Bags of Nuts Recalled for Failing to Disclose the Presence of Nuts
An upscale supermarket chain in the UK has been ordered by the country's Food Standards Agency to recