I’ll be honest, Milky Way caught me by surprise. Are Milky Way gluten free?…
I really thought there was no way Milky Way would have gluten or any type of gluten ingredient. I mean really, it’s just nougat, Carmel, and chocolate, right?
There are 3 types of Milky Way candy bars and I’m here to inform you of what may or my not be safe to eat.
Who Owns Milky Way?
Real quick before we get into the gluten free nitty gritty, let’s look at the big picture so we can continue to understand how things are working here.
Mars Wrigley owns and operates Milky Way. They run several other varieties of candy that I’ve analyzed such as Twix, M&Ms, and 3 Musketeers to just name a few.
Some of their candy does not contain gluten ingredients and some of their candy does. So if cross contamination is on your mind, your ears should perk up a bit.
Which Milky Way are Gluten Free?
Two out of the three varieties of Milky Way can be considered gluten free:
- Midnight (GF)
- Caramel (GF)
- Original (NOT GF)
The original Milky Way is NOT gluten free. There is malted barley in their ingredients list. The Milky Way Midnight and Milky Way Caramel do not have gluten containing ingredients such as the malted barley. That is a key distinction to remember.
No Gluten Containing Ingredients
These are important words. Remember in the food industry that words have meaning. Milky Way does not certify their candy through a third party organization such as the Gluten Intolerance Group. This would be added peace of mind.
So there is an element or potential for cross contamination when it’s not certified. Knowing that Mars produces numerous type of candy and some being of the gluten filled variety, that is a consideration you should take.
Use your best judgement. I’ve read and heard that folks with celiac disease have not had issues with Milky Way candy bars, but it will come down to each individual’s personal requirements. Maybe one day we can get them to certify!
My final thoughts!
There are a few references that can help you determine what to do in addition to what you have found here. BeyondCeliac has an informative post that supports my claim as well. Healthline is also a good source.
Based on what I’ve seen and read, I would suggest the midnight and caramel can be considered gluten free and the original Milky Way is definitely not gluten free.
You should take all of this into consideration when making the best decision for you and your family.
Thank you so much for stopping by! Send me and questions or post your comments below!
This makes me so sad. 😞😞😞😞 I LOVE original Milky Way candy bars. Will you help me find the caramel and midnight ones? Please??!!
I have Celiac. It is difficult. Everyone just assumes they can pop into a restaurant and pick what they like to eat off the menu offered for those of us with Celiac (and very sensitive) we cannot do that. We must do RESEARCH to eat at any restaurant. Go to friends for dinner, it’s a mine field. Many people do not realize that malted barley (see above) is gluten. I have actually lost friends because they don’t want to pick a restaurant based on its ability to feed me. I have had someone sitting next me apologize because the wanted to eat fried chicken. I said please don’t worry about it I don’t. I do. There are so many times I want to just eat what I am hungry for but I can’t.
The fact that you are supporting your loved one is such a wonderful thing for you to do. I am sure it makes it ever so much easier for her. My husband left. There’s the difference in real love. Thanks for the information. I have always loved Milky Way and am glad to hear that the Dark is most likely gf. Keep up the good work and encourage everyone to support finding a “cure” for this disease which most people don’t feel is serious. Tell me that next time you go to a big party and can only eat carrot sticks.
Thanks for stopping by, sorry to hear your troubles. Just try to keep positive people around you and do what is best for you!
-Lenny