Supermarkets

General Policy Statement: ASDA aim to 'make it easier and cheaper to shop for allergy requirements by introducing more foods for allergy sufferers; especially gluten free; and removing (where possible) key allergy causing ingredients such as milk, eggs, gluten, wheat, soya and nuts from its food and drink.

They provide a list of products that do not contain any nuts, nut oils, sesame seeds or sesame seed oils ingredients. However ASDA is constantly reviewing its range and occasionally recipe changes do occur. They therefore suggest that you check ingredients lists printed on our packaging and delicatessen / in store bakery / serve over counter information tickets. Ingredient lists will always include nuts, sesame seeds and their oils when they are present as ingredients (or as part of recipe ingredients).

To help you identify which products contain nuts, ASDA highlights the presence of nuts in the 'contains' box under the ingredients panel. On pack ASDA states nut ingredients in bold in the ingredients lists and also adds "may contain traces of nuts" on packs when there is a possibility of nut contamination from other products produced in the same factory again naming the nut type if only one.

If you would like confirmation of the nut free nature of any delicatessen products please ask at the counter. On occasion larger/smaller pack sizes can be obtained from different sources or produced in different factories. It is therefore very important to check each size and not to assume that if one is ok for your diet they will all be.'

Own Brand Nut Free List Supplied: A 13-page list of products that do not contain any nuts, nut oils, sesame seeds or sesame seed oils ingredients.

Comments: Good advice given and the search facility under the healthy living section on the website www.asda.com makes it easier to find specific items. Unfortunately without distinguishing between nuts, nut oils, sesame seeds and sesame seed oils the actual range available for people who only suffer from one of these allergies is decreased. Although the company has a policy of 'introducing more foods for allergy sufferers' it appears to have a limited range of own-brand products suitable for nut-allergy sufferers. e.g. no own-brand biscuits are safe to eat. The list received by post was also due to be updated in Autumn 2003. On a visit to a large local store I managed to obtain a nut and sesame free list although this was due to be updated in Autumn 2001.

General Policy Statement: As a responsible supermarket group that takes our customers' welfare very seriously, we stock a wide range of 'Free From' foods for customers with food allergies and intolerances.

Own-Brand Nut Free List Supplied: Available on their website www.budgens.co.uk under 'Healthy Eating'>'Food Intolerance'

Comments: The table format for people who have multiple allergies is a good idea. Unfortunately there appear to be a few glitches on the website making information difficult to access. Although Budgens make the effort to explain the difference between an allergy and an intolerance, relevant information on allergy-free food is still to be found under the heading of 'intolerances' which I found slightly confusing. Reference to the Nutrition Society's website as the Nut Society is also misleading. I did reply to Budgen's e-mail to point out these problems, but the site has remained unchanged.

Products will display one of the following nut statements on the product packaging, beneath the ingredients panel highlighted in bold. (Unprocessed products do not require nut statements)

• !Contains Nuts
  If the product contains nuts

• !Made in a production area that uses nuts
  If the product contains no nuts, but is made in a production area that uses nuts for other products

• Made in a production area where no nuts are present
  If the product contains no nuts and no nuts are used in the production area for any other products

Comments: A very responsible attitude from a caring retailer. The list and labelling policy are clear and easy to understand. Plus, they actually do update and review their products on a regular basis unlike certain larger retail establishments I could mention. And you can order groceries online.

General Policy Statement: A list of products free from nuts was supplied alongside a letter explaining extra information relating to the list, as follows:

'Some of the products on it (the list) might contain refined nut oil. To date, there is no medical evidence that refined nut oil can cause an allergic reaction, so we include food with this ingredient in our nut-free list and there will be no warning label on the package itself. On the other hand, if a food contains cold-pressed nut oil, you'll always find the logo 'Not suitable for nut allergy sufferers'. We also always include refined peanut oil in our ingredients lists.

We update this list regularly and take great care over its accuracy. We recommend, however that you take the extra precaution of double-checking the ingredients panel on the back of our packaging.

The following 2002 press release was found on searching the company website www.marksandspencer.com :

Marks & Spencer's pledge to having a safe range of products for nut allergy sufferers is:

• no nut warning will be used on a product unless it is really necessary (this is in contrast to many products that carry a nut warning logo as a 'safety net' by some manufacturers)
• where products have a nut presence, it will be clearly labelled so customers are able to avoid them if necessary
• the strictest rules are in place to guide Marks & Spencer suppliers on the operation of nut segregation

Julia Banks, Marks & Spencer's allergy specialist, comments: "We're committed to having a safe range of products for our customers who may wish to avoid nuts. At Marks and Spencer we can offer customers added confidence because all food products are own-brand, offering traceability, as well as total control of use of ingredients."

Own-Brand Nut Free List Supplied: Yes, 20 pages

Comments: The company takes their customers' needs seriously and understands the issues related to allergy-sufferers. The policy regarding nut oil is good and is increasing the range available.

However it was sometimes difficult to access correct information. I remained confused over contamination issues and related labelling after reading a postal reply to my query. On phoning Customer Services an adviser informed me that I should not eat anything from Marks and Spencer unless it had their 'nut-free logo' on it. I have yet to find any own-label product bearing a nut-free logo in-store. I did find relevant information on the 'food labelling' section of the website as follows:

Information about the presence of key allergens is provided within the 'Contains' box. We have also taken a number of steps to safeguard our customers who are sensitive to nuts. If there is a potential risk to customers the food packaging will carry a separate nut warning symbol.

But I think Marks and Spencers should publicise their good practice by devoting more space on the website to allergy policy and by training staff on their positive policy.

