Review: Smarties Candies

If you are the parent of a child with Celiac Disease, gluten intolerance, or other food allergies or intolerances, this review is for you. We tend to view classroom parties, holiday parties, or any other occasion where treats will be served to a group of children, as a time of caution. Sure, we know that we can send our child to a party with a goodie bag full of safe treats from home, but those treats are most likely different from what other children at the party are eating. Personally, my goal is to make sure my daughter doesn't always have to feel like the "odd one out".

This year I am lucky because my daughter's teacher allows me to create gluten free/dairy free candy lists for holiday parties. She asks parents to stick to buying only the brands of candy that I specify on the list, but that hasn't always been the case (and may not be the case with future teachers).

Recently, my daughter's teacher asked me if Smarties Candies were gluten free/dairy free; she wanted to hand them out to all of the children in my daughter's class. Since my daughter has been following a gluten free diet for a couple of years, I knew for certain that Smarties were gluten free. However, my daughter has only been off of dairy for a few months, so I have never needed to check the dairy free status of Smarties; it was now time to do so. When I logged on to the Smarties website, I clicked on the Allergies tab, and was extremely surprised to discover that all varieties of Smarties Candies are not only gluten and dairy free, but they are virtually allergen free! I thought "WOW... so many kids on special diets can eat Smarties!" I wondered if other parents knew this... I decided to spread the good news!

In my opinion, Smarties Candies are the perfect choice for teachers to have on hand in the classroom because the packaging clearly states their allergen status, they are shelf-stable, and individually wrapped. These virtually allergen free candies are great for families of children with Celiac disease, food intolerances, and food allergies to keep on hand for everyday treats or to take to gatherings because they taste yummy, are available at practically any grocery store, and are extremely reasonably priced.

Smarties Allergen Statement:

"Several years ago we took the lead in labeling allergen statements on our packaging. This is now a law.

Smarties® and our entire line of products are free from most the known allergens, and they do not appear anywhere in our manufacturing facilities. Our new item, Bubble Gum Smarties®, may contain minute traces of soy lecithin.

We sell our products to many different classifications of trade, including "re-baggers." A "re-bagger" buys products from many different companies and re-bags them in their own packaging. We cannot verify whether their manufacturing plants are free of nuts, soy, etc. If the UPC number on the packaging begins with "0 11206", you can be assured that it was manufactured in one of our facilities and that it is allergen free.

Gluten Statement:

Smarties® and our entire line of products are gluten free. If the UPC number on the packaging begins with "0 11206", you can be assured that it is manufactured in a facility that is gluten free and safe to eat if you have Celiac Disease.

All Ce De Candy, Inc. products contain no dairy, thereby eliminating the ingredient Melamine."

Please click below to see Allergen Information for our products:

Bubble Gum Smarties®

Smarties® Products

We all recognize Smarties as a cute little roll of candies wrapped in in plastic with a twist at each end, but did you know that Smarties come in many fun and shapes and flavors? I didn't until visiting the Smarties website... I was so excited to learn that my daughter could try all of the fun varieties of Smarties and not worry about gluten, dairy or other allergens.

Check out what Smarties has to offer:

Smarties®, Bubble Gum Smarties®, Candy Money, Love Hearts, Smarties® in a Pouch, Tropical Smarties®, X-TREME Sour Smarties®, Easter Smarties®, Smarties® Parties, Smarties® Double Lollies , Smarties® Mega Lollies, Smarties® Pops.

BUY IT:

In addition to purchasing Smarties from your local retailer, you can purchase ALL VARIETIES of Smarties by the case at WHOLESALE prices! The money you will save by purchasing wholesale will act as a wash for the shipping you pay (Also, buying Smarties by the case from their website allows you to purchase their harder to find specialty items!).

Way to go Smarties! I have been a fan since I was a child, and now I am an even bigger fan! I commend you for your awesome dedication to providing virtually allergen free candy (and clearly labeling it as such) to children everywhere... keep up the good work!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I was not compensated for this post; I received complimentary samples of Smarties Candies for review purposes courtesy of Ce De Candy Inc. The opinions I have expressed are solely my own; I was not required to post a positive review. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”