<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>>

Hello all!  Thanks for everyone that responded.  Unfortunately to say,
my husband got sick from the Elite chocolate bars.  I don't know if it
was traces of gluten or casein, but he got a reaction.  Just to update,
he was never officially diagnosed with celiac, but cannot have gluten,
lactose/casein or soy.  He gets a reaction 24-48 hours after ingestion.
We were both disappointed since I though I found a "goodie" he could
eat.  I guess nothing is guaranteed safe.  If anyone has any idea why he
got sick, please let me know.  Here are some of the responses I
received.

<I love chocolate myself and I buy "Guylian", Belgian chocolate.  It is not
only the best chocolate you can get on the market, but it is gf.  I don't get
any reaction from it.  I eat it myself once in while.  Also, some of the
Swiss chocolates we get here are gf, like Lindt, Spruengli, Tobler.  Some of
them have caramel, I never buy those.  I was in heaven when I found the
Belgian chocolate.  This is just an idea for your husband.  (I am Swiss
living in the US and missing terribly our chocolate.)  The Belgian and Swiss
Chocolates have very stringent production laws.  I live in the Seattle area
and we get it here in fine Grocery stores.>

<I don't know about this particular brand, but the person I talked to some
time back at one of the candy companies said that vanillin was gluten free.
It is not like vanilla extract>

< Yes, you can count on Elite being gluten-free if they say they are.  Elite
is used to dealing with the ultra-orthodox here in Israel, meaning that there
is absolutely no chance of contamination.  I eat the stuff all the time - in
small quantity as my system can't tolerate too much sugar.  But a little
chocolate really improves your outlook.
    If you can, try to put in an order before Passover for any waffle-cookie
bars that they may produce this year.  Last year they produced a whole line
of such sweets from potato flour, and they were wonderful!  I put a case in
the freezer to be used sparingly .  You can be sure that their entire factory
is emptied and scrubbed down before producing these items, so anything that
says "kosher for Passover" and doesn't list list matzo meal as an ingredient,
is guaranteed safe.  This goes for all Passover foods including soup mix.  I
stock everything for a whole year because this makes it so much easier to be
sure.>

<I had the same question about "vanillin" when it showed up in a vitamin I
take.  After researching the Celiac Archives I discovered it is an artificial
substance completely gluten free (with no relation at all to "vanilla" which
can be a problem).>

<You did not say if the candy bars were also kosher for Passover.  If
they are kosher for Passover then the vanillin would have no gluten
(grain alcohol is a big NO NO during Passover).  The ONLY form of gluten
used during Passover is wheat/spelt/oat matzoh and various derivatives
of the Matzoh (mainly matzoh meal).
If you are not sure if it is kosher for Passover call back the company.
Otherwise you would have to take the word of the company.  Or you may
want to rephrase the question.  Ask instead the difference between this
bar and the ones they make for Passover.  BTW they start making some
kosher for Pesach products now and continue until just before the
holiday (which is 30 March this year).  There are some really good
nondairy chocolates from Switzerland made for Passover (in fact I just
saw some in a grocery store in Baltimore that were ok for Passover).>

<I understand your husbands anxiety over trying something "new".  I ordered
two cases of those bars and have been eating them with no problem.  They are
labeled kosher for Passover and contain no matso so by definition they have
no grain therefore GF.  His stomach might hurt from eating too many though!!>

<If you're not confident that the company is sufficiently clued-up about what
is or isn't GF, why not ask specifically whether any grain alcohol is used in
the production process?>

<If these candy bars are Kosher for Passover, then they are definitely GF.
The only Kosher for Passover ingredient that is not GF during Passover is
Matzo and Matzo Meal (like cracker crumbs made from ground Matzo).  That
would not be in an extract.  Wheat, oats, barley, and rye are NOT allowed on
Passover except in Matzo and Matzo meal.  Hope this helps!>

<I can't tell you anything about the
vanillin in Elite brand chocolate, but I
Ghirardelli uses real vanilla in its chocolate
chips and bars.  (Check the baking section of your
local grocery store.)  The ingredients in their
semi-sweet chocolate chips are as follows: sugar,
unsweetened chocolate, cocoa butter, soy lecithin-
an emulsifier, vanilla.>

<We found Rapunzel Pure Organic Swiss Chocolate at the local co-op.  The
ingredients for the semi-sweet  chocolate with almonds are:whole,
unrefined, evaporated sugar cane juice, unrefined cocoa butter,
chocolate liquor (100% crushed coca beans non-alcoholic), almonds,
vanilla beans.  Dairyfree recipe.  May contain traces of lactose due to
processing equipment.
The bars are $2.29 each and worth every penny of it.  I am
gluten/corn/soy/egg/canola free and have had no problems with this
candy.
The phone number is 1-800-207-2814.   www.rapunzel.com>

Thanks to all.  Kristen in CT