Chocolate as such does not contain gluten. However, ingredients that are commonly added to chocolate may contain gluten. It is therefore very important that people with coeliac disease/gluten intolerance should only eat chocolate that does not contain cereals, flour, malt syrup or other ingredients that could contain traces of gluten. Coeliacs must read the ingredients lists of chocolate products very carefully before eating them.

However, it is possible for chocolate products to contain traces of gluten, even when gluten-containing products are not added as an ingredient. This happens, for example, when chocolate is inadvertently contaminated because it is produced in a factory that also produces products that contain gluten. This is what is called ‘cross-contamination’. In case of any doubt, it is strongly recommended that anybody suffering from coeliac disease contact the food manufacturer for further information.