General Policy Statement: Morrisons provide on-pack information regarding ingredients relating to known allergens. These include milk, gluten, soya, egg, nuts, sesame seeds, peanuts, sulphite, fish and shellfish. Where any of these are present in a product they will be included under the heading 'Ingredients' shown on the product packaging and also highlighted separately in an individual box. In relation to nuts alone, where the product itself does not contain nuts, but it is produced in a factory where nut containing product are also made, the words 'May contain traces of nuts' no longer appears on our own brand products. However the word nuts will appear in the allergens box.

Regarding products sold from our Fresh Food Departments …we cannot guarantee each dish is free from an ingredient which may cause an allergic reaction.

Own Brand Nut Free List Supplied: None available

Comments: The allergens box suggests that allergens are actually contained in a product rather than highlighting the risk of cross-contamination e.g. the packaging reads 'Contains: Nuts'. Using this statement on all products that are 'produced in a factory where nut-containing products are also made' significantly decreases the range of foods available, perhaps unnecessarily.

General Policy Statement: At Safeway we recognise that people have food allergies and intolerances and therefore need to understand whether products are suitable for them.

Own Brand Nut Free List Supplied: Safeway no longer produce a nut free product list as since the takeover by Morrisons many Safeway products are being removed from stores and it has been too difficult to keep the list accurate and up to date.

Allergen Information

Safeway is committed to helping customers following special diets. The majority of Safeway products now carry allergen information within the Dietary and Allergen Advice panel on the back of our products. Information on the following allergens appears when they are contained in the product for example:

Dietary and Allergen Advice

Contains: Peanuts, Nuts, Shellfish, Sesame, Gluten, Egg, Milk, Soya, Fish, Sulphite, Celery, Mustard

Where the above allergens are not listed this means they are not contained within the product and the product is therefore free from this allergen and suitable for someone with this allergy or intolerance. For example:

Dietary and Allergen Advice

Contains: Peanuts, Nuts, Sesame, Milk, Soya

This product is therefore free from:

• Shellfish, Gluten, Egg, Fish, Sulphite, Celery, Mustard

and suitable for someone avoiding these allergens.

In addition we use the statement 'Not suitable for nut allergy sufferers' where products are produced in a factory which handles nuts and there is a real risk of cross contamination. This statement also appears in the Dietary and Allergen Advice panel.

Comments: A comprehensive explanation of the chain's clear labelling policy, although 'a real risk of cross contamination' is highly subjective.

Sainsbury's policy is that all products which contain nuts or peanuts show this in the ingredients whether or not UK labelling legislation demands that they should be indicated.

To make it easier for customers to quickly and easily spot allergens in ingredient lists, we have an additional box highlighting the presence of any major allergens.

On our new style back of pack (launched May 2002) this is headed 'Allergy Advice' and has a pink background and lists CONTAINS followed by whichever of the following are present: NUTS (which includes peanuts), SESAME, SHELLFISH, FISH, EGG, MILK, SOYA, WHEAT, GLUTEN. On older packaging the box has a blue background and states *CONTAINS followed by whichever of the following are present: NUTS, SESAME, SHELLFISH, FISH, EGG, MILK, SOYA, WHEAT, GLUTEN.

If you think you have an allergy to nuts, you should consult your GP for a firm diagnosis, further information and emergency medicine.

Own Brand Nut Free List Supplied: Yes, though last updated Sept 2003 and currently being revised.

Comments: There is no mention of Sainsbury's cross contamination (and subsequent labelling) policy on their website. This concerns me, as I recently received an e-mail from somebody whose child had suffered a reaction to a Sainsbury's product where a warning was barely visible. Despite several phone calls to Sainsbury's I have not received a clear response. I now await a reply from their nutrition department.

Own Brand Nut Free List Supplied: Yes, 62 pages

Comments: The list supplied is in alphabetical order making many products difficult to find. Also, the descriptions are quite basic with no codes attached to them so it may be difficult to select the right products. As for their labelling policy, they're keeping it quiet.

There is no special policy at present to stock products aimed at nut allergy sufferers although nut-free products do and will exist and the labelling shoukd make them clear.

The subject of cross-contamination is difficult and complex and there are no easy answers. Spar are also reviewing the format and content of panels which have become known as the 'may contain' panels and we also aim to be progressive in this regard.

Own Brand Nut Free List Supplied: No

Comments: Rather vague, but it appears Spar are reviewing current procedures carefully.

• Recipe: Contains nuts/No nuts
• Factory: Made on the same production line as a product that contains nuts/ Made in a nut-free area/No nuts
• Ingredients: No nuts/Cannot guarantee nut free

Comments: Although this could be a step in the right direction I fear that the 'ingredients' part of the warning states 'cannot guarantee nut free' on far too many products. There now appear to be a lot more 'unsafe' products making shopping with Tesco virtually impossible. Is this just Tesco being over-cautious or lazy about sourcing its ingredients? I'll do a bit of digging on this one!

Contact: Customer Services 0800 505555

Waitrose are careful on carry over of traces of nut or sesame allergens ( for example, groundnut oil from flavourings, spice oils and vitamins ), they also check the possibility of nut or sesame allergens in the content of a blended vegetable oil.

They ask all their suppliers for clear identification of any rework from material containing nut or sesame allergens and ask their technologists to keep the level of general awareness of the consequence of nut or sesame allergen contamination at a high level.

The nut/sesame allergen warning statement shall appear on retain packaging if indicated by the supplier in the product specification.

Waitrose are constantly reviewing and updating polices according to new information received and are also members of the Anaphylaxis Campaign.

Own Brand Nut Free List Supplied: Yes.

Comments: A very thorough response. Waitrose appear to assess the actual risk of cross contamination in a responsible manner without unnecessarily restricting the choice of products available to the customer.