Heath bars do not contain any peanuts, and according to the Hershey’s website they include precautionary allergen labels on the ingredient statement anytime they have a concern about cross contamination. Heath bars contain almonds, so keep that in mind if you are allergic to other types of nuts beyond peanuts. The other allergens found in Heath bars are dairy and soy.
That being said, Hershey doesn’t mention any nut free facilities on their website or on Heath bar packaging. I have reached out to Hershey’s for more details on the production of Heath bars but am still waiting to hear back.
Heath bars are listed as gluten-free, and besides candy bars they offer a few other Heath products, including ice cream and baking bits.
When you’re on a road trip or just need a quick snack, it’s pretty common to end up in the candy aisle of either a gas station or drug store. The aisle is always full of brightly colored wrappers perfectly placed at a child’s eye level.
For people with nut allergies, it can be hard finding candy bars that don’t contain nuts, peanut butter, or other nut products. And when it’s your child who has the food allergy, it’s even harder to explain that they can’t eat the pretty candy bar. I loved rushing to the candy aisle anytime we stopped for gas but having a peanut allergy seriously limited my options.
One option you have probably seen are Heath bars. This bar doesn’t advertise peanuts on the front like Snickers or Reese’s but are they safe for people with peanut allergies? Let’s take a closer look at Heath bars and see if these classic snack bars are peanut allergy friendly.
Ingredients: Milk Chocolate (Sugar, Cocoa Butter, Chocolate, Skim Milk, Milk Fat, Lactose, Salt, Soy Lecithin, Natural Flavor), Sugar, Vegetable Oil, [Palm Oil, Sunflower Oil], Butter [Milk], Almonds, Salt, Soy Lecithin Packaged in the same facility as peanuts, tree nuts, wheat, soy, sesame, and milk products.
What about tree nut allergies?
If you have a tree nut allergy, you probably noticed that Heath bars do contain almonds. While not all people with tree nut allergies are allergic to almonds, it is cited as the 3rd most common tree nut allergy.
If you are allergic to almonds definitely stay away from Heath bars. If you are allergic to other tree nuts but not almonds, it’s hard to say. I went through the brands currently produced by Hershey’s and the only nuts I found were peanuts and almonds, however their website isn’t clear on exactly which allergens are used in their facilities.
What did Hershey say?
I did some digging through the Allergens page on the Hershey company website and unfortunately it didn’t really clear things up in regards to Heath bars. The page states that they use strict procedures to minimize the risk of cross contamination and urge potential customers to consult the product labels for allergy information.
They also note that in instances where they feel the crossover of allergens into other products could occur (such as sharing equipment) they include a precautionary allergen label (PAL). This would say something like “May contain traces of” or “Made on shared equipment with.” Considering I couldn’t find a PAL on Heath bars, I assume that means they are not made on shared equipment but it is hard to know for sure.
I reached out to Hershey directly about Heath bars and this was their answer:
If you are comfortable with shared facilities, it sounds like Heath bars are safe for you. I personally feel more comfortable with shared facilities as opposed to shared equipment, but there is still some risk.
Another concern is the ingredients themselves. If company’s aren’t careful with the sourcing of their ingredients, cross contamination of allergens could occur before they even arrive at the facility. Peanuts and tree nuts are often manufactured with other nuts, so trace amounts could already be in the nuts when they arrive at Hershey’s.
Do Not Eat Peanut Butter Again, Until You Watch This!!
FAQ
Do Heath bits contain nuts?
Are Heath bars peanut free?