Gluten-Free Halloween: Checking the Candy Stash
Halloween is two and a half weeks away. If you have celiac disease or you cook for someone who does, the candy bowl needs a plan before the trick-or-treaters show up. Most candy is a gray area. Some bars are fine one year and risky the next. The label rules for candy are not the same as the rules for bread or pasta, and the fine print matters more here than almost anywhere else in the grocery store. Here is how I sort through it. The formula you remember can change Candy companies change recipes and suppliers without announcing it. A bar that was safe last Halloween can carry a new "may contain wheat" warning this year, or the other way around. I check the label every October, even on brands I bought last year. The ingredient list is the only thing that counts. "Wheat" is a required allergen on US labels, so it will show up in the contains statement or the ingredients. Barley and rye are not top allergens, so they can hide under words like "malt flavo...