<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>> At 09:38 PM 1/21/2003, Debbie Gordon wrote: ><<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>> > >Thanks to all. MOST said Smarties were gf. A few responses that they were >not. A few responses that Milk Duds were also gf. Someone emailed the spread >sheet that is noted below I tried to attach it didn't work to well. I have >attached a few responses that I think were very helpful... >....... > >I dont know about milk duds but smarties contain wheat. I was just given >some for my kids from england and they had wheat in the list of >ingredients. > etc. I read this and recalled that I had seen two completely different kinds of candy called Smarties at different times, so I did a bit of research. The company that makes the Smarties we can get here (little tart sugar things packed in a cellophane-wrapped roll), Ce De Candy, has a web site, <www.smarties.com>. They list the ingredients of all their candies. The ingredients list for Smarties is: "Dextrose, Citric Acid, Calcium Stearate, Artificial Flavors and Colors (Red 40 Lake, Yellow 5 Lake, Yellow 6 Lake, Blue 2 Lake)." The company is based in NJ, but also has a plant in Canada, so some rolls say "Made in Canada". They only have the license to the name Smarties in the U.S. The Smarties from England are a completely different candy, rather like M&Ms, and are made by Societe' des Produits Nestle' S.A. Outside of the U.S., the candy _we_ know as Smarties is marketed as Rockets. All this information is from the Smarties web site, on their FAQ page. For a small amount of info on the chocolate Nestle Smarties, but no ingredients list, go to <http://www.nestle.com/html/brands/products/smarties.asp>. For a great deal of ingredients information from Nestle UK, go to <http://www.nestle.co.uk/nutrition/> and click the link labeled "Free From Lists". They provide lists of which products are egg free, gluten free, milk free, soy free, vegetarian, and vegan. Since _their_ Smarties don't appear on the gf list, it is safe to say that the M&M type Smarties from England are not gf, according to the manufacturer. All of which goes to show, it isn't enough to give the name of a product--you have to know which country the name is licensed in, too. Joe Ellison Chicago, IL [log in to unmask] *Support summarization of posts, reply to the SENDER not the CELIAC List*