There is a really fantastic new product on the market called Coconice from Worthenshaws. You may have seen the product featured on Dragons Den; Kirsty Henshaw managed to secure a deal with Duncan Banatyne and Peter Jones for her new coconut dairy free dessert. She created it herself with an ice cream maker, a lot of patience and imagination and little bit of luck; her son was allergic to dairy and she couldn’t find a healthy alternative to ice cream so she decided to make something herself.
I’ve tried Coconice myself and it’s delicious. Very coconutty but very tasty. Kirsty is such an inspiration and has achieved so much at a very young age. You can read more about her and Coconice on the BBC website in a news article entitled: “Preston mother melts dragons with her frozen dessert”. Kirsty’ s Free From Meals also have their own website which is packed full of useful information like local stockists, product range, Kirsty’s blog and all about her new venture.
What I wanted to talk about though was the labelling of this product.
The packaging clearly says ‘Free from’ and lists dairy, added sugar, gluten, artificial colours and cholesterol. Brilliant! we thought, and all tucked in. Everyone loved it, however, on closer inspection the side of the tub also had some Allergen Advice: * contains soya, may contain traces of dairy and nuts.
I have a very serious allergy to both dairy and nuts which causes anaphylaxis and I usually don’t eat things with ‘may contain’ warnings as even a small amount can make me very ill. It wasn’t until after consuming a bowl full of this dessert that I noticed the warning; lulled into a false sense of security by the ‘Free from’ assertions.
However, I didn’t suffer any adverse reactions, no side effects, and it was delicious, and a real treat. Would I try it again? I’m not sure… what does this warning mean? What are the chances of these foods being present? I think it’s confusing, but it was so nice I just might try it again. I’ve sent a link to my blog post to Worthenshaws so if I hear back I’ll share what they say here as a comment.
The key here is the phrase on the side of the tub – ‘recipe free from’.
Just because the recipe is free from an allergen doesn’t mean there can’t be traces of allergens.
On the one hand they state that it’s ‘Free from’, but on the other it ‘may contain’.
What are the laws governing food labelling? Should a manufacturer claim something is free from certain foods if there is even a slim chance of contamination with allergens?
I know that I have to avoid all chocolate except the special varieties such as Kinnerton and Plamil who guarantee their products are nut and dairy free. There are lots of other free from chocolates out there, I only mention these two because they are my favourites. There’s an idea for another article idea – Allergy free chocolate! I know I can get quite severe reactions to dark chocolate and that’s because quite large traces can be present; in chocolate manufacturing they wash the machinery and conveyor belts with chocolate, which then passes back into the main chocolate vat. It’s a bit like russian roulette as to whether the bite you take will contain any traces, and for me, it’s not worth the risk.
The Foods Standards Agency has some interesting guidelines – Food Allergen Labelling Information and Requirements.
Food labelling in the UK and Europe is improving. Marks and Spencer, and lots of other responsible retailers, now have very concise guidelines with logos and allergy advice which inform us what allergens are present. For instance, something made in the same factory as nut ingredients may be safe for some people who are not so sensitive. It allows consumers to make an educated choice and also ensure they are aware of the risks.
In the rest of the world there aren’t such strict laws, if there even are laws in place at all, and very few tests to monitor foods to check they don’t contain any allergens. If you are buying products from countries outside the EU and US be very careful. They could well contain fairly high levels of known allergens.
My advice to you would be to always read the label, and read it carefully. Make sure you know what you are allergic to and all the words and ingredients that could put you at risk e.g. dairy is also present in whey and casein.
What do you think about food labelling? Should a company be able to state a product is ‘Free from’ but at the same time say it ‘may contain’ certain allergens? It’s confusing enough without conflicting messages. I’d love to hear what you think. Has anyone tried Coconice? or found any other confusing food labelling?
I had a response from Worthenshaws. “I can appreciate you may find the labelling slightly confusing but the recipe is free from nuts and dairy but we have to state that it may contain traces because it is made in factory that handles nuts and dairy. It is unlikely that it will contain any though. I hope this helps and you manage to continue the product.” Thanks Worthenshaws for such a speedy response to my enquiry. So really it’s not free from nuts and dairy then. Not really. Not 100%
I also got a personal reply from Kirsty. It did impress me that she took the time respond personally. Looks like they’ve updated the packaging now so all is much clearer.
“Coconice has been discontinued now, freedom is our new range. Freedom is still manufactured in a factory that uses nuts on one of its lines. Our products are made in a segregated nut free area.
There is a manufacturers statement on our website. Coconice was produced in a completely different factory.
We have never meant to mis-lead our customers, we claim our recipe to be free from but not our factory. You might wish to refer to the new packaging as this is worded differently.
There is no risk of cross contamination in such a highly graded BRC factory and I am completely happy for my son to eat it. Unfortunately there are no completely nut free ice cream factories in Europe.”
The packaging isn’t that much clearer folks – just different. Still confusing. I wonder if Worthenshaws read my blog and have any replies to our concerns?
This isn’t a labelling issue but rather a Trading Standards issue. The marketing and website of the Freedom frozen desserts are misleading. This is not a product suitable for allergy sufferers if the production lines and/or factory can’t be guaranteed free of the allergens… and it should not be marketed as some kind of specialty product. It is essentially the same as any other product that states “cannot guarantee nut free” or “may contain traces of nuts, milk, etc” or “produced in a factory handling nuts”. Hence NOT a specialty product for allergy sufferers. Have a look at the websites of such companies as Just Love Food Company, It’s Nut Free, Kinnerton, Fabulous Bakin’ Boys. These companies provide very detailed information about their factories and measures taken to eliminate the allergens. Worthenshaws can’t make the same claim. They shouldnot market the products as allergy-friendly when they simply can’t deliver the nut (or other allergen) free promise.
