State The Obvious Food Labelling

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#1267017 24-Mar-2015 16:47

andrew027:

Also, a bit outside the intention of this thread, but... last winter I bought a pack of Cup-A-Soup to keep at work so I could have something on those days I couldn't get away from my desk at lunchtime. On the front of the
packet was a picture of a mug containing said soup, with a caption saying "Serving Suggestion". Well duh.

I hate serving suggestions. Show me what the packet can make damnit!

Richard rich.ms

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#1267019 24-Mar-2015 16:50

andrew027:
sbiddle: Fish is an allergen, and the law requires allergens to be clearly identified separately from ingredients.

It's the same reason a pack of peanuts contains nuts.

I guess a pack of peanuts may contain traces of nuts, but isn't the peanut a legume, not a nut?

Whoops - I see I'm about the third person to make that observation! Sorry for the repeat...

Also, a bit outside the intention of this thread, but... last winter I bought a pack of Cup-A-Soup to keep at work so I could have something on those days I couldn't get away from my desk at lunchtime. On the front of the packet was a picture of a mug containing said soup, with a caption saying "Serving Suggestion". Well duh.

"May contain" is not actually permitted on labeling but is largely ignored because action will only be taken against bad labeling when people complain. Lots of products still have this, and some companies get around this by saying "produced in a factory where products containing nuts are also processed" or words to that effect.

A product should either contain an allergen or not contain an allergen. A proper food safety program will isolate allergens to ensure cross contamination can't occur.

Behodar

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#1267020 24-Mar-2015 16:50

richms: I hate serving suggestions. Show me what the packet can make damnit!

I remember, years ago, seeing "product shown not actual size" on a packet of biscuits. It looked pretty close, to the point where I overlaid an actual biscuit over the picture to find that it was the same size (within 1 mm). But it's apparently not actual size...

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#1267099 24-Mar-2015 19:44

What annoys me is not the food labelling, but my kids not being allowed nuts, eggs, etc even peanut butter sandwiches at Kindy because someone else's kid is allergic. My son loves peanut butter sandwiches and he can't have them, its retarded.

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#1267105 24-Mar-2015 20:07

Lias: What annoys me is not the food labelling, but my kids not being allowed nuts, eggs, etc even peanut butter sandwiches at Kindy because someone else's kid is allergic. My son loves peanut butter sandwiches and he can't have them, its retarded.

Kids share, they also have close contact the risk is real.

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#1267127 24-Mar-2015 20:33

A huge retail chain here has recalled all its own-brand easter eggs because the labels don't say "may contain tree nuts and peanuts". It's chocolate... and white chocolate. Not fruit and nut or anything.

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#1267132 24-Mar-2015 20:46

Lias: What annoys me is not the food labelling, but my kids not being allowed nuts, eggs, etc even peanut butter sandwiches at Kindy because someone else's kid is allergic. My son loves peanut butter sandwiches and he can't have them, its retarded.

When I was a kid, we didn't have these allergies, it seems like in the last 20 years something has happened to peoples immune systems that has made these things more prevalent.

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#1267146 24-Mar-2015 21:03

KiwiNZ:
Lias: What annoys me is not the food labelling, but my kids not being allowed nuts, eggs, etc even peanut butter sandwiches at Kindy because someone else's kid is allergic. My son loves peanut butter sandwiches and he can't have them, its retarded.

Kids share, they also have close contact the risk is real.

Yet unvaccinated kids are allowed to come to Kindy... Not to mention half the food allergies are parents being precious.

geocom

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#1267147 24-Mar-2015 21:06

sbiddle:

"May contain" is not actually permitted on labeling but is largely ignored because action will only be taken against bad labeling when people complain. Lots of products still have this, and some companies get around this by saying "produced in a factory where products containing nuts are also processed" or words to that effect.

A product should either contain an allergen or not contain an allergen. A proper food safety program will isolate allergens to ensure cross contamination can't occur.

I usually use that to tell me what is not in the product rather than scanning a large list of ingredients for a 6 letter word in 10pt font. Putting the allergens in bold is better but very few do this.

Geoff E

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#1267148 24-Mar-2015 21:07

Lias:
KiwiNZ:
Lias: What annoys me is not the food labelling, but my kids not being allowed nuts, eggs, etc even peanut butter sandwiches at Kindy because someone else's kid is allergic. My son loves peanut butter sandwiches and he can't have them, its retarded.

Kids share, they also have close contact the risk is real.

Yet unvaccinated kids are allowed to come to Kindy... Not to mention half the food allergies are parents being precious.

I take it you have links to evidence regarding the allergies.

timmmay

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#1267154 24-Mar-2015 21:23

trig42: Same reason that McDonalds tells you the contents of your hot coffee may be hot (and your hot apple pie for that matter). So they can't be sued (I don't think it really applies in NZ with the ACC) when you burn yourself/die of a peanut or fish allergy.

I'd be more concerned if the coffee say "may contain fish".

Geektastic

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#1267163 24-Mar-2015 21:59

sbiddle:
Geektastic:

Can we look forward to "New Zealand beef Rump steak - contains beef" or "Potato Chips - contains potato" - or perhaps "Ground coffee - contains coffee"?

No. Because none of those are allergens.

Can you say for sure that not a single person on earth is allergic to any of those?

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#1267164 24-Mar-2015 22:01

timmmay:
trig42: Same reason that McDonalds tells you the contents of your hot coffee may be hot (and your hot apple pie for that matter). So they can't be sued (I don't think it really applies in NZ with the ACC) when you burn yourself/die of a peanut or fish allergy.

I'd be more concerned if the coffee say "may contain fish".

Agreed. Although I have had instant that tasted as though it may have had..!

I just think "Hot Smoked Salmon - contains fish" is verging on the ridiculous.

Mind you, I used to crew on a sailboat and my lifejacket said "Warning: wearing a lifejacket may not prevent you from drowning."

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#1267170 24-Mar-2015 22:10

mattwnz:
Lias: What annoys me is not the food labelling, but my kids not being allowed nuts, eggs, etc even peanut butter sandwiches at Kindy because someone else's kid is allergic. My son loves peanut butter sandwiches and he can't have them, its retarded.

When I was a kid, we didn't have these allergies, it seems like in the last 20 years something has happened to peoples immune systems that has made these things more prevalent.

Yes me also. We lived for 15 years, 36 weeks a year, in boarding school eating the same food with very little choice and no one seemed to suffer (from the food at least!). That said, I can't think of many opportunities we had to eat nuts - although if you had been allergic to fried bread or fish paste you'd have had a problem.

Aredwood

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#1267197 24-Mar-2015 23:36

What about milk bottles? They list the following ingredients - Milk.

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