Choose Fairtrade sourcing and allergy suitability separately: neither a Fairtrade claim nor a vegan recipe clears a bar for a particular food allergy. Divine 70%, Green & Black's Organic 85% and M&S Fairtrade 85% each have relevant allergen warnings or unsuitability statements in their product information. Check the exact current pack against the allergen you need to avoid before choosing.
You want to consider how a bar is sourced, but an ingredient or ‘may contain’ warning may rule it out. Check the exact product’s current allergen wording against the allergen you need to avoid; its dark-chocolate or Fairtrade description cannot answer that question.
A vegan recipe does not settle cross-contact concerns. Divine’s 70% vegan dark bar, for example, states that it may contain gluten, milk and nuts.
Divine, Green & Black's and M&S provide examples at 70%, 75% or 85% cocoa. Compare the individual bar’s cocoa declaration and Fairtrade wording, then check its own allergen label rather than relying on the percentage.
Start with the allergen you need to avoid and the exact bar you intend to buy. Then compare what its Fairtrade claim covers and which cocoa percentage you prefer.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Allergen wording | Read the current ingredients, ‘may contain’ statement and any ‘not suitable for’ wording on the exact bar. The Food Standards Agency explains that precautionary wording signals possible unintended allergen presence through cross-contact. | I need to distinguish an ingredient in the recipe from a warning about possible cross-contact, and avoid wording that conflicts with my allergy requirements. |
| Fairtrade claim | Identify the mark and any named Fairtrade ingredient or mass-balance statement. The Fairtrade Foundation says its classic black-background mark covers all ingredients that can be Fairtrade-certified; its Fairtrade Sourced Ingredient mark identifies a specified sourced ingredient. A mass-balance claim does not establish physical separation in an individual bar. | I want to know whether the claim covers all certifiable ingredients or a named ingredient, without treating sourcing information as an allergen clearance. |
| Cocoa and recipe | Compare the stated cocoa percentage and the ingredients of the exact plain, filled or flavoured variant. Neither a higher percentage nor a shorter ingredient list overrides an allergen warning. | I’m choosing a cocoa percentage to suit my taste, but I still need to assess this particular recipe and its precautionary wording. |
A bar can have a vegan recipe and still carry a milk warning. Divine’s 70% bar says it may contain milk, while Lindt states that its vegan-recipe 99% bar is not suitable for people with a milk allergy.
Check the current ingredients and precautionary wording for the exact product, including any explicit ‘not suitable for’ statement.
The Fairtrade Foundation distinguishes its classic mark from the Fairtrade Sourced Ingredient mark. Green & Black's Organic 85% product information also describes mass balance, which does not establish that certified material was physically separated in that individual bar.
Read the mark, named ingredients and any mass-balance statement to understand the scope of the sourcing claim.
Different bars can list different ingredients and precautionary allergens. A brand name or cocoa percentage does not establish that a flavoured or filled variant has the same allergen wording as a plain bar.
Check each exact product’s current pack, particularly when switching flavours, formats or recipes.
These examples concern specific dark-chocolate bars, not every product made by each brand. Check the current pack before applying a bar’s allergen information to a purchase.
Divine describes its 70% dark bar as made with Fairtrade ingredients.
Ocado lists the Organic 85% dark bar as Fairtrade and describes mass balance for its Fairtrade cocoa, sugar and vanilla.
M&S describes its 75% and 85% dark bars as using Fairtrade cocoa.
Absolute Black is a 100% cocoa comparator for recipe preferences, rather than an established Fairtrade-certified choice here.
Lindt Excellence 99% is a high-cocoa dark-bar comparator, not an established Fairtrade choice here.
These two dark bars offer different cocoa percentages and Fairtrade sourcing information. For either one, compare the current pack’s claim and allergen wording with your own requirements before buying.
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Consider this 85% cocoa bar if its current label fits your allergen requirements. Product information for Green & Black's Organic 85% describes Fairtrade cocoa, sugar and vanilla under mass balance and warns that the bar may contain nuts and milk; mass balance does not establish physical separation of certified ingredients in an individual bar. Check the pack’s exact Fairtrade mark and allergen wording before buying.
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Tony's listing describes Fairtrade sourcing for cocoa, sugar and cocoa butter; check the current pack to see the precise claim. For an allergy-sensitive purchase, check its ingredients for soya and its precautionary wording for gluten-containing cereals, eggs, milk, nuts and peanuts. Do not choose the bar if its current wording conflicts with an allergen you need to avoid.
No. Vegan describes the recipe, not every possible cross-contact warning. Divine’s vegan 70% bar says it may contain milk, and Lindt says its vegan-recipe 99% bar is not suitable for people with a milk allergy because it is made in a facility that uses milk.
It is a precautionary warning that an allergen may be unintentionally present. The Food Standards Agency explains that this can arise through cross-contamination; check the warning against the specific allergen you need to avoid rather than treating an ingredient list alone as clearance.
No. The Fairtrade Foundation says its classic black-background mark indicates that all ingredients that can be Fairtrade-certified are certified. Its Fairtrade Sourced Ingredient mark identifies a specified Fairtrade-sourced ingredient, so check which ingredient the claim names.
Use it to narrow your options, then read the current pack before buying. M&S advises shoppers that product information can change and that its online ingredients and allergen details should not replace the product label.