A reader contacted us because she noticed that there had been a recent addition of whole milk powder to the ingredients in Green & Black’s dark chocolate bar varieties such as their Mint, Cherry, Hazelnut & Currant, and Maya Gold bars.

The statement on the back of the bars in the UK reads: “The milk in our organic dark chocolate is present because it is currently made on the same production line as our organic milk chocolate. Please visit our website for more information on allergen controls.”

Green & Black’s online FAQ says:

The vegan statement has gone; has the product ever been suitable for vegans?

By definition vegan products contain no ingredients derived from animals within the recipe and this still remains true for Green & Black’s dark chocolate. However as our dark chocolate is made on the same production line as our milk chocolate there is some risk of cross contact. As a result, the desire for clearer allergen labelling now conflicts with the vegan statement and we have reluctantly decided to remove it from our labelling.”

We contacted Green & Black’s and spoke with Sylvia at customer service who said that the system was not showing that there have been any reformulations to the chocolate, but that this might not be entirely up to date.