A Coeliac Easter

When everyone around you begins buzzing with the talk of chocolate and large family lunches, you can almost be positive that Easter is around the corner.

This year my office is preparing an Easter egg hunt. I will watch as my co-workers devour their findings but being a coeliac I will more than likely be unable to consume any myself.
Upsetting though it may seem I have over the last 17 years learned to deal with events or occasions. Thankfully as I always had my mum looking out for me as a chocolate loving kid, I never felt deprived.

If this year is your first Easter as a coeliac or gluten intolerant then I hope you find this post useful. If you are here looking to cater for a coeliac of gluten intolerant;  friend,  co-worker, significant other or family member; thank you. Finally if you are a seasoned coeliac please feel free to leave your own tips and helpful information in the comments.

The number one rule when it comes to Easter Eggs  is of course, as always read the labels. Manufacturers can always change the ingredients lists or add allergen statements without you knowing unless you read. There are multiple guides to be found online about how to read labels or you can check out my own little guide which can be found here. 

The second rule when it comes to chocolate and Easter is that it is always safer to avoid flavours and fillings. Ask yourself, does this have a gooey peppermint center, if the answer is yes then it is safer to leave it out.

One of the most common unsafe ingredients added to chocolate bars is Barley Malt Extract which can be found in a variety of chocolates including Lindt and Maltesers.There is however no need to fret, there are still some Gluten Free eggs that us chocolate lovers or our kids can indulge in this Easter weekend.  

Of course the celebrations aren't limited to chocolate; family get-to-gethers, friendly catch-ups and all sorts of other events can take place over a long weekend.

Some great tips if you are eating out over the Easter period can be found here.  

If you are going to a family or friends for lunch or dinner, don't forget to let them know or remind them about your allergies. The one thing I've had to remember is that just because gluten, cross-contamination and crippling food allergies are at the front of your mind doesn't mean that everyone else will remember. In fact from my experience more than half the people, including my extended family will forget that I can't have that gravy they've just poured all over my baked potato.

A few ways you can ensure that you don't go hungry but don't feel like a burden are:

• Offer to bring a side dish or small part of the meal
• Eat before hand.
• Pack some sneaky back up snacks, just in case!

Whilst the chocolate isn't all Easter is about, if you have children or maybe a 23 year old obsessed with chocolate, it's a big part of the holiday.

Although nothing beats reading the ingredient labels and I still strongly reccomend you do; I have compiled a list of the most popular brands in Woolworths, Coles and other department stores and have created a quick glance guide as to whether or not they are gluten free.

2015 Easter Egg Quick Glance Guide. 

This guide has been composed using the most commonly stocked easter eggs found in my local department stores. This list will be continuously updated until the end of April.

The 150g Dairy Milk Cadbury Chocolate Bunny; This chocolate bunny has no ingredients that contain or for the extra sensitive have been derived from gluten sources. 

The allergen statement declares; milk and soy and the may contain clause declares, traces of peanuts and tree nuts. 

At a glance these bunnies appear to be safe for Coeliac consumption, however with the sudden introduction of the may contain wheat clause to other Cadbury products (view my Cadbury discussion here); when as quoted from a source 'no change to process or formulation' has taken place. I can only determine that they are either too lazy to test for gluten traces or have been letting coeliacs unknowingly consume trace amounts of gluten for years. If the latter is the case, then it is possible that these chocolate bunnies could be exposed to cross-contamination, perhaps enough to cause glutening.  Consume at your own discretion.

The Ferrero Rocher Easter Bunny; differs from the usual crunchy balls that the brand produces. More to the point that this is a plain chocolate easter bunny. The ingredient listing does not contain any products sourced from gluten and the allergen statement declares only Milk, Hazelnuts and soy. There is no may contain clause.

Avoid the Coles Milk Chocolate Easter Bag. This bag contains, easter eggs and a hollow easter bunny. No flavours, no crunchy bits, just plain chocolate, most people would think "perfect" however the allergen statement on the product is printed to show that it contains Gluten among other allergens.

Just to confuse us however the Coles Milk Chocolate Standing Hollow Bunny; lists no gluten derived ingredients and the allergen statement only declares milk and soy. 

One of the other great brands around Easter time is the classic Lindt bunny. However for us Coeliacs we don't get to experience the beautiful gold rabbit. As per one of their chain cafes informative website; "Gluten can be found in several premium chocolate products that Lindt & Sprungli produce....trace amounts of these gluten ingredients and components may have the opportunity to come in contact with non gluten products and therefore we cannot make the statement that any of premium chocolate products are purely gluten free." As much as it pains me to say this, we must avoid the pretty belled bows and gold wrappings.

The Kinder Surprise Easter range is surprisingly void of gluten derived ingredients. The allergen statement declares; Milk, Butter and Soy but no wheat. There doesn't appear to be a may contain clause on these eggs. 

If all those options above fail you, or you just don't want to risk the possibility of cross-contamination and you can afford to fork out a bit more cash for your Easter treat. You can find Kinnerton Allergy free packs at Coles and Big W stores. Marked as dairy free, gluten free, egg free and nut free, I can't vouch for the taste but if I see them on a shelf I will be picking myself up a pack and let you know.

These products do contain Soya.

If you want to have a treat this Easter weekend but aren't fussed about the rabbit, egg or chicken motif you can always opt for a Sweet William dairy, nut and gluten free chocolate bar. Not feeling the chocolate vibe? How about a Gluten Free Byron Bay cookie?

However you decide to celebrate Easter this year, I hope you do it safely and don't have to extend your weekend due to an accidental glutening.

Ashlee xx

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