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.

@pepsirolla

I wonder how thorough they shop anyway. I ordered a click and collect shop at sainsburys. I wanted currants for a cake I received an email at 9am saying currants our of stock.Went to collect it at 10am and popped into shop too for other bits, there was a shelf full of currants! Doubt it had just been restocked.

Picking in my store starts at 2am with the frozen items as the nightshift who replenish have already worked those aisles by then. It then moves on to the ambient aisles, which are being worked simultaneously by nightshift and pickers ,then the chilled and fresh aisles start to be picked around 5.00am as we try to pick after that nights delivery has been put out and it usually arrives at some point between 4am-6am. Bread tends to be last as that comes directly from the manufacturers rather than the stores own warehouse and arrives between 4am-7pm. The instore bakery have a deadline of 5.30am to get all online orders baked, cooled and packed so that is the earliest they can be picked, it can be pretty tight getting them picked for morning orders which are due out on vans departing at 6am. So your order is not all picked in one go just before your email is sent out. It will have been picked in bits throughout the night with frozen, ambient and chilled being picked totally separately then stored in the appropriate temperature storage area. Although the store do try to pick in an order which means they are following a pattern of a particular section being delivered, unloaded, worked by the nightshift then picked. If a delivery is slightly delayed or nightshift are short staffed it can often work that picking has to start in an area that hasn't yet been replenished. There have been many mornings where I have started my shift picking the last of a particular item then spent the next couple of hours subbing it before finding by the end of my shift that the shelf has been restock and I am able to pick the item again. It is also true that not all stores have space for an online department so their click and collects will be brought in from another store. The state of a store at 10am does not reflect how things might have been throughout the night.

I am obviously not in the majority, but I would write to customer services (not complain but) politely to say that they should look into whether they can set up their computer system so that products containing allergens can't be substituted for the allergen-free product. Yes, it's your responsibility to check, but it is also a life-threatening issue, I'd have thought they could look into it.

[quote LimeSupper]@MsSquiz oh I see what you mean. Well I mean I use the free from brand a lot for other items so I know and trust the brand, it didn’t immediately prompt me to check. Yes I’m well aware I should’ve checked and have said that all the way along my posts. I also think it should’ve been pointed out clearly that’s all. It was presented to me as a like for like swap which is isn’t.[/quote]
I'm slightly confused. Free from ranges in supermarkets aren't always gluten free. I wouldn't pick up any free from item and expect it to be free of all allergens. I've been diary and soya free and frequently can't have free from branded stuff as they have diary or soya in. I do get what you are saying, but I think allergens are very hard to buy for and expecting the supermarket to tell you that the substitution contains a specific allergen is hard. That would place a huge burden of responsibility on them and would require a massive investment in infrastructure to get it correct. Imagine if they got it wrong? I think we're stuck with having the check the packet yourself especially with subs. Don't expect the delivery driver or supermarket to tell you correctly.

This is really an industry-wide information technology failure. It should be entirely possible for every single SKU to have a flag against it in the database of which allergens or other ingredients of concern it definitely contains or may contain, all updated, all completely computer-readable. From there, it should be possible to simply register an online shopping account as a no-gluten/no-crustacean/no-celery/no-whatever account, and for pickers to be suggested only subs which comply with the requirement. The fact we don't have this is not a consequence of lack of feasibility, it's a consequence of lack of will.

@ClumpingBambooIsALie

This is really an industry-wide information technology failure. It should be entirely possible for every single SKU to have a flag against it in the database of which allergens or other ingredients of concern it definitely contains or may contain, all updated, all completely computer-readable. From there, it should be possible to simply register an online shopping account as a no-gluten/no-crustacean/no-celery/no-whatever account, and for pickers to be suggested only subs which comply with the requirement. The fact we don't have this is not a consequence of lack of feasibility, it's a consequence of lack of will.

Yeah, it's possible.

As no such database exists though, it would cost a shitload of money to set up and so it's not going to happen.

Sorry, UPC, not SKU — it would then just need to be one more thing a manufacturer needs to do when they make a product — to upload its allergy profile to a database used by sellers.

@ClumpingBambooIsALie

This is really an industry-wide information technology failure. It should be entirely possible for every single SKU to have a flag against it in the database of which allergens or other ingredients of concern it definitely contains or may contain, all updated, all completely computer-readable. From there, it should be possible to simply register an online shopping account as a no-gluten/no-crustacean/no-celery/no-whatever account, and for pickers to be suggested only subs which comply with the requirement. The fact we don't have this is not a consequence of lack of feasibility, it's a consequence of lack of will.

But many households have one member who need the free from item whilst the other members don't so often a shop will contain both free from and standard products. The packaging always states the ingredients so in my opinion it is much better that the customer who actually knows what the intolerance is does the checking and the item can then be rejected if it is not suitable.

