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I emailed them, and they sent me a chart regarding their Excellence products - apparently all gluten free, in that they don't use any gluten ingredients, but they can't guarantee that they don't contain any. From their ingredients table:

Quote:

AUGUST 2005 - This table is indicated according to the directive 2000/13/CE, IMPORTANT "Non" means that the ingredient is not used in the recipe. We must however consider the possibility of its fortuitous presence, even with the state of traces. From where our messages "Can contain traces of,,," on the labels. Lindt & Sprüngli S.A. reserve the right to modify the receipes of its chocolates, without notice. The list of the ingredients on the labelling of the chocolate remains the reference to be consulted, if necessary, to question us as for the possible presence of other allergens. However, we cannot, a priori, guarantee their absence.

That is some bad, bad English. Drives me crazy, as a writer. Anyway. The rest of the email:

Quote:

Dear Ms. Bradley:

Following your request, we have pleasure to inform you below about the content of gluten, cereal and malt of the chocolates actually produced by our factory. Also please find below the product information table for our Excellence Dark chocolate.

1. MEDICAL COMPETENCE
Our Company satisfies, of course, the general obligations of food safety. However, we do not have the right to give information concerning human health. This must remain the domain of the medical profession.

2. GENERAL INFORMATION
Within the context of the ISO 9001 certification, our products are only commercialised after have been subjected to rigorous physical, chemical, microbiological and taste controls.

We must however take into account every eventuality when consumer health is concerned, including those suffering from allergies. For these reasons, we inform you of the following situation:

· Raw materials of agricultural origin present, naturally, variations in their composition of which our knowledge is imperfect
· One must, equally, be aware of the phenomenon of crossed allergies which can occur when a person becomes sensitive to a food allergen, after having reacted to a similar protein

· In spite of our Quality Assurance and traceability, the industrial organisation of our factories does not allow us to satisfy the demands of specific alimentary diets.

The risk of alimentary allergies exist, in particular for the following ingredients:
· Arachide (peanuts)

· Hazelnuts

· Almonds

· Milk

· Soya lecithin

To improve food security for people with allergies, we have decided to reinforce consumer information.
Two cases are possible:

(a) The ingredient is systematically necessary in the elaboration of the chocolate. It is indicated in the ingredient list, visible on the packaging

(b) The ingredient is not used in the recipe. We must however consider the possibility of its fortuitous presence, even as traces, due to the multiplicity of our productions. Hence our messages « Can contain traces of peanuts, etc. » on the labelling.

This has to be the weirdest response to a gluten query I've ever received. And this was from the Canadian office. I've emailed her back to clarify some things and ask if the recipes are different in Canada vs the U.S. Regardless, I don;t think I'll bother using Lindt anymore - Cocoa Camino is a tasty option, and gluten-free. Green & Black too, I think?