I think you’re right Storm. It is a shame they can’t find a factory which CAN guarantee the product is competely safe, since Coconice was produced solely from Kirstys frustrations trying to find safe ice cream and treats for her allergic son. I can’t help feeling also that the ‘may contain’ allergen advice gives manufacturers a get out clause so they don’t have to bother or worry about cross contamination. Nuts, milk, fish, and other allergens can kill if eaten by an allergic person so it should be taken far more seriously. Slapping on a ‘may contain’ warning shouldn’t be the way forward. However I do risk it sometimes with ‘made in the same factory’ warning, but not with ‘made on the same production line’ warnings. If the warnings are more specific at leasts it gives us allergy weirdos a bit more choice. As far as Trading Standards goes I think by using the “Recipe Free From” phrase they can say what they like, but you’re right it is slightly misleading. I’d already eating a bowl of the stuff before seeing the May contain warning – but since I suffered no adverse reaction, that time, it is probably OK, but is probably good enough?
I find Kirsty’s responses unclear and inconsistent. As above, one time the word “unlikely” is used, the next time it’s “no risk”. To me, that shows the unpreditability of being able to supply a “safe” product from a factory handling the allergens, as well as production lines with the allergens. Kirsty is also suggesting that the labelling stating “produced in a factory handling nuts” is merely there as a technicality about the factory but in her opinion, the product is “safe” because she has visited the factory. So where does this leave us with the issue of food labelling in general? What labelling do we take seriously then? EU food labelling regulations state that priority allergens must be listed. However, the “may contain” warnings and “produced in a factory…” are at the discretion of the company. Personally, because of this, I stay away from any “may contains” or “produced in a factory”. But I do judge the “seriousness” of this type of labelling by the company’s reputation. For example, I find Waitrose’s labelling reliable, clear and consistent. But a company like Worthenshaws, with an unclear manufacturers allergen statement on the website, confusing labelling (why only state produced in a factory handling nuts?…. it handles the other allergens too) as well as Kirsty’s inconsistent wording in responses to consumers, do not inspire confidence that this a product suitable for those with allergies.
This really is a minefield isn’t it. I would rather manufacturers left us more in the dark than saying the magic words ‘free from’ when it clearly isn’t guaranteed free from. It’s actually a lie to say free from. Do we take her word for it that it’s a safe product? What process do they follow to ensure no cross contamination? Confused? Me too!
Worthenshaws have just changed their whole Manufacturers Allergen Statement. They have managed to make their “safe” claims whilst still covering their bottoms with their labelling (produced in a factory…) Unfortunately if someone does have an allergic reaction to their products, the consumer is unlikely to have any legal recourse. Shocking.
“All of the ingredients used in the Worthenshaws Freedom Frozen Dessert products are peanut, nut, gluten, egg, milk and soya free. Although these allergens are handled on the manufacturing site, we adopt strict procedures of segregation and handling of all allergenic raw materials from receipt through to production. This, together with our rigorous cleaning procedures prior to production, ensure that the risk of cross contamination is very remote. Testing has shown that there are no traces of these allergens, to within the current sensitivity of testing at our UKAS accredited laboratory; therefore we believe that these products are safe for the allergen sensitive consumer. The addition of the statement ‘produced in a factory that handles nuts, soya, milk, wheat, gluten and egg’ is intended as information to the consumer so as not to mislead, rather than a warning.
Both Worthenshaws and R&R Ice Cream UK Ltd are members of the Analyphylaxis Campaign and fully support the work undertaken by this organisation to advise and educate both manufacturers and consumers.”
Hi Sichere – are you really in Germany? You are my first German visitor I think. I’m not sure why heart attacks brought up my blog but I’m glad you like it. Welcome to What allergy. Do you have any allergies? Is it common in Germany?
In reply to Storm, above, who has kindly shared the new labeling Worthenshaws are using on their website and product packaging. They say tests are within certain limits, and meant to be safe for an allergen sensitive consumer, but what exactly does that mean? Some people are incredibly sensitive and even very tiny traces would give them a reaction. I think this labeling is not only misleading, it’s against the law. Worthenshaws – just be honest and say it like it is. Granted your ingredients don’t contain allergens but you can’t guarantee free from so you shouldn’t state that.
My partner and I really enjoyed reading this blog post, I was just itching to know do you trade featured posts? I am always trying to find someone to make trades with and merely thought I would ask.
Hi EMT Training! If that is your name… Yes I would trade posts if it was relevant and consistent with the allergy theme, and I would provide a link to your blog. I have done this with a local herbologist. check out the post on Adaptogens.
EMT I can’t work out how to contact you. If you’re still interested in trading posts let me know.
Wouldn’t it be great if Worthenshaws actually joined in this discussion? Perhaps they are not even aware that we are all discussing their labeling strategy. I will email the lovely Kirsty and Worthenshaws and see what they have to say.
Hi folks.
I too am concerned about the packaging on worthenshaws freedom dessert giving a false impression in relation to the actual product that the packaging contains.
I have contacted trading standards with my concerns. Having just completed an LLB(Hons) I am confident that the packaging of this product also gives rise to the suggestion of misrepresentation, due to the misleading statements which suggest the product is allergen free, when in fact there is a probabiltiy of cross contamination with various allergens, during the production process. Unfortunately for Kirsty I believe that the quest for a successful brand has taken precedent over the original allergen free qualities that she set out to promote.