I was shocked recently to see that Green & Blacks dark chocolate (the mainstay of milk allergy sufferers!) now contains whole milk powder as an ingredient. This is really bad news. I researched it and here is the statement given by the company…you’ll see the recipe has not changed, but because it is made on the same production line as the milk chocolate, new tests have shown it is almost certain to contain traces of milk…
Green & Black’s has announced changes to the labelling of its organic dark chocolate bars as part of a major packaging re-haul.
The new communication will highlight milk as an ingredient in its previously labelled ‘vegan’ dark chocolate bars. There is no change to the dark chocolate recipe but since both the milk chocolate and dark chocolate bars are made using the same production line there is a risk of cross contact. A recent audit revealed that traces of milk residues can still be found on manufacturing equipment despite intensive cleaning.
In order to ensure that consumers are at minimum risk the new packaging will clearly state on pack that milk residues may be present in dark chocolate bars across the range. The new packaging has already been printed and is filtering through to retailers over the next few months.
Dominic Lowe, managing director, said, “Green & Black’s is committed to an open policy and we have always been transparent about what goes into making our organic chocolate. While we feel there is no added risk to milk allergy sufferers consuming our dark chocolate bars, we want to keep customers informed about the potential inclusion of milk ingredients albeit in low levels and provide a clearer warning than we have done previously.”
For further information on the labelling change please see our Q&A which is available online at www.greenandblacks.com
Harrumph! (Much gnashing of teeth). Kinnertons make guaranteed dairy-free chocolate, and you can find them at http://www.kinnerton.com , but I suppose if you feel you’ve been OK with G&B up to now, there is no need to change. Incidentally, Kinnertons are in most supermarkets and they make most of M&S chocolate apparently.