Alcohol in pudding not clearly displayed

[Purpledefector]

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?

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.

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.

Well that's what people who have or are shopping for actual allergies that could possibly kill them have to do.
My understanding (and I expect a roasting!) Is avoiding alcohol is a lifestyle choice be it religious or abstinence due to previous addiction. The actual allergies list is the one that needs prominence.

The front of labels are going to get pretty crowded if all the people with dietary restrictions are relinquished from the onerous task of having to check the ingredients list when the pertinent information should just pop out at them.

They apologised and gave you a voucher so I don't see the issue. It's not a deadly allergen so they wouldn't need to make it massively obvious but I'm sure it would be labelled in the ingredients somewhere. It's great you're now sober, but shops can't cater to every persons sensibilities.

Yes this. They made an error, they acknowledged it and apologised for it and are looking to put it right by liaising with their packaging department.

What is the alternative?

If you have a dietary restriction you check all the labels.

We are not talking about a dietary restriction. We are talking about alcohol. Something illegal to feed an under 5, and illegal to buy if under 18. Addictive.

Of course it needs to be clearly labelled on the front of the packet

I really dislike a strong alcohol taste in desserts so it probably gave OP a bit of a shock if she thought it was an innocent nut/chocolate/cream thing

I agree their response is weak....but typical of what you get these days.
I would like some confirmation of what they have done to prevent this happening with other products I.e. updated policy to highlight alcohol on ingredients.

Looking at the ingredients the alcohol is clearly a deliberate addition....and comes before mascarpone so not insignificant (and its probably not cooked at all) but also hard to see. so I think this is an issue for anyone who doesn't want alcohol.

The fact the online description and the packaging description differ quite a bit makes me think sainsbury don't actually know what is in the food their suppliers provide.

They look lovely

I take back my previous comment then, its on the front, if indeed these are waht OP bought

But having thought about it a bit more, I agree with other posters, its in the ingredients anyway, so as someone who needs to avoid something, you should check whats there

I dont eat artificial sweetners, I check all the ingredients of something ready made for them, they crop up everywhere, places you would not expect, so I spend a long time looking at everything

I dont expect every packet to have it in bold on the front 'contains artificial sweetners' although I wish it would!

It was declared on the front. A PP has linked to a picture and it clearly says “contains alcohol” on the front right.

I think you just need to read the ingredients carefully each time.

My son has a severe nut allergy, if you go to buy many regular milk chocolate flavoured things for example they actually have hazelnuts in. It’s not Milka with hazelnuts though labelled, it’s just regular Milka. They use ground hazelnut a lot as it’s cheaper than cocoa to bulk out. It never says Nuts included on the front though, you have to read ingredients

If it was listed in the ingredients I'm not sure they have a case to answer tbh...

And since it was ACTUALLY A WARNING ON THE FRONT even less of a case…

You missed the fact it was on the front, what more do you want?

I had a similar experience also with a chocolate pudding type thing. I was about a year and a half in to my sobriety and I tasted it as soon as I had a spoonful of it. I went and checked and yes it had alcohol listed as an ingredient but that was the only place it said.
I was annoyed too as for one it really threw me as I felt like I didn't consent to eating alcohol and i try and protect my sobriety at all costs as it was and still is sometimes a hard fought battle and also who would expect a chocolate pudding to have alcohol in it?

Anyway DH ended up with two puddings and I learnt a very valuable lesson and now check when buying new things.

Well done on your Sobriety, you should be very proud of yourself.

My partner is nearly 9 years sober. I also don't drink alcohol, I don't like the taste and it wouldn't be fair to him but we occasionally cook with alcohol. We are still considered teetotal.

Don't beat yourself up about it, you are doing good.

As there was a clear warning that it ‘contains alcohol’ on the front of the packaging I don’t think you have any cause to complain!

I'm with you on the annoyance side of it OP. I don't usually buy sweets, just at Christmas usually. I loathe alcohol in sweets, just hate the taste. Sainsbury's sweets often have something like "rum infused" in very floral writing in a different colour off set against the clearly written name of the product. It's not obvious! On your product the tiny writing is equally ridiculous, we shouldn't have to read ALL the writing on the packaging, but I hear that sounds like a cop out.

Your beef isn't with Sainsbury's, it's with UK food labelling laws.

You could take it to your local trading standards, or environmental health dept (it depends what kind of local authority area you live in as to who deals with food labelling).

Although there is nothing specific about this in the labelling laws (apart from alcoholic strength, if over 1.2 abv from memory) the thrust of the legislation is that labels and packaging or adverts should not mislead the consumer.

But, I think the sentence on the front of the pack covers them here, I'm afraid.

I think as a previous poster shows it clearly states on the front that it contains alcohol.

Maybe like you say this is a good reality check.

No child is going to be harmed or begin an alcohol addiction from a chocolate dessert. If the alcohol content was so high it would have been clearly labelled, therefore it was negligible. There can be also very low alcohol content in lots of things such as fruit juice, that don't require saying on the label as the amount is negligible.

Highly unlikely a pudding like that is cooked.

It does say.

I can see how it could be missed, but AFAIK it's the same for nuts, and vegan notices? (Apart from the we want you to buy this because it's vegan)

that is not true, there are many ways a child can be harmed by alcohol in a dessert. I have seen it, and that is exactly why it is a criminal offense to give them any