Free from items shouldn’t be replaced on shopping

[LimeSupper]

We get a weekly home delivery from a major supermarket. We order free from items because there are allergies in the house, as well as coeliac disease. Last week our Birdseye Free from fishfingers were replaced on the weekly shop by home brand free from fishfingers. It was said hurriedly at the door and we said that’s fine. I’ve been SO ill this week, just happened to be looking at the packet and realised the fishfingers are Free From FISH! So they’re vegan fishfingers, not gluten free. AIBU to think that supermarkets should not be just substituting free from items with any other substitutes?? I just think it’s so bloody irresponsible. Yes I accept fully that I should’ve checked it and not trusted the word of the driver who probably didn’t know the difference anyway - lesson learnt. It’s the way it’s called Free From, it’s a range that’s usually fine and now it seems to just be free from anything at all. You’d think there’d be some sort of check?? If someone orders a product without an allergen in it (gluten or milk or nuts or whatever it is) then don’t send them a replacement with that one just say sorry we don’t have the item or anything similar.

Ours don't even give you a paper receipt anymore so you actually have to look at the product or trust the drivers word last time I had covid he told me to unpack quickly and not touch the crate please....like how? How can I read packages under those circumstances its like a bad joke two clinically vulnerable people one sick one trying not to be sick and I have a food intolerance I mean if I get it wrong I'm not going to die but who wants to be reacting to gluten with covid

If your eating habits are so meticulous, why don't you just do your OWN food shopping?

Regularly get substituteswhat else can I do?

You still have the option to go to the store and shop yourself, right? Or are they closed for COVID or something? I know it sucks when people make mistakes but humans do. And if it's something that's actually life threatening maybe it's something you shouldn't delegate.

Totally agree with the points about people with serious allergies. I’m very careful when out and about, I just have a few “safe” brands I’ve used for years and trust - which obviously I need to be more careful about. The product is actually vegan so just use the word vegan on the packet?? Or call every gluten free product “gluten free X” - I don’t really care which way round, just be consistent and super clear that’s all. It’s important. Lesson learnt for me on your I just wonder if they should be more responsible generally as a major retailer.

I opt out of the free from items because of the same thing happening, I'm very careful of the items I accept substitutions for. I've seen posts on here from people who work as packers for deliveries that they are short on time.

Although YANBU and supermarkets need to think this through, I do think you need to take responsibility for it too.

Former Tesco order picker here. Subs are recommended by the computer but pickers can override them, however they don't have time to assess ingredients to match up subs. In my opinion, you really are better off saying no subs at all.

@Justlovedogs I don’t blame the pickers at all. I would like to see a better system in place though. Surely the computer could be programmed to only suggest other gluten free products or nothing? That would be much safer.

[quote LimeSupper]@KrisAkabusi I’ve been shopping from that range for years and have never come across any free from products that aren’t gluten free yet. Vegan products are not free from products normally.[/quote]
There’s loads. I don’t understand how you haven’t noticed these before. Dd is coeliac and lots of the free from range might be lactose/milk free but still have gluten. When shopping online I normally click the no substitutions thing for any gluten free stuff. But when something has been substituted I check the pack on the doorstep before accepting it.

Some people might order gluten free but only be doing it for health/fad reasons and actually eat gluten when no gluten free options available. Not actually have coeliac disease.

• tick the "no subs" box for any free from product
• check the subs on the email when they confirm your order
• check the packaging before eating something you haven't had before.
• You can get a retrospective refund for "unsuitable substitution" on Asda, don't know about other shops.

@QuebecBagnet which products are those? Not being goody, genuinely interested.

@AtomicBlondeRose

I agree that they can’t possibly know why you bought a particular product - the Free From ones were gluten free but maybe you choose them because they don’t contain soya or whatever. Same with the vegetarian Mac and cheese - it’s usually vegetarian so it doesn’t mean you bought it specifically for that reason. Plenty of biscuits are vegan by accident - some vegans might buy them but a picker wouldn’t know which other brands also happen to be vegan or that it was important. I just don’t think they can possibly please everyone, what seems like common sense to one person is a stupid choice to the next.

