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?

we are not talking about dietary limitations. We are talking about alcohol. Controlled by law. Relevant to almost every household that could be taking this home. Not a minority concern, by a majority one. Not a preference, or a personal allergy , or an intolerance, but a legally controlled drug. Of course it should be labelled

And presumably Sainsburys are following the law in the way they are marketing, labelling and selling this product. It clearly doesn't meet the threshold of alcohol content to be a restricted product. And it is labelled.

I missed it too, OP, could easily have given a spoonful of this to a child
The amount of alcohol in spoonful of this product is negligibly low, and would have caused no problem to a child at all. In fact, it's so low that presumably the child could have gone to Sainsburys and bought and eaten this product themselves.

It's very rare for a contract reaction to be that severe, but it is a good illustration of why labelling milk is at least as important as labelling alcohol.

We're very fortunate that we only have to deal with a moderate peanut allergy, they're not in very much and people tend to overestimate the seriousness if anything. Anaphylaxis to egg must be very difficult.

I'll be completely honest here - I've never scrutinised the ingredients list of a fruit shoot or a pack of pom bears specifically looking to ensure sure there's no vodka in there before giving to my kids, and I doubt you have either.

Yeah, our food labelling is pretty great. You just need to look at the actual label. It takes more effort but that's life.

Well no, but I do check ingredients for the thing I am allergic to in products which are likely to contain it... because ultimately it's my responsibility to keep myself safe.

Puddings do, frequently have alcohol in them so maybe OP needs to be a bit more vigilant in checking in the future. The fact is, the information was there. If someone chooses to ignore it that's on them.

I've shopped to cater for family members with serious allergies, and I understand the reality of that - sadly so many things are cooked with, or in proximity to, eggs and nuts.

I assume everything I buy could could have been made in factory with nuts, and I check to ensure otherwise when I need to.

I don't assume everything I buy was made in a factory where some fella wanders around pouring alcohol into stuff not traditionally made with alcohol.

It does. On the ingredients list.

Unlike nuts, I don't expect food to possibly contain alcohol. I don't read the ingredients of everything I buy.

Do you own a cookbook? Alcohol is often used in food.

Puddings often contain alcohol.

Which is still beside the point.

The information was on the packaging. OP just didn't bother to read it.

This completely, as a mum to children with multiple allergies, you have to check everything and even things you buy regularly for ingredient changes.

If a person has a problem with a specific ingredent, be it nuts, daily or whatever, then they should read the ingredients. If they don't, and then find that something is there that they don't like or are allergic to, how is that the shop's fault?

Op replied and said she missed the label on the front. No one needs to be outraged. It was clearly labelled, she just didn't read it.

The sale of alcohol is very tightly controlled, so for this product not to be restricted, there won't be much alcohol in it.

Where would you draw the line?

I’m sorry this happened to you. My husband strictly avoids alcohol so we must scour the ingredients list, particularly when we buy indulgent foods (Brits tend to include minuscule amounts booze in ‘fancy foods’ especially over the Xmas season to make ordinary products seem posh & festive)

My pet peeve is that while other common foods that a decent number of people avoid for health or lifestyle reasons tend to be bolded on the ingredients lists (ie: egg, nuts, gelatin…) but alcohol rarely is. Come on people (looking at you & your decadent ready meals, M&S) I wish alcohol was routinely included in the bolded item list, as although I adore a drink, there are many people who must abstain.

Well for starters it's a premium product. I'd expect to taste as described.

Sponge cake soaked in coffee sauce topped with chocolate and hazelnut cream and decorated with chocolate and hazelnut sprinkle

Sponge biscuit, layered with creamy chocolate hazelnut mascarpone and topped with chopped hazelnuts and chocolate shavings

Is anything in that description preparing you for the taste of alcohol to dominate?

The bolded items are the top 14 allergens, this is required under food labelling laws. Alcohol isn't a common allergen and so it isn't (and presumably can't be) bolded.

No, and that sucks because it sounds like it wouldn't taste very nice! But a dessert tasting shit and a dessert being harmful because it's not properly labelled are two very different things.

One is worth a moan, the other could kill someone.

This dessert is very much in the first category.

I quite fancy buying this now!

Looks delish!

You should do it the effects of alcohol impact you as much as nuts can impact others. Most foods won't contain alcohol but things like puddings etc. I'd says it's often used as an ingredient ,so it's probably best to double check. It's all there for you.

For a recovering alcoholic, the issue isn't the risk of becoming inebriated - it's the trigger of the taste of alcohol. It can be very distressing and even trigger a relapse.

(I can have tiramisu and I'm fine with mouthwash containing alcohol - neither trigger a craving in me as I don't associate those with getting drunk. But I don't think I should try a non-alcoholic beer because if it tastes anything like beer, I could be triggered.)

And unlike nuts, eggs, gluten you don't expect to find alcohol in your food. I don't know why the desert in the OP would flavour something with alcohol without specifying that it's one of the main flavours, along with the taste of chocolate and hazelnut.

No I fully get that, and I understand why OP is upset. But if you have a dietary restriction, for any reason, you need to be checking labels.

And you need to be particularly careful with some products - if your issue is alcohol, desserts will be one of them (they are for us too - peanuts).

I don't expect to find peanuts in the ingredients of a fruit shoot but I do check it just in case.

It's used as a flavouring, unlike eggs. Why isn't it in the description along with the hazelnut and chocolate? Just say it's brandy flavoured or whatever and it's perfectly clear.

Although tiramisu doesn't specify that it contains alcohol - I guess people are just expected to know that about tiramisu, specifically.

”premium products” in the uk often taste of alcohol so my antennae would be up with the pudding described above. And alcohol doesn’t “cook off” enough for people who avoid it due to it being contraindicated for them, religiously forbidden, or a trigger for alcoholic cravings. My girlfriend inadvertently consumed alcohol via a food product while on a course of metronidazole and the results were not pretty.

I love booze myself, just looking out for ppl who aren’t happy to consume it.

The amount of alcohol in a commercial dessert would be minimal. You are making a mountain out of a molehill. I think Sainsbury's have dealt very fairly with the matter.