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?

It should clearly say "contains alcohol" on the front. Many people can't have alcohol for religious reasons I wouldn't expect everyone to have to scour the small print to check that something doesn't contain alcohol.

Don't do that! You'd look unhinged 😅

Only on mumsnet!! Op is clearly wanting a daily Mail sad face story!

In such a dessert like a chocolate pudding it’d be burnt off, leaving the flavour. So I don’t think they need to say as it doesn’t contain alcohol truly.

If it’s soaked in alcohol (rather than cooked in it) like a tiramisu I think it’s on people to check if they really want to avoid it as it’s not unheard of for desserts to have alcohol.

What response would be satisfactory?

Well done with the sobriety!

Maybe a red face story .

Thanks all.
I've still got the packet and it is the same
As the ones posted here - in that it does say contains alcohol which I missed.

I do think that others still needs to be some
Work done on the description of the pudding to make it more clear about the alcohol and the coffee.

In answer to loads of questions about what
More did I want them to do.... I don't know is the answer - but it's a really big deal for me so I expected a comparable response ( and free shopping for life clearly..... ).

I think it's interesting the varied views on here, and it's shown it's not as clear cut as I thought.

God no! I will write back and accept the £10 though.

But would you check a bottle of orange squash to see if it had nuts in it?

Yes. DH has anaphylactic allergies and checks everything, and I check everything I buy that he might eat. I once couldn't buy a packet of mascarpone cheese, which pretty much only had milk and lactic acid as ingredients, because it said "may contain nuts".

If you're avoiding alcohol, I think it's on you to check. Especially since in this case it did actually say it on the front of the packet and you missed it. It was in the ingredients and on the front of the packet, displayed more clearly than the allergens in the product (in that the allergens aren't on the front). They've given you a voucher and will pass it on to the packaging department (despite it being your error), and you don't think they've taken it seriously enough? They could very reasonably have just said "it's written on the front right here" and left it at that.

Unhinged? For admitting that you made a mistake? The OP has sent multiple emails, has been compensated, and started a MN thread for an issue that doesn't actually exist. People are very quick to complain but seldom apologise when they realise that they are wrong.

That's why there's a designated level though - there's alcohol in orange juice.

If this product isn't alcoholic enough to cause an issue for driving or giving to children etc then anyone who wants to fully avoid alcohol needs to read the ingredients like anyone else with a dietary restriction.

I wouldn't say this is pretty clear, tiny writing in a colour that almost blends in to the background , I can see why this has been easily missed by a few people. It could be more prominent on the packaging for sure.

Congratulations on your sobriety OP.

I'm 8 years sober and I get why you are upset, but honestly cooking destroys the alcoholic part and leaves only flavour. I don't think there anything else they could actually do. Also, gently, If I am concerned, I check the ingredients list ..

@LunaNorth loved your post at 7.28

Yes of course! It's totally unhinged. I'm all for apologising when wrong but its a company, not a person.

You don't email sainsburys to say "Sorry! I can't read properly". For one thing, they wont care. Secondly, they have a huge customer service team - its not one person who will remember OPs email, got sad because she had emailed them a couple of times and then cherishes an apology.

Also, and I'm firmly onboard the "read the packaging side of the argument" but OP didn't notice it, so maybe she has a point it needs to be clearer on the front of the packaging 🤔

Ive looked at packet on line and if you were shoping in store i dont think i would expect that product to contain alcohol. I'm veggi so when I'm not sure I do check ingredients but some things you think are fine and randomly have bacon in, or similar when no hint on packet ( have got better now). So I don't think you were BU although I guess in sainsburys eyes it's your bad for not checking. Hopefully they make it more clear on description!!
As others say alot of ppl don't like the taste of alcohol. I drink a little but I hate the taste of it desserts and if I bought that I would be really upset my pudding was horrible when it looked like a chocolate mousse on the label.
I can understand why you were extra upset

It IS on the front ….

I've got a nut allergy and it's rare it's on the packaging unless it's an obviously nutty product, so the onus is on me to check the ingredients thoroughly. I think you've done all you need to do tbh.

In a cold chocolate pudding dessert with mascarpone, it is unlikely to be cooked enough for the alcohol to evaporate (if at all) - OP could obviously taste it.

It DOES say contains alcohol on the front <<sigh>>

It is on the front clearly.

From the pics posted it's not as clear being white type as the darker type nearby.

Maybe it's clearer on the actual packaging?

Sponge, mascarpone, topping-obviously along the lines of tiramisu which usually has alcohol in.

Why?

There couldn't have been any significant amount of alcohol otherwise they would need to restrict the sales eg no under 18's. It's like a sherry trifle, alcohol is too low to need to declare. Yes like with any food preference or allergy you need to check the ingredients, many food are cooked with alcohol

Crazy