Over the past few months, it's become increasingly clear that you're looking for one thing above all else: chocolate that's guaranteed to be nut-free! We've received a lot of encouragement from you in this regard.
That's why we've decided that we'll soon focus entirely on guaranteed nut-free chocolate.
At the same time, we're in contact with German chocolate manufacturers who, in principle, already produce nut-free chocolate, but simply still have reservations about labeling their chocolate as nut-free. Ultimately, it's a question of liability if the chocolate does contain traces of nuts.
We still don't understand why foreign chocolatiers in particular have fewer problems declaring their chocolate as guaranteed nut-free.
Because Guittard , Marou , Kuná, Dammenberg , Plamil , Nomo , Cocoa Libre and Malmö actually have the same problem as all German manufacturers: they cannot fully control that from the cocoa plantation to the chocolate factory not a single nut gets between the cocoa beans or that individual cocoa beans have not been contaminated with nuts in any other way before arrival.
So are Guittard , Kuná, Marou , Dammenberg , Plamil , Cocoa Libre , Malmö and Nomo actually less “strict” than German manufacturers when it comes to declaration?
Where does nut contamination begin, and when is a food product guaranteed to be nut-free? After all, even a single molecule of a nut means that a chocolate isn't nut-free! And who can guarantee that there isn't a tiny molecule hanging off the chocolate somewhere?
For intolerances such as lactose intolerance, limits have been established. The Consumer Protection Agency states the following regarding the limits for lactose content in foods:
"Based on the specifications for milk and cheese products, the Food Chemical Society recommends the label "lactose-free" only for foods with a maximum lactose content of 0.1 grams per 100 grams or milliliters of food. This value has also been established in practice. Therefore, products available in Germany that are labeled "lactose-free" generally have a residual lactose content of less than 0.1 percent." (Consumer Center, "lactose-free" labeling ).
Given that lactose intolerance is merely an intolerance—in contrast to a nut allergy, which can be life-threatening—it's all the more surprising that no threshold values have yet been established for allergies. The problem is that medical experts currently don't even agree on whether even small traces can trigger an allergic reaction.
Even though the following statement dates back to 2005, the unsatisfactory situation has not changed: "The question arises whether these traces can already trigger an allergic reaction. "So far, we have not defined medically precise thresholds. There is definitely a need for research here," says Prof. Dr. Bischoff. As soon as data are available, it would be sensible to amend the law." (Innovation Report, Binding from November 25, 2005: "New Food Law Protects Allergy Sufferers" )
As you can see, we still have many questions to clarify. And we want to convince German chocolate manufacturers to make their chocolate nut-free.
Ultimately, the long transport route from Cameroon, Ecuador, Sweden, and Finland is extremely complex and expensive. And, as you all know, deliveries from England (Plamil) are also ill-fated due to Brexit.
Nut-free German premium chocolate is more affordable for you thanks to shorter transport routes. And aside from that, there are simply incredibly delicious varieties that we don't want to keep from you!