Q: How do you make sure your products are free of the listed allergens?
While no one can guarantee any product as 100% allergen free, our Quality Assurance (QA) program is highly controlled and multi-faceted.

• We start with sourcing from high quality, reputable companies, many of whom have various certifications and testing of their own from internationally recognized 3rd party auditors. Because of this, many of our vendor partners can even track our ingredients back to the farm field they were grown on.
• Once we have approved each ingredient, every single shipment still has to clear our multiple allergen testing protocol in our in-house lab before it is allowed onto the production floor.
• The production floor itself is free of all of the top 11 food allergens and all staff are trained on entering the production floor with protective clothing, hairnets, non-latex gloves, dedicated footwear and handwashing techniques.
• Finally, further lab tests are completed on random finished products to ensure that these protective measures are successful.

Q: If you are now soy free, why do I see soy warnings on packaging I bought on the Nonuttin' online or at a store?
There are 2 answers to that question:

First, if you buy any Nonuttin' product that has a Best Before date of June 1, 2013, we actually did have soybeans and/or soy lecithin still present in the facility at that time and the soy warnings are valid and should be considered for those with soy allergies.

Second, if you purchased a Nonuttin' product that has a Best Before date ON or AFTER June 1, 2013, and it has a soy declaration on it, you are seeing our environmental plan in the works. That means when we change things, we do our best to use old packaging before beginning the new. So yes, this product is from our newly dedicated soy free facility. If you want to know how we got there you can check out our soy transition information or give us a call to double check toll free at 1-866-714-5411.

Q: Are your mini chocolate chips and chocolate drops both nut and dairy free?
Yes, in fact, they are certified organic and made for us in a dedicated facility that does not use any of the top 11 food allergens. No dairy, no nuts, no gluten; only cocao, evaporated sugar and coffee products are in this facility.

Q: Are your granola products considered gluten free in Canada?
All products are considered suitable for most gluten free diets but only some are allowed by current law to be labelled gluten free. Why? Our granola products all have pure, uncontaminated oats in them which are recognized by the Canadian Celiac Association and Health Canada as suitable for most gluten free diets.

However, the labelling law for gluten free is from the 1990's and has not kept up with the current science and so oats, even pure oats, are not allowed to be labelled or advertised as gluten free. Health Canada has recognized that their law and their recommendations don't match so is reviewing this labelling law and has indicated an intent to change it with proposed wording. In August 2012, Health Canada released a summary of all of the consultations with industry (including Nonuttin' Foods) so the next step is to rewrite the gluten free regulation which will take some time.

So until any change happens, all products with oats in them will be called wheat, barley and rye free or Celiac Friendly. All Nonuttin' products that have no oats in them are 3rd party certified Gluten Free by The Gluten Free Certification Organization, which is indicated on the website and on the product label. GFCO's requirements are that all products must show no detection of gluten down to 10 parts per million (ppm) which is lower than that required by current gluten free regulations (20 ppm).

Q: Are Nonuttin' products considered natural?
All Nonuttin' products are free of artificial flavors, colors and preservatives. In some countries, this would mean all products were considered natural. In Canada, however, any product that has a flavour in it automatically loses its natural status, even if the flavour itself is natural (as ours are) or organic. Why? Because the Canadian government considers flavour an addition that is not naturally present in the product, thus making it not "all natural". We do indicate on our packaging that we use natural ingredients but each product is not labelled as "all natural".

Q: Do you use any Genetically Modified ingredients (GMOs)?
No. All of our ingredient suppliers have provided us with statements to affirm that the ingredients they use or the seeds they grow are not genetically modified. We also use very few ingredients that even have genetically modified versions used in farming. Because canola that is not genetically modified can be very difficult to ensure, the manufacturer who produces our canola oil has the oil tested to be sure it is free of any genetically modified organisms.

Q: Are your products Kosher?
Yes, Nonuttin' products have been certified Kosher pareve since April 2005 by BC Kosher out of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. All Nonuttin' products have the BCK pareve symbol on them.

Q: There is chocolate liquor in your chocolate chips. Is this a kind of alcohol?
Chocolate liquor does not have any alcohol in it and does not use alcohol during the process. Chocolate liquor is what is created when the roasted cacao bean is ground. As the grinding breaks down the bean, cocoa butter is released and begins to melt, creating the chocolate liquor. All chocolate (except white) has chocolate liquor in it in varying amounts with darker chocolate having more than milk chocolate. It is what gives chocolate the flavour we've come to know and love.

Q: What is the shelf life of your products?
All Nonuttin' products have a best before date indicated on the package. When kept at room temperature and out of direct light and heat, Nonuttin' products have the a shelf life of 12 months from the date of manufacture and prior to opening.  When purchasing items from the online store at regular price, all items have at least 6 months of shelf life.

After the best before date, the products may be dry, stale tasting and not as visually appealing although they will not be harmful. Many of our products are suitable for stocking in emergency kits for homes, schools and offices.

Q: Can your products be frozen?
Yes, all of our products can be frozen. We recommend freezing tightly sealed packages under regular conditions for no longer than 6 months.  You may then use the products for 6 months past their indicated best before date as long as they remain sealed.

Q: Do you have sugar in your products?
Yes. We use organic evaporated cane sugar and rice syrup as sweeteners. In addition, some of our ingredients contain sugar sources including organic evaporated cane sugar, honey, raisin juice concentrate and apple juice concentrate.

Q: Are your products vegan friendly?
All products except granolas (bars and granola cereals) are vegan. All granolas and bars are considered vegetarian because the crisp rice we use has honey in it.

Q: Can I eat Nonuttin' products if I'm diabetic?
Most definitely! The Canadian Diabetes Association does not recommend cutting out specific foods. Nonuttin' Granola Bars have also been reviewed by a registered dietician. She has indicated that diabetic or hypoglycemic individuals can certainly make our bars part of their diet and that the healthy fats, protein and whole grains included in the bars will slow down the absorption of sugars.

In terms of sugar, all varieties of Nonuttin' Granola Bars have less than 2/3 the sugar in a medium apple. The carbohydrate count of the bars is equal to that of a medium apple.

Q: Where can I purchase Nonuttin’ products?
Nonuttin' products are sold mainly in natural food and health stores in many provinces. Check out a location close to you on our Stores with our Products page.
We update this list regularly but it is a good idea to phone your local store before you go to be sure they have the Nonuttin' products you want. If you can't find the products you want in your area, we'd be happy to take your order in our online store.

Q: How do I get retailers to carry Nonuttin' Granola Bars in my area?
Retailers can be quite responsive to their regular customers requesting products. It is helpful to print off a Product Request Form and take it to your local store's manager and/or buyer. Check back to see if they will honor your request.

Of course, if your store does decide to stock Nonuttin' products, be sure to go back and support your store or else you may find they will only stock our products once.

Q: Can I buy wholesale from Nonuttin' Foods?
Absolutely! We welcome inquiries from retail stores, coffee shops, schools, camps, vending and other foodservice companies and we would be happy to serve you. Please contact wholesale@nonuttin.com