Food isn’t just plain old food anymore. Many people, including our customers, deal with a variety of issues that affect the way they eat every day. We get joy from bringing a sweet smile to people’s faces with our products and don’t want to leave anyone out. Those who must adhere to a gluten-free diet have to be very careful about what is inside their food, and where it is produced. Here at the Chocolate Truffle, we take the time to make sure everyone can enjoy our chocolate.
The Chocolate Truffle is rolling out our exclusive line of hand-made gluten-free chocolates! We were inspired to pursue this line after our niece, Lauren, was diagnosed with Celiac Disease, which requires a gluten-free diet.
Pure chocolate itself, directly derived from the cacao bean, is naturally gluten-free. But pure chocolate isn’t exactly fun to eat. It’s the added ingredients and fillings that make our decadent treats so delightful!
So what exactly is gluten? It’s a type of protein present in many grains. Those who have a sensitivity to gluten or suffer from celiac disease are unable to digest gluten without side effects caused by an immune response.
A gluten-free diet is a diet that excludes the protein gluten. Gluten is found in grains such as wheat, barley, rye, and a cross between wheat and rye called triticale. A gluten-free diet is essential for managing signs and symptoms of celiac disease and other medical conditions associated with gluten.
Lauren was diagnosed at the age of 16 and was forced to make major changes to her diet. Obviously, the road to those changes was a rocky one, some foods were easier to avoid than others. We learned that in regards to our chocolates the challenge became more about the process rather than the candy.
If a product doesn’t contain ingredients with gluten, is it automatically gluten-free? Surprisingly, no. Chocolate on its own is gluten-free, however, a lot of the centers and ingredients dipped in chocolate are not. The best examples would be items such as pretzels, crackers, and a variety of cookies. These items contribute to many of the confections in our line of chocolates which are produced on shared equipment. If “gluten-free” products are made on shared equipment with products that contain gluten, a risk remains for cross-contamination and could be harmful to those trying to avoid it.
We decided to create a separate kitchen within our facility with dedicated chocolate melters and equipment. By setting up this new area and hand-dipping the select pieces we could produce a gluten-free line of chocolates. We are very pleased to announce that we have 15 selections and have been able to include some of our best recipes like our creamy caramels and decadent swiss fudge. The process was months in the making and we are thrilled with the results. Lauren is now 18 and heading off to college this fall. Our goal was to have a variety of gluten-free items to include in her care packages and we are off to a great start.
We are all about our customers. Chocolate makes us happy! And we want everyone to be able to join us, in enjoying delicious truffles, and advancing our efforts to create the most delicious chocolates for everyone who wants one!
