Sweets for Special Diets

Shoppers following vegan, gluten-free, milk-free or other special diets have many options to choose from in the candy aisle—they just may not know about them.

More people are seeking candies that fit into a vegan diet and lifestyle, which excludes the use of animal products. Red-flag ingredients for vegans can include gelatin, lard or any unspecified natural flavorings that could be derived from animals. Most licorice is considered vegan (as long as no flavorings or colorings are derived from animals). SunRidge Farms, Santa Cruz, Calif., for example, markets Raspberry Red Licorice Hearts sweetened with raspberry powder and grape juice concentrate.

Chocolate is making strides in the vegan category, and those varieties can also be friendly to shoppers looking for dairy-free products, defined as free from any milk-based ingredients, including casein and lactose. Fine & Raw, a Brooklyn, N.Y.-based chocolate company, specializes in artisan, agave-sweetened chocolates that are produced at low heat, contain no dairy and are vegan.

Approximately three million Americans, or one in 100 people, are affected by celiac disease. When people with celiac eat foods that contain gluten, it creates an immune-mediated toxic reaction that causes damage to the small intestine and does not allow food to be properly absorbed. Gluten is the common name for the proteins in specific grains such as all forms of wheat (including durum, semolina, spelt, kamut, einkorn and faro) and related grains rye, barley and triticale. (Casein is the protein found in milk and cheese that has a molecular structure similar to gluten.

Many people who follow gluten-free diets also follow casein-free diets, commonly known as the GFCF Diet.). With celiac disease on the rise, more artisan chocolatiers are increasing the number of gluten-free treats they offer and others are shifting their manufacturing to gluten-free facilities to ensure there is no cross-contamination. Azure Chocolat, Centerport, N.Y., for example, offers gluten-free products made in a dedicated facility, and many items are also dairy-free and vegan. Several Azure Chocolat products are now available at Whole Foods Market.

With consumer interest in allergen and special-needs products growing, more gluten-free, vegan and milk-free candies are sure to hit the market.—Nicole Potenza Denis and Vanessa Facenda

Nicole Denis is a regular foodspring.com contributor and is the author of foodspring’s foodie-mom blog.

"FREE" CANDY

Here is a list of some products that suit various dietary restrictions or choices:

AUSTRATLIAN NOUGAT COMPANY: Macadamia-Pistachio Nougat (vegan and gluten-free); www.ausnougat.com.au.
AZURE CHOCOLAT: Beauty Bark and other products (vegan and gluten-free); www.azurechocolat.com.
BISSINGER’S: Gummy Pandas and multiple chocolate products (gluten-free), 60 percent and 75 percent dark chocolate (dairy-free); www.bissingers.com.
CHUAO CHOCOLATIER: Various chocolate bars and ChocoPods, including Spicy Maya (vegan); www.chuaochocolatier.com.
DAS CARAMELINI: Caramels with Lavendar (gluten-free); www.dasfoods.com.
ENDANGERED SPECIES: The Vegan Collection (lactose-free, dairy-free, vegan); www.chocolatebar.com.
GLEE GUM: Gum in six flavors (gluten- and allergen-free); www.gleegum.com.
JELLY BELLY: Natural Tropical Fruit Blend Jelly Beans (gluten-free); www.jellybelly.com.
PURE FUN: Organic lollipops (vegan and gluten-free); www.purefun.ca.
SUNNY SEED DROPS: All-natural sunflower seed candies (gluten-free); www.sunflowerfoodcompany.com.
SURF SWEETS: Gummies (dairy-free, gluten-free); www.surfsweets.com.
TERRANOSTRA: Organic non-dairy ricemilk Choco™ Bar (dairy-free); www.terranostrachocolate.com.
VERMINTS: All-natural mints (vegan and gluten-free); www.vermints.com.

0 comments