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AIBU?

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Original poster

Alcohol in pudding not clearly displayed

608 replies

Purpledefector · 17/04/2024 06:49

I need a bit of a reality check - prefacing to say I'm 2.5 years sober - and not sure if this is clouding my judgement a bit.

I bought a dine in meal in Sainsbury's and the pudding was ' chocolate hazelnut pots' ' sponge biscuit layered with creamy chocolate hazelnut mascarpone and topped with hazelnuts and chocolate shavings'.

When I started to eat it I immediately noticed the very obvious taste of alcohol. Went and checked the packaging and listed within the ingredients was 'alcohol' but this wasn't mentioned or hinted at anywhere else on the product - in the picture or the describing words.

I was really surprised by this lack of transparency. Sainsbury's responded to my complaint really quickly - offered me a £10 gift card and said it would be fed back to the packaging department. I said that I felt that didn't reflect the seriousness of the issue and asked for it to be raised with a manager. It has been and their response is the same.

It's not sitting right with me, it feels like a huge error - and I want to take it further.

What's the general consensus?

OP posts:
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16
Superscientist · 17/04/2024 09:04

I would expect much from this. My daughter has a long list of allergies and we bought 2 packets of filled pasta and my daughter took them out of the cardboard sleeves and there was no way of identifying which packet was which. It didn't make a difference to us and neither were suitable but I complained to the manufacturer and they were just a bit meh and said they would consider making the packets identifiable if they ever redo the packaging. The clear sleeves had a stamp with date and batch on all it would take would be to add the name to that

Coshei · 17/04/2024 09:03

Gone are the days of personal responsibility

MaggieFS · 17/04/2024 09:02

Aaahhh, I hadn't RTFT. It is on the front of the pack. YANBU that the description could be better, but it's on the front of the pack. I'm not sure what else they needed to do.

Superscientist · 17/04/2024 09:00

ForestFawn · 17/04/2024 08:13

Where does it stop? I don’t eat pork so do I need pork gelatine clearly labelled? What about those who don’t have beef gelatine? Or those who are allergic to something which isn’t one of the main allergens?

Many of us have dietary limitations. It’s on us to check.

Edited
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My daughter has a beef allergy and oh my word it is so annoying when it's just listed as gelatine and not pork /beef
The same with sausage casings often labelled as pork or beef. The reality probably means they use both depending on what is available!

Toooldforthis36 · 17/04/2024 08:56

Well done on your sobriety. On this though, it’s down to you to check ingredients, same as would be for anyone with an intolerance for an ingredient. they want to avoid.

MaggieFS · 17/04/2024 08:54

YANBU to expect better labelling because from what you've written, I wouldn't necessarily expect there to be alcohol.

YABU expecting more. What more do you want? The people who can make a change are being told of the issue...

fieldsofbutterflies · 17/04/2024 08:54

60andsomething · 17/04/2024 08:47

no, it is listed in the ingredients, it should be labelled on the front.

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It is.

Whinge · 17/04/2024 08:50

60andsomething · 17/04/2024 08:47

no, it is listed in the ingredients, it should be labelled on the front.

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It is labelled on the front. Confused

Andthereyougo · 17/04/2024 08:49

I’m another who has to check contents bc of allergies but I think contains alcohol should have been on the front, separate from listed ingredients.

Congratulations on your sobriety. Can understand your anger at this.

60andsomething · 17/04/2024 08:47

Change2banon · 17/04/2024 08:38

It is …. OP missed it.

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no, it is listed in the ingredients, it should be labelled on the front.

Catza · 17/04/2024 08:40

Socksey · 17/04/2024 07:17

Interesting read of comments....
And while you might say that the onus is on OP to check, why then do we label clearly other foods with a vegetarian or vegan symbol? As surely a vegetarian/vegan is also capable of checking an ingredients list?
In my mind, it's comparable to that..... unlike the allergens which are required to be highlighted...

labelling food as vegan and vegetarian is not a legal requirement, it’s a marketing strategy to increase sales. So, you will see that labelling food as “contains alcohol” in this context would be a bit odd.

Change2banon · 17/04/2024 08:38

60andsomething · 17/04/2024 07:44

The Op should not have to be shopping all day every day with this in the forefront of their mind. It should be clearly labelled.

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It is …. OP missed it.

Change2banon · 17/04/2024 08:37

LunaNorth · 17/04/2024 07:37

Postage?

Post!

I promise I am still sober. Jesus.

You’ve enjoyed too many of these desserts haven’t you?? 🤣🤣

iLovee · 17/04/2024 08:35

Desecratedcoconut · 17/04/2024 07:15

Why do these people have a priority over people for whom the ingredients could harm or kill them? The ingredients list is where you have to look.

