A former president of a sweets manufacturer in Kakamigahara, Gifu Prefecture, has established a small factory exclusively for producing chocolates that do not contain any of 27 allergens, including dairy products and soybeans.
While major companies are reluctant to produce allergen-free sweets because it involves a lot of time and effort, Koji Kani, 65, now chairman of Nikkoh Co., set up the chocolate factory Allergen-free Foods last August in the hope that all children — even those with food allergies — would be able to enjoy chocolates.
Housed in a one-story building with double doors located in a residential area, the factory is filled with sweet aroma as workers rhythmically eject chocolate bars from plastic molds.