The 2013 Gluten-Free Candy Guide for Halloween

Halloween can be a bit daunting for people trying to keep gluten-free. There are always a lot of things to consider, but with all the excitement and the individual “fun-sized” candy bars, it may be difficult to identify which foods are safe and which should be avoided.

Let us assure you, being gluten-free doesn’t mean you have to skip out on all the fun of Halloween. By exercising a bit of caution, a wide selection of gluten-free candy is available to you.

–

Caution: Halloween Candy Can Be Deceiving

Although some candies can claim to be gluten-free, it is important for you to fully understand all the risks that are out there, and make your own judgments.

• Candies that are normally gluten-free may contain gluten during Halloween. This isn’t a trick of sorcery or witchcraft—it’s really true. Candies that may be gluten-free in their original form during the rest of the year may come to contain gluten as candy makers change manufacturing facilities in order to make their exclusive holiday-themed candies. New facilities, changes in candy recipes, and the risks of cross contamination are all rampant during Halloween, so beware of any changes to gluten-free candy favorites.

• Check the label for “may contain traces of wheat”, as well as barley malt, caramel coloring, and wheat-derived glucose syrup. These warnings and ingredients are commonly found on candy labels, and you should avoid them as much as possible. Although some individuals are OK taking the risk, if you are highly sensitive you should not consume any items that could even potentially contain gluten.

With these warnings out of the way, here is our partial list of gluten-free and unsafe candies!

As you can see, there are a lot of choices of delicious candy that you can enjoy on a gluten-free diet. Halloween is a time for fun, and now even if you are on a gluten-free diet, you don’t have to worry about anything but making sure you don’t eat all your candy in one night!