Yeah I didn't want to go into lots of detailed possibilities for an entirely fantasy-based system that'll probably never happen All I'm saying is that we have plenty of entirely-technologically-feasible stuff, that wouldn't require any new information or technology, which would make a minority of people's lives easier, but which we don't do, only because there's not enough money in it, not because it's not doable.

That felt like too many commas.

[quote LimeSupper]@MsSquiz oh I see what you mean. Well I mean I use the free from brand a lot for other items so I know and trust the brand, it didn’t immediately prompt me to check. Yes I’m well aware I should’ve checked and have said that all the way along my posts. I also think it should’ve been pointed out clearly that’s all. It was presented to me as a like for like swap which is isn’t.[/quote]
@LimeSupper but that's the point I'm trying to make. You essentially had a new product from a new brand and you just cooked and served it without checking anything - yours subs or the product packaging.

Surely as a family with allergies, that is the first thing you do when using/choosing a different brand than your norm?

How "clearly pointed out" can the make it for you? It would have been listed on your substitutions and the packaging. You made the choice not to check either...

Those who are suggesting that "free from" doesn't automatically mean gluten-free, are perhaps not accustomed to shopping for a coeliac diet. Over the 20 years I've been in the UK, I've seen the massive rise in availability of gluten-free food, and the evolution in what is available.

Supermarkets absolutely HAVE trained shoppers to expect "free from" to almost always mean gluten-free. I agree, it varies a lot whether it is dairy free or not and the presence of soya and egg is unpredictable. (I am coeliac and only tolerate a small amount of dairy, and had to have my son on a dairy-free diet for many years).

In the last perhaps 10 years or so, use of "gluten-free oats" has become widespread so I know to always check products for them, and have given up biscuits (make my own ginger ones occasionally!) - both my mother and sister have bad reactions to them and my reactions are such I won't risk even trying them.

Judging from the OPs posts, there may be two issues here slightly in parallel. One is the substitution that was completely inappropriate in the first place. The other is terminology - did you write that the product turned out to be "Fish free" but was described on the doorstop to you as "Free from"? Or, did you probably mishear? (possibly impossible to tell I appreciate!). Both these aspects of what happened need to be flagged up as dangerous, ask what will be done to prevent a similar incident in the future.

I'd probably be unable to work for several days if I ate vegan gluten-containing fish fingers. [the amount of gluten in protein-substitutes can be substantial all by themselves]

You say the free from brand is one you use and trust? Then you know what the packaging looks like and that that it states clearly on the label what the item is free from? (Gluten, wheat milk etc)
You were given plant chef fish fingers. The packaging looks nothing like the free from branding and label. When the the driver said it was own brand free from you should have realised the packaging was different and therfore not the brand you trust. So why did you just eat them without looking at ingredients?

I can’t believe that you took no notice of what the delivery driver was telling you and that you didn’t notice the different packaging, when there is a danger of certain foods making you ill! You also don’t bother to make it clear what substitutes are or aren’t acceptable. Supermarket pickers are on a time schedule and don’t always get it right, whereas you would presumably have the time to do those things mentioned above and should maybe start taking responsibility for yourself.

I don't know why people are laying into the OP when she's clearly accepted she bears the responsibility for not checking.

One of my children is gluten-free and it's amazing how often Tesco substitute Free From stuff with vegetarian stuff. As though dietary requirements are interchangeable! As it happens I'm vegetarian so it's not the end of the world but it is frustrating.

As an aside, I'm really disappointed with the way the range of free-from foods is shrinking. My child is quite limited in what they like (being sick a lot does that) but always like the free from chicken nuggets, chicken burgers, chicken goujons from Tesco. Suddenly a few months ago they all disappeared and haven't come back. Yes, we do get him to eat other things but it's a shame when something that he actually liked isn't available anymore.

Have been here too. The free from packaging is so similar on some of the items that its' easy to make a mistake.

In our case it was free from lasagne. They have two versions, one that's milk free, one that's gluten free. So we thought we had our usual type not realising how identical the one containing milk looks and gave to to our allergic DS.

Yes we should have double checked, but just looked identical.

@cecilthehungryspider

I don't know why people are laying into the OP when she's clearly accepted she bears the responsibility for not checking.

One of my children is gluten-free and it's amazing how often Tesco substitute Free From stuff with vegetarian stuff. As though dietary requirements are interchangeable! As it happens I'm vegetarian so it's not the end of the world but it is frustrating.

As an aside, I'm really disappointed with the way the range of free-from foods is shrinking. My child is quite limited in what they like (being sick a lot does that) but always like the free from chicken nuggets, chicken burgers, chicken goujons from Tesco. Suddenly a few months ago they all disappeared and haven't come back. Yes, we do get him to eat other things but it's a shame when something that he actually liked isn't available anymore.