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This was my thought too.

If you need to avoid an ingredient you check the back of the packet every single time (especially if there has been packaging changes or a "new, improved recipe!!)

Laziness of not reading ingredients isn't anyones problem but the consumer. Especially if it was also on the front of the box too!

DrJoanAllenby · 17/04/2024 08:33

I'm a vegetarian and I have to read all the ingredients on everything. I would do the same if I was a recovering or recovered alcoholic or if I had an allergy.

What's the big deal with checking ingredients over something that is important to you?

DoreenonTill8 · 17/04/2024 08:31

Precisely @ivs and I'm sure that way is what's specified in law?

ivs · 17/04/2024 08:27

Bjorkdidit · 17/04/2024 08:25

Well that's alright then, there's only a little bit of the ingredient in that will make someone really ill (or in the case of nuts, kill them).

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No, read the post again

Poster was complaining that wheat is often 15th (or similar) in the list of ingredients

I was explaining the reason it is in that position.

I was not commenting on whether it was safe or not.

Hmm

Ingredients must be listed in order of weight, with the main ingredient first according to the amounts that were used to make the food.

BobbyBiscuits · 17/04/2024 08:27

It's going to be such a small amount I'd imagine, and it was listed in the ingredients. It's not as if you could get pissed off of it?! The alcohol cooks off and just leaves a flavouring.
Alcohol occurs naturally in quite a lot of foods in small amounts, like fruit.
I don't think they will change the packaging based on one complaint.

Smidge001 · 17/04/2024 08:27

@Purpledefector you are wrong, it says it contains alcohol ON THE FRONT of the pack, as well as in the ingredients. Look at the screenshot other posters have uploaded.
I'm sorry you were upset by it but I think this is wholly your fault for not checking, and you can't blame sainsbury's. However, lesson learnt for next time.

FuckOffTom · 17/04/2024 08:27

60andsomething · 17/04/2024 07:44

The Op should not have to be shopping all day every day with this in the forefront of their mind. It should be clearly labelled.

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Yes, god forbid anyone takes any responsibility for their own choices

Bjorkdidit · 17/04/2024 08:25

ivs · 17/04/2024 08:21

They will often have wheat as the 15th item on an ingredient list

Ingredients are in order of how much is in the product, so if wheat is 15th, then there shouldn't be much in there. (At least I'm pretty sure that they are)

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Well that's alright then, there's only a little bit of the ingredient in that will make someone really ill (or in the case of nuts, kill them).

DoreenonTill8 · 17/04/2024 08:24

60andsomething · 17/04/2024 08:17

we are not talking about dietary limitations. We are talking about alcohol. Controlled by law. Relevant to almost every household that could be taking this home. Not a minority concern, by a majority one. Not a preference, or a personal allergy , or a intolerance, but a legally controlled drug. Of course it should be labelled.

I am lactose intolerant and gluton free - I check lables. as I would expect to. This is just my personal medical reactions to normal food.

But it is a criminal offence to provide alcohol to someone without them knowing. Because it is a drug. This is a completely separate class of substance. With a completely different set of dangers and effects

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A criminal offence to serve these?! Seriously. I think that is ridiculous to equate serving these to someone as to spiking someone drink with alcohol or drugs.

B1anche · 17/04/2024 08:22

Whinge · 17/04/2024 07:44

I totally agree with you OP, simple "contains alcohol " on the front would be sufficient i

Others have already posted the image and this is exactly what the packaging has. It says contains alcohol just above the use by date, which an area most people will look at before purchasing a product.

Sorry, I missed that in my eagerness to post.

ivs · 17/04/2024 08:21

Unexpecteddrivinginstructor · 17/04/2024 07:25

Unfortunately I find Sainsbury's one of the least useful supermarkets for food restrictions. They will often have wheat as the 15th item on an ingredient list (so I can't risk it but it can't actually be affecting the taste) and then flog a gluten free alternate for an extra couple of quid, and simultaneously make it dairy free when dairy is a crucial ingredient. Don't be surprised if their solution is to make an alcohol free, nut free, gluten free, dairy free, vegan* 'chocolate and fake hazelnut' version and put a mark up on it.

I don't like the taste of spirits, but love chocolate and I have been caught out before with such desserts. It is often low down the list but a powerful taste. I would scrutinise all lists of similar food in future.

Well done for being sober, a great achievement and I hope you can get them to change the packaging.

*I have no problem with other people having food restrictions and they probably find it just as annoying that they are told they can't have gluten in their pizza just because they have a dairy allergy.

They will often have wheat as the 15th item on an ingredient list

Ingredients are in order of how much is in the product, so if wheat is 15th, then there shouldn't be much in there. (At least I'm pretty sure that they are)

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