Good point.

Just don't accept subs.

But surely we could start by only suggesting products that don’t contain the same allergen that the original product doesn’t contain?

[quote LimeSupper]@QuebecBagnet which products are those? Not being goody, genuinely interested.[/quote]
Can’t think of any off the top of my head as obviously I don’t buy them. But every week on my various coeliac fb groups someone will post a photo of a various “free from” item moaning it’s not gluten free. And every week people point out that “free from” does not mean gluten free.

@QuebecBagnet I’ve genuinely not come across those products (obviously this week has been enlightening 😅).

The tesco free from range has always incorporated items that are free from a range of different allergens, including eggs and dairy. I don't remember a time when it only referred to wheat free items so, although I think their labeling could be easier to navigate, I don't think this is necessarily a new issue. I specify substitions for this reason, and they are usually pretty good at my local store.

I think the delivery driver misled you, but it doesn’t look like the fish free fishfingers are part of the tescos “free from” range at all. They look like they’re part of the “plant kitchen” range - totally different. I don’t think it’s really misleading on the packets, and the free from range looks pretty clear. Best turn off subs for that sort of thing, or go through the email before hand - so annoying for you!

No the pickers just need to engage a braincell....or be given better training we've had so much of this, I have a gluten intolerance DC CMPA, we're constantly getting gluten versions, I.e nairns oatcakes, today's was the best, vegan croisssnts substituted for All Butter Croissants 👌🤣

I just add a note saying "only dairy free substitutions please" ( since it's dairy we need to avoid). You could do the same for wheat/ gluten.

Which supermarket is it? Because sainsburys free from fishfingers are gluten free. As are Asda.

Tesco doesn’t have any free from fishfingers, only fish free fingers.

You have to tick the 'no substitutions' box. People buy 'free from' products for different reasons. The supermarket can't guess what those reasons are so they can't judge like for like.

We have lots of allergies between DH and the DC. I still check every label every time. Supermarkets change ingredients regularly and there's no big announcement on the website or the front of the packaging so something that was fine one week can include an allergen the next.

@Talipesmum I think you’re right. I for some reason just didn’t notice, I think of it hadn’t been said to me like that at the door, I would’ve seen it differently. It’s like I accepted it because I was told the words “free from” which I trust, I obviously saw the word “free” and something just didn’t click. I’m totally clear that it was my responsibility to check them and I feel like a prize idiot, so angry with myself. I wish it hadn’t been allowed to be presented to me like that though as I don’t think I’d have made that mistake in store. Could there be a prompt when an item is replaced containing an allergen that wasn’t ordered for example? So the delivery driver has a red note on the paper to say “the substitute contains milk/ gluten/ nuts by the way”.

YABU just tick no substitutions. Job done.

All the information you need will be on the packaging so all you need to do is read it if you have an item you haven't used before. The picker really does not have time time to check things like this. They will not know what it is you are trying to avoid only that the item is not on the shelf. Also they get less than 20 seconds to find pick and pack each item and sub it if it's not available. I know, I was a picker until a fortnight ago. There is certainly no time to read packaging. The driver has the same information you have on your email. The charge you pay for the online service does not cover all the extra staff time and delivery costs as it is, extra staff time would result in higher charges for everyone.

@Questiontellme

No the pickers just need to engage a braincell....or be given better training we've had so much of this, I have a gluten intolerance DC CMPA, we're constantly getting gluten versions, I.e nairns oatcakes, today's was the best, vegan croisssnts substituted for All Butter Croissants 👌🤣

No. They don't. They are on massively tight schedules to pick your shopping as fast as they possibly can and a lot of them work on zero hours contracts.

If you don't want or can't eat certain foods, you tick no subs.

Don't blame the minimum wage workers. It's shitty behaviour