Ghirardelli is one of the most popular and well-known chocolate brands in the United States. While many people enjoy Ghirardelli’s rich, smooth chocolate, a common question for those with dietary restrictions or food allergies is whether Ghirardelli chocolates contain gluten.
Gluten is a protein found in grains like wheat, barley, and rye. For people with celiac disease or non-celiac gluten sensitivity, consuming gluten can cause a range of unpleasant symptoms and health issues. That’s why it’s important for these individuals to avoid gluten in their diets by being aware of which foods contain it.
So does Ghirardelli chocolate have gluten? The short answer is: some Ghirardelli products do contain gluten while others are gluten-free. In this comprehensive article, we’ll take a close look at Ghirardelli’s ingredients, manufacturing processes, and labeling to shed light on which types of their chocolate bars, baking chips, and other products contain gluten and how much.
About Gluten and Gluten Intolerance
Before diving into the specifics on Ghirardelli and gluten, let’s take a quick overview of what exactly gluten is and why people need to avoid it.
What is Gluten?
Gluten is a general name for the proteins found in wheat, rye, barley and other closely-related cereal grains. The two main proteins that make up gluten are:
– Gliadin
– Glutenin
When flour is mixed with water, these two proteins bond together and form elastic strands that give breads and other baked goods their chewy texture.
For people with celiac disease or non-celiac gluten sensitivity, it’s the gliadin protein component that causes issues.
Celiac Disease
Celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder where the body mounts an immune response to gliadin after it is ingested. The immune system attacks the small intestine, causing damage and inhibiting the absorption of nutrients.
Celiac disease is estimated to affect around 1% of people worldwide. For those with the condition, the only treatment is maintaining a strict lifelong gluten-free diet. Even small amounts of gluten can trigger symptoms and promote intestinal damage.
Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity
Some people test negative for celiac disease but still have reactions when they eat gluten. This is known as non-celiac gluten sensitivity (NCGS).
Symptoms are similar to celiac disease and can include bloating, diarrhea, abdominal pain, fatigue, and headaches after consuming gluten. It’s not known exactly what causes the gluten reaction for those with NCGS. But for symptom relief, they also need to follow a gluten-free diet.
Why Gluten Must Be Avoided
For people with celiac disease and NCGS, here are some of the harmful effects that can occur when gluten is ingested:
– Damage to the small intestine, preventing nutrient absorption
– Severe digestive discomfort including gas, diarrhea, nausea
– Decreased energy and fatigue
– Neurological symptoms such as headaches, anxiety, depression
– Skin rashes and inflammation
– Joint pain
– Damage to internal organs
Over time, untreated celiac disease can lead to malnutrition, osteoporosis, infertility and other chronic health issues. That’s why those with celiac disease and gluten sensitivity rely on a strict gluten-free diet for health.
Now let’s look specifically at which Ghirardelli products contain gluten and are not suitable for a gluten-free diet.
Ghirardelli Products That Contain Gluten
Here is an overview of the Ghirardelli chocolate products that are not gluten-free due to containing ingredients derived from wheat, barley or rye:
Ghirardelli Chocolate Bars
– Milk chocolate bars
– Dark chocolate bars
– Caramel filled chocolate bars like Milk Chocolate Caramel and Dark Chocolate Caramel
– Some assorted, flavored, and seasonal chocolate bars
Gluten-Containing Ingredients: Barley malt added to some varieties
Ghirardelli Baking Chips
– Milk chocolate chips
– Dark chocolate chips
– White chocolate chips
– Caramel filled chocolate chips
Gluten-Containing Ingredients: Barley malt added to some varieties
Ghirardelli Hot Cocoa Mix
– Sweet Ground Chocolate and Cocoa
– Double Chocolate Hot Cocoa
– White Chocolate Hot Cocoa
– German Chocolate Cake Hot Cocoa
– Peppermint Bark Hot Cocoa
Gluten-Containing Ingredients: Malted milk (contains barley malt)
Ghirardelli Chocolate Sauce
– Classic chocolate sauce
– Dark chocolate sauce
– Caramel flavored chocolate sauce
Gluten-Containing Ingredients: Barley malt added to some varieties
Ghirardelli Ground Chocolate and Cocoa Powders
– Natural unsweetened cocoa powder
– Dark cocoa powder
– Triple chocolate premium cocoa powder
– Ground chocolate powder
Gluten-Containing Ingredients: Malted milk (contains barley malt) added to some varieties
As you can see, many popular Ghirardelli products contain barley malt, malted milk, or other gluten sources as ingredients. This means most of Ghirardelli’s classic chocolate bar flavors are unsuitable for a gluten-free diet. The same applies to their classic baking chips, hot cocoa mixes, chocolate sauces, and some cocoa powder products.
Now let’s look at the good news: which Ghirardelli items are gluten-free.
Ghirardelli Products That Are Gluten-Free
While many classic Ghirardelli products contain gluten, they have also formulated a number of gluten-free offerings by removing sources of gluten like barley malt.
