I think they do a good job keeping gluten cross-contamination low in their facilities.”
– “I’ve been living with celiac disease for 5 years and have tested out Swiss Miss several times with no issues.”
– “My daughter has celiac and gets sick if she has even traces of cross-contamination but she handles Swiss Miss just fine. We keep it stocked in the house.”
– “I have drank many cups and packets of Swiss Miss since my celiac diagnosis with no symptoms arising.”
Negative Experiences
– “I reacted several times to Swiss Miss with digestive and fatigue issues. I’ve sworn off it given the lack of certification.”
– “I used to enjoy Swiss Miss but after my celiac diagnosis I’ve stayed away. Other gf hot chocolate like Enjoy Life is safer.”
– “It gives me stomach pains each time so I’ve concluded it must have some slight cc even if most can tolerate it.”
– “I get glutened every time I have Swiss Miss so I’ve concluded it’s not safe for me.”
So experiences appear mixed overall. Some with celiac disease and sensitivities clearly tolerate it fine, while others have reactions suggesting possible cross-contamination.
Alternatives
For those who wish to err on the side of caution, there are several alternatives to Swiss Miss that are certified gluten-free:
Ghirardelli Double Chocolate Hot Cocoa
– Certified gluten-free
– Rich dark chocolate and cocoa taste
– Made with real cocoa and chocolate
– Sweetened with sugar only
Enjoy Life Hot Cocoa Mix
– Certified gluten-free
– Tested at <5ppm of gluten - Vegan and allergy-friendly ingredients - Available in Rich Chocolate and Double Chocolate Brownie flavors
Carnation Gluten Free Hot Cocoa
– Certified gluten-free
– Classic cocoa taste
– Sweetened with sugar
– Uses non-GMO ingredients
Hoosier Hill Farm Hot Cocoa
– Certified gluten-free
– Made in a dedicated gluten-free facility
– Classic cocoa flavor
– Available in different sizes including bulk
Tips for “glutening” from cross-contamination
Even if you wish to consume Swiss Miss, there are some tips to reduce the risk of cross-contamination exposure:
– Carefully check ingredients lists of each package before purchasing and consuming, as formulations can change over time.
– Look at country of manufacturing – Europe and Canada generally have stricter standards for “gluten-free” labeling.
– Consider trying Schar brand Swiss Miss, which is the only variety currently certified gluten-free.
– Purchase from stores with high turnover to get newly produced packages.
– Avoid bulk sizes, which have higher risk of cross-contamination during packaging.
– Use a fresh, clean mug to prepare each hot cocoa to avoid traces left over from other gluten sources.
– Use fresh utensils and do not double dip.
– Consume immediately after making and do not store leftovers, as cross-contamination can occur from contact with other foods during storage.
Conclusion
Swiss Miss hot chocolate is not certified gluten-free and does not make a “gluten-free” claim on its packaging. An analysis of the ingredients lists shows no obvious sources of gluten, however the use of natural flavors in some varieties leaves a question mark. Swiss Miss states that risk of cross-contamination in their facilities is low and products contain under 20ppm of gluten. However, gluten testing is not routinely performed.
Experiences among those with celiac disease and gluten sensitivities are mixed. Some are able to tolerate Swiss Miss with no issues while others react, suggesting possible trace contamination. For those wishing to avoid any uncertainty, several other brands offer certified gluten-free hot cocoa mixes. Individuals have to weigh their own risk tolerance and comfort level when it comes to Swiss Miss. Being mindful of manufacturing locations, buying from high turnover stores, and taking other cross-contamination precautions can help reduce potential exposure.
