Allergy-Free Valentine’s Candy Roundup

By Kelley Lindberg

Although Halloween and Easter get all the attention, Valentine’s Day is another food-landmine holiday for people with food allergies. So I decided to look for some allergy-friendly candy for those unavoidable classroom parties. In addition to the usual Starbursts and Skittles, I found some happy discoveries. However, I didn’t find any nut-safe Conversation Hearts, except possibly for a tin of candy hearts at Target. But I couldn't see into the tin, so I don't know if they have words printed on them (see the photo to the right). Hopefully this list will help you have a sweet Valentine’s Day!

At Target, I found:

• A small tin of candy hearts with a dog on the front saying “I Ruff You.” It contains dextrose and maltodextrin (although it doesn’t list corn specifically), and it has a milk and soy factory warning.
• Lollipop bouquet (Galerie). It’s a bouquet of red heart-shaped lollipops. contains corn, but free from all other Big 8 allergens. I found the same candy at Smith’s, but with the Kroger brand instead of the Galerie brand on the packaging.
• Jolly Rancher heart-shaped lollipops. Contains corn syrup but free from the Big 8.
• Classroom Valentine Hearts with Candy. Dora the Explorer plastic heart-shaped boxes with hard candy inside them. Contains dried glucose syrup. Free from the Big 8.
• Wonka Fun Dip Valentine Card Pouches. Contains dextrose and maltodextrin. Free from the Big 8.
• Non-candy treats, like heart-shaped foam stickers, notepads, etc.

At Dollar Tree, I found:

• Valentine’s pencils, erasers, etc.
• A package of 10 plastic heart-shaped boxes with traditional “conversation” sayings on them that you can fill with your own candy (like Skittles, for example). Cute idea.
• Gummy rings. Contains corn, but free from the Big 8.
• Scooby-Doo bubble gum balls. Contains corn syrup, but free from the Big 8
• Bobble-head hearts on a tube of hard candy. Contains corn syrup but free from the Big 8.
• Cherry Jelly Hearts. Heart-shaped gumdrops. Contains corn syrup, but free from Big 8.
• Marshmallow Rose. Super-cute. Contains corn syrup, but free from the Big 8.
• Valentine Heart Lollipops. Contains corn syrup, but free from the Big 8.
• Cupid’s Heart Candy. Contains corn syrup, but free from the Big 8.
• Starlight Mints (Coastal Bay). Contains corn syrup, but free from the Big 8.
• Cinnamon Hard Candy (Coastal Bay). Contains corn syrup, but free from the Big 8.
• Disney Princess Lollipops. Contains corn syrup, but free from the Big 8.
• Bob’s Sweet Stripes. Soft peppermint sticks. These are free from corn, as well as free from the Big 8. They just contain sugar, peppermint oil, Red 40 and Red 40 Lake. I also found these at Cracker Barrel.

At Smith’s I found:

• Lollipop bouquet (Kroger brand). These look exactly like the lollipop bouquet at Target, just with Kroger branding. Contains corn, but free from all other Big 8 allergens.
• Strawberry Swirl Pops (heart-shaped lollipops). Contains corn syrup, but free from the Big 8.