Here are the Ghirardelli chocolate products that are labelled gluten-free:
Ghirardelli Chocolate Bars
– Mint chocolate bars
– Peanut butter chocolate bars
– Crisp wafers chocolate bars
– Intense Dark chocolate bars
– Some premium, limited edition, and seasonal bars
Gluten-Free Verification: No barley malt or other gluten sources on the ingredient lists
Ghirardelli Baking Chips
– Mint chocolate chips
– Peanut butter chocolate chips
– Pure semi-sweet chocolate chips
– Pure unsweetened chocolate chips
Gluten-Free Verification: No barley malt or gluten ingredients
Ghirardelli Cocoa Powders
– 100% unsweetened natural cocoa powder
– Cocoa Rouge unsweetened cocoa powder
Gluten-Free Verification: No added malt ingredients
Ghirardelli Ground Chocolate
– 100% Unsweetened Ground Chocolate
Gluten-Free Verification: No barley malt or gluten ingredients
Ghirardelli Chocolate Spreads
– Milk chocolate spread
– Dark chocolate spread
Gluten-Free Verification: No gluten sources in the ingredient list
So within Ghirardelli’s line of products, people following a gluten-free diet can enjoy these specific chocolate bar flavors, baking chips, unsweetened cocoa powder, 100% ground chocolate, and chocolate spreads.
It’s important to always verify the ingredient list and gluten-free labelling when purchasing Ghirardelli chocolates. Formula’s and manufacturing processes can change over time. But currently, opting for their plain dark chocolate, mint, peanut butter, and cocoa powder offerings are your safest options for avoiding gluten.
How Much Gluten is in Ghirardelli Products?
For the Ghirardelli products that do contain gluten, how much is present?
The exact gluten amounts can vary between different product formulations. However, here are some general estimates:
Barley Malt
Many Ghirardelli chocolate products contain barley malt as an ingredient. Barley malt extract typically contains moderate levels of gluten, in the range of 2,000-4,000 parts per million (ppm).
By comparison, foods considered “gluten-free” must contain less than 20 ppm of gluten. So at 2,000-4,000 ppm, the amount of gluten contributed by barley malt is quite high.
Malted Milk
Malted milk, used in some Ghirardelli hot cocoa and ground chocolate powders, also contains a moderate amount of gluten from the barley malt used in its production. Levels are estimated around 2,000-3,500 ppm.
Cross-Contact
In addition to the intentional gluten ingredients, cross-contact is another consideration in manufactured foods. Cross-contact means gluten could be unintentionally introduced during production, from shared equipment or facilities.
Ghirardelli does not make any guarantees about their products being free from cross-contact. So even an item without gluten ingredients could potentially contain traces of gluten picked up during manufacturing.
Amounts Too High for Gluten-Free Diet
Based on these estimates, the presence of barley malt and malted milk means many Ghirardelli products likely contain gluten amounts too high to be considered gluten-free.
Individual tolerance can vary. But for most people with celiac disease or gluten sensitivity, these Ghirardelli items with gluten ingredients should be avoided to prevent adverse reactions.
Verifying Gluten Content in Ghirardelli Products
So how can you find out definitively whether a particular Ghirardelli product contains gluten, and how much? Here are some tips:
Check the Ingredient List
Carefully reading the ingredient statement on the label is the first place to identify potential gluten sources like “barley malt”, “malt”, “malted milk”, or obvious grains like “wheat”, “rye”, or “barley”.
If none of these concerning ingredients are present, that’s a good initial sign it may be gluten-free.
Look for a “Gluten-Free” Claim
In the United States, foods labeled “gluten-free” must contain less than 20 parts per million of gluten. So when this regulated claim appears on a Ghirardelli product, it’s strong assurance that item is suitable for the gluten-free diet.
Contact the Company
If the product doesn’t have a gluten-free claim, and you want to investigate further, you can reach out to Ghirardelli directly:
– By phone: 1-800-877-4874
– By email: https://ghirardelli.com/contact-us
The customer service team may be able to look up exact testing results or manufacturing details to confirm if the product contains gluten and how much.
Send It for Third-Party Gluten Testing
If you require definitive proof through lab analysis, there are testing services that can check a food sample for the presence of gluten. Examples include ELISA Technologies and the Gluten Tox Home Test Kit. This option is best for those highly sensitive, where trace amounts matter.
Tips for Following a Gluten-Free Diet with Ghirardelli Chocolate
Here are some tips for enjoying Ghirardelli chocolate safely on a gluten-free diet:
– Stick to Ghirardelli products explicitly labeled “gluten-free” on the packaging. This is your safest option.
– Carefully read all ingredient lists, even on varieties without gluten ingredients normally. Formulations can change over time.
– Look for their plain dark chocolate and flavored options like mint, peanut butter, and hazelnut. These tend to be free of gluten sources.
– Call the customer support line with any questions on specific products. They can look up manufacturing details.
– Enjoy their gluten-free baking chips to substitute in recipes calling for chocolate chips.
– Use Ghirardelli’s gluten-free cocoa powder for rich chocolate flavor in drinks, desserts, and gluten-free baking.
– If sensitive to traces of gluten, consider getting items tested before consuming.
– Look for other gluten-free brands if you require 100% assurance of no cross-contact.
The Bottom Line
Many popular Ghirardelli chocolate products contain gluten from ingredients like barley malt. But they also offer a variety of gluten-free options, including some chocolate bars, baking chips, and cocoa powders.
Read labels carefully, look for “gluten-free” wording, and contact the company with any questions. While not every item may be suitable, you can still enjoy the delicious taste of Ghirardelli chocolate on a gluten-free diet. Just opt for the confirmed gluten-free varieties.
| Ghirardelli Product | Gluten-Free Status |
|---|---|
| Milk Chocolate Bars | Not Gluten-Free |
| Dark Chocolate Mint Bars | Gluten-Free |
| Milk Chocolate Chips | Not Gluten-Free |
| Dark Cocoa Powder | Not Gluten-Free |
| Unsweetened 100% Cocoa Powder | Gluten-Free |
