Lindt Chocolate - Gluten Free Facts
By infonolan
Twisted facts from Lindt
Today, much of our population is aware of Coeliac Disease and the need to avoid gluten as a result. Most of us, as coeliacs, would know that even a 'little bit' of gluten should not be consumed on the gluten free diet. We, as diligent coeliacs, tend to avoid products with 'may contain traces of gluten', etc. statements as a precaution to maintaining sound health. We generally don't experiment due to possible dangers but enjoy having a life as well.
A very small portion of the human population (including those affected by Coeliac Disease), however, are aware about how gluten is detected in the laboratory (or how it ISN'T detected, should I say).
Gluten is a generic name for the proteins found in wheat (gliadin), rye (secalin), barley (horedin) and oats (avenin). Gluten, the substance itself , can not be tested for (under the Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) common, currently the most widely used and mainstream for testing allergenic proteins in laboritories). However, the protein fractions of wheat and rye, namely gliadin and secalin respectively, can be tested all the way down to 3-5 parts per million (i.e. 3-5ppm). On the other hand, however, no accurate test is currently available for detecting barley derivatives (particularly barley malt) and oat proteins at this time. More information is available in another article of mine here.
With this knowledge, gained over a substantial period of time, I found it VERY interesting to recently discover on the Lindt FAQs that they seem to "THINK THEY KNOW THE ANSWER!"
(THEY DON'T, REALLY...)
The text reads as follows:
[1. Is there gluten or barley malt in Lindt chocolate?
- At this stage, no Lindt product imported into Australia is marked 'Gluten Free'. Therefore, at this time we cannot guarantee that Lindt chocolate is gluten-free. Couverture contains 0.36% of dried malt extract, a barley derivative, and is specified to contain not more than 100mg gluten in 100g dried malt extract. This means that our chocolate contains a maximum of 0[m2] 0.00036% = 3.6 ppm (parts per million resp. mg per kg) of gluten.]
The following statement, "specified to contain not more than 100mg gluten", is only an assumption. It is NOT a fact. Lindt then continues on, calculating the end figures which result in "a maximum of 3.6 ppm of gluten".
They should not conclude on such matters, as even experts in the Coeliac Research field know VERY LITTLE about the amount of gluten content in the above ingredients (apart from repeated testing trials which possibly reveal a very inconsistent average of ~1000ppm.) So WHAT ON EARTH makes Lindt think that they have the answer? 3.6 parts per million (if this was for REAL) is a rather inviting figure. It is below the level of 20 parts per million (which is deemed as safe by the CSoA). As well as this, it is low on the detection limit of the ELISA test for detectable gluten! I spoke to the Coeliac Society about this and they felt the same way ("nothing they could do about it, though").
And to Lindt, I think your research was flawed and for you to be explaining the outright unexplainable, guaranteeing that none of your products with barley malt extract (as the only gluten-containing ingredient in the product (i.e. excluding products with wheat flour, starch, etc.)) contain more than 3.6 ppm devastates me more than anything else.
I advise my fellow coeliac readers to take heed and be prepared to refrain from consuming ANY Lindt Chocolates (particularly the MILK variety, for that matter) as you currently cannot accurately test barley or oats for gluten! IMPOSSIBLE!
Comments
The legal matters and arguments I present in my articles have little or no complexity. It is simple legal matters in BLACK AND WHITE PRINT that I am complaining about - one's which are NOT being addressed) Yes, I am currently doing a combined degree of Science/Law at the Australian National University in Canberra. I have taken on board, and appreciate, your input.
Celiac sufferers spend a lot of time reading ingredients and I agree, that even trace amounts of gluten containing ingredients need to be listed.
Lindt claims to have no added barley malt to it's white or dark chocolate and they claim to adhere to the strictest manufacturing standards regarding allergens - which basically means nothing at all when it comes to listing ingredients. One website claims "contains no barley malt by nature" - what the heck is that supposed to mean?
Proof is in the eating. Yesterday, my celiac husband was delighted to notice that the Lindt white chocolate did not state barley malt as an ingredient so he ate a bar. His reaction - text book celiac reaction - spent the rest of the day with severe stomach cramps, etc. And no, it was not anything else he ate.
Lindt is so off our shopping list.
Couldn't agree more, glutenfreefamily. Unfotunately, Lindt has not responded to a single email that I have sent to them in regards to my concerns. It's a real shame and seeing as though Lindt is an international company, I guess that (even with our strict 'gluten free' legislation in Australia) all sorts of odd foods could come into the country.
I believe that at least, they should include a "may contain traces of barley" statement below the ingredient list. According to a discussion I had with them over the phone, they only disclose allergens that are known to be anaphylactic in nature when it comes to 'trace amounts'. Unfortunately, there is a risk and I totally believe your husband could have reacted to this.
Hope all is well again. Cheers, Kelly.
ok, its off your shopping list. I dont care. On the one I ate, it DID have ingredients that are not gluten free, and it stated that!! I know it did because that's why I am stating about what I am stating right now. I love Lindt chocolate, and no one can change it! :)
who cares, It's good to hear that you like Lindt Chocolate. It used to be my favourite as well before I went on a gluten free diet.
The purpose of this hub was to highlight the incorrect claims about gluten content that Lindt is making on their website. If you have any other comments I'd love to hear from you.
Kelly
anon 18 months ago
I'm sorry, but I don't really see a problem here. They are not claiming that their products are gluten-free. In fact, they claim that they are not, by stating that none of their products are gluten-free and by explicitly stating the amount of gluten found in their products. They say that their products contain gluten and are not labeled as "gluten-free". I don't see how anyone reading that would conclude that the products are gluten-free and safe for those of us with coeliac disease.
Additionally, you make a lot of claims on your website here about "false advertising" and things being "illegal" and about the scientific accuracy of various testing methods. I'm wondering what your credentials are. Do you have a degree in law or science? If so, perhaps you could include that in your biographical information. It would be easier to take some of your complaints seriously if readers knew that you had the educational training required to make judgments on scientific or legal matters.