Labelling on Food Packaging (anaphylaxis related)

[Jellypisher]

This is really starting to bug me to the point that I may start a Government petition regarding a new law for it...

I would like to see it mandatory for packaging to not only state the full ingredients of food but to also advertise when they have changed ingredients

Currently there is no requirement for them to advertise that they have changed any of the ingredients anywhere on the packaging - although they do list ingredients on the back.

This means that yet again, I've picked up a product that I have had numerous times before, started to eat it and come down in hives (not a bad reaction, but they have been very severe in the past).

Food shopping is a chore because each and every time I go to the supermarket I need to read every single ingredient listing again to check whether the product / ingredient has been changed and whether it is safe to eat.

Yes - YANBU Needs a petition
No - YABU and need to keep reading the ingredient listings each time

I didn't realise they didn't already need to issue an allergy update warning on the packaging. I would write to the supermarket/s and manufacturers -- i expect they would be receptive (because dead customers are terrible for PR).

All they need to do is update the ingredient list - no big messaging on the front of packaging is necessary so changes to ingredients can be missed.

Getting supermarkets on board is a good idea.

This is so annoying. Affects vegans too. There was a flora buttery that was vegan friendly. They changed the recipe to include butter milk.
No change in the packaging.
No warning on the front.
Thankfully a vegan wouldn’t get seriously ill as a result but it did highlight the issues those with serious allergies face.
I’ll see if I can find a link.

Yes - it affects lots of people to be honest (just personally for me it's the anaphylaxis bit), but muslims, vegans, people with intolerances, people who don't eat certain products for ethical reasons (ie Palm Oil)...

I was annoyed at the flora buttery change too, dairy allergy in the house. Some shops had both versions on the shelf mixed up during the change over.

I also get annoyed that there isn't a requirement to highlight allergens on cosmetic products and the ingredients are not always that easy to read.

For those voting YABU - do any of you mind explaining why?

I'd like it if they did (dd has coeliac disease and can spend 2 days vomiting if she has gluten). But have to say because I know they don't have to do this I do check ingredients every time I buy them, even my regular stuff. But yes, it's a pita.

@AnotherDayAnotherCake the flora buttery change was an absolute pain, my ds is allergic to cows milk and flora buttery was the nicest df option. Ds had a couple of weeks of reactions until I realised it had changed.

I agree OP, we have severe food allergies in the family and it’s a source of huge anxiety. I always try to check labels but it’s reasonable to expect something you eat regularity no problem to be the same as last time. I worry that something like this will be the downfall of my older teen who is usually very good at checking but might let her guard down if she’s out with friends or had a drink or something.

@Koalaslippers cosmetics are a whole entire separate nightmare!

I guess one of the things would be at what length of time would packaging have to be changed for once the ingredients / product changed?

The bottom one was vegan. The top one contains milk.
I received the top one in my weekly shop. It was named the exact same product on my order that I usually purchased. So very easy to miss.

Wow, that flora example is hard hitting.

It’s almost like they didn’t want people to notice.

@AnotherDayAnotherCake

They did actually change the packaging and it was on my news feed I was so incredibly annoyed as it was my goto but it does state on the front of the packaging now with buttermilk

It's like they have regressed

But I totally agree it needs to be labeled obviously clearly as just pointed out by the PP and customers need to know about changes etc

The reason they don't do this is that redesigning the packaging is really expensive. Normally manufacturers will only change it when they change the ingredients or they are doing a complete brand relaunch.

You're basically saying that every time they change the ingredients, they have to change the packaging twice - once to "new" and then again to remove the "new" after a certain amount of time.

Another practical issue is how long should the warning be carried? Tesco turns over stock much faster than an independent corner shop. You could have a situation where the warning was live for two months - almost too long for supermarkets - but the corner shop only replenished their stock from a cash and carry after that, and thus missed displaying the warning at all.

There may be some info/advice here OP - www.anaphylaxis.org.uk

Absolutely agree re the timing that the new packaging would need to be. I guess people would know the timings, and know if they hadn't brought that product since prior to that they need to read ingredients lists.

I'm more thinking they put a big symbol on the packaging - and then remove it - it shouldn't be that costly surely.

The symbol would have to be universal though so people knew what they were looking for.

If its a known allergy it should definitely be advertised! Doesn't matter matter how much the packaging costs a life is more of a price to pay

@bananapumpkin stickers can be printed with a warning and sent with stock for retailers to affix to the product with the ingredient change. This is the case with items that don't have ingredients in English.

Might be worth talking to AllergyUK about this.

You'd be surprised how costly! It also relies on them accurately predicting how much stock they'll sell in the length of time the symbol is meant to be there, otherwise they have to re-run the packaging print (yet more expense), or dispose of excess packaging.

I am generally resistant to these types of legislation because, exhausting though it must be, if you have a serious allergy then you need to be constantly vigilant. The idea that you can rely on a symbol on the packaging is convenient but so prone to human error. If it's really that serious wouldn't you want to check?

We have made this mistake before.

Why's my kid reacting? He's had this bread so many times before.

Along great, it now contains egg. I'm glad he's still alive.

How depressing is it, the prospect of having to check every bastard ingredients list in your trolley every bastard time I shop because they change things with no warning?

And it's always, always egg.

Or milk.

@0blio retailers don't put stickers on things, suppliers do. The English ingredients stickers are added by the importer/wholesaler. You're then back to predicting how many you will sell in the relevant timespan.

@bananapumpkin for me it's no more risky than relying on people to print ingredient lists correctly and to highlight the common allergens in bold. I still have to rely on other people to do their job properly (as does everyone who is checking ingredients list).

Good shout about the anaphylaxis and allergy UK contacts - I am going to draft something and run it past them.