Have you ever wondered why some coeliacs consume some items that may contain gluten without obvious symptoms? When we look at products, we either look for gluten-containing ingredients or a gluten-free label. But is that what we should care about?
As a foodsmith, I have used Twirl in numerous recipes, and they always turn out well. You may have seen Twirl cookies, brownies, and mini chocolate recipes, but I bet you haven’t cut Twirls into bits, heated them a little, and spun around popcorn on movie nights.
I certainly may have had some adventure with this treat, but before I began this scintillating journey of discovery, here is how much research I did on Twirl:
Is Twirl gluten free?
A classic Twirl bar contains two “flake”-chocolate”-sque” cores encased in milk chocolate, with each Twirl ribbon melting in your mouth as the casing gives way.
Going by the ingredient list, Twirl is gluten-free. From its shell to the core, you’ll find ingredients like milk, cocoa butter, cocoa mass, sugar, whey powder, vegetable fat, flavourings, and emulsifiers.
The ingredients can be gluten-free if naturally sourced and not cross-contaminated. To create reassurance beyond the ingredients, we need to undertake deeper research, as we always do.
First off, Twirl bars are made at Bournville, United Kingdom, and Coolock (Dublin), Ireland. Further searching led me to a job offering by Mondelez (Cadbury’s parent company) on LinkedIn for plant managers for Twirl, Flake, Boost, and Dairy Milk, among others.
This suggests that most of Cadbury’s chocolate is made in the same compounds, possibly in different plants, based on their final forms. This means there may be room for cross-contamination.
Finally, when manufacturers hand their products to wholesalers, they usually provide documentation listing ingredients used and whether they contain gluten. Here is a detailed presentation on Lynas, showing that no gluten-containing cereal was used in the production of Twirl.
However, one thing strikes me… On Lynas, the list said that the product isn’t suitable for coeliacs. And this concern wasn’t eliminated by the email received from Mondelez.
For coeliacs, I will advise you to treat this product like every other non-gluten-containing product without an actual gluten-free label.
Is Cadbury Orange Twirl gluten-free?
Orange Twirl is gluten-free based on its constituents. However, always check the wrapper for updated information. It embodies the same ingredients as the classic Twirl bar, with a zesty infusion in the outer casing and inner core.
Other Cadbury Milk Chocolate I enjoy as a coeliac
These chocolate bars don’t have gluten-containing cereals listed among their ingredients. However, my assessment is based on the products I access in the UK; it may be different from what you get in AU, NZ, the US, or other parts of the world. You know it’s always a great idea to take a peek at the ingredient list. Let’s get right in:
- Cadbury Crunchie Bars: If you love Daim or Violet Crumble bars, you’ll love this one. The honeycomb core never misses, and the recipe is devoid of gluten. However, you want to stay away from Crunchie Rocks, Australian-manufactured Crunchie, and Crunchie Bit sharing bars, as they contain or may contain gluten.
- Cadbury flake
- Cadbury Curly Wurly
- Cadbury Chomp
You could look up our Cadbury Milk Chocolate guide to find out more products you could adopt or avoid.
Final Thoughts
Cadbury Twirls are gluten-free based on ingredients in the UK and AU and can be part of your daily snack, as they contain no gluten-containing cereal. However, make it second nature to check the wrappers to stay in the loop.
Having coeliac disease can begin to feel so exhausting when you have to be sceptical about everything or return an item to the shelf once you see “wheat” as part of the ingredients. This is where I step in to simplify everything and do the hard work for you.