@cecilthehungryspider because I think most posters are making the point that it's not the fact that the item was subbed that is really the issue, but the fact that OP didn't check the ingredients of the item at any point from delivery to consumption. And the title is that items shouldn't be subbed, which is ridiculous, because I know at least 3 supermarkets you can tick for no subs (op chooses not to do that) but complains about the received item rather than laying the blame with the person who cooked and ate the product without once checking it!

I also don't think it's fair to claim that subs are made As though dietary requirements are interchangeable
The picker doesn't know what the dietary requirements are of the shopper!

Yabu. Tesco vegan fish fingers are pretty clearly branded as plant based. They even say wheat protein on the front! It’s your fault for not giving them a glance before accepting them/eating them.

@deadlanguage

Yabu. Tesco vegan fish fingers are pretty clearly branded as plant based. They even say wheat protein on the front! It’s your fault for not giving them a glance before accepting them/eating them.

That even says wheat very clearly on the label.

@Pythonesque

Those who are suggesting that "free from" doesn't automatically mean gluten-free, are perhaps not accustomed to shopping for a coeliac diet. Over the 20 years I've been in the UK, I've seen the massive rise in availability of gluten-free food, and the evolution in what is available.

Supermarkets absolutely HAVE trained shoppers to expect "free from" to almost always mean gluten-free. I agree, it varies a lot whether it is dairy free or not and the presence of soya and egg is unpredictable. (I am coeliac and only tolerate a small amount of dairy, and had to have my son on a dairy-free diet for many years).

In the last perhaps 10 years or so, use of "gluten-free oats" has become widespread so I know to always check products for them, and have given up biscuits (make my own ginger ones occasionally!) - both my mother and sister have bad reactions to them and my reactions are such I won't risk even trying them.

Judging from the OPs posts, there may be two issues here slightly in parallel. One is the substitution that was completely inappropriate in the first place. The other is terminology - did you write that the product turned out to be "Fish free" but was described on the doorstop to you as "Free from"? Or, did you probably mishear? (possibly impossible to tell I appreciate!). Both these aspects of what happened need to be flagged up as dangerous, ask what will be done to prevent a similar incident in the future.

I'd probably be unable to work for several days if I ate vegan gluten-containing fish fingers. [the amount of gluten in protein-substitutes can be substantial all by themselves]

In my local Asda, the free from chiller section includes free from dairy, meat, gluten and other allergens. Not all at once. There is not one single definition of free from, just as there is not one single type of food intolerance.

I have a couple of food allergies. I check packaging of ready meals very carefully. It's no one else's fault if you don't do that.

@cecilthehungryspider I think some people are just like that on AIBU, thank you 😊

I haven’t at all said it wasn’t my fault for not checking obviously. There’s something about the way it was substituted though. I wouldn’t have walked into a shop and made that mistake, but when it was in my home, with kids making noise, it handed to me as a like for like substitute and the term “free from” was used, I accepted it. I didn’t cook them incidentally but I did accept them at the door and thus they were on the freezer and cooked for me. Once I saw the packet yesterday, I realised. AnywY I just thought it would be responsible and not that much effort for major retailers to be explicit when offering a substitute for a “free from” something product if the offered product isn’t complaint with the same allergen free diet. It seems like an easy thing to do on a computer system and would probably end up making people’s lives easier that’s all.

[quote LimeSupper]@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]
You'd think so, but it used to give some really daft subs at times. I once had a food item out of stock where the recommended sub was a set of birthday cake candles!

With tesco you can leave a comment for the picker. In your case I would ask for any substitutions to be gluten free if I'd ordered something that needed to be allergy free but was happy for alternatives.

The Tesco free from range just means the products are free from some allergens. Some are free from lactose, some gluten etc. They aren't all free from the same allergens and you should always be checking the packaging on those items too.

The Tesco free from range just means the products are free from some allergens

I've never seen a Tesco free from product that wasn't gluten free. If they're dairy free it's in addition to being gluten free not instead of.

Interestingly, if i go to the Tesco site and put in "free from" the first suggestion is birdseye fishless fingers, everything else on the first page is fr the free from range. Strikes me as a bit odd, I'm sure most people looking for vegan fish fingers wouldn't search for "free from"

I agree but I'm more careful when I buy non "free from" GF sausages for example - then no subs is ticked.

Due to 100% failure to deliver FF goods on several occasions from three major supermarkets I am now wedded to Ocado. Much better.

Nothing beats Walkers French Fries been sub'd with Itsu Seaweed Thins though. Not what my 9 year old wanted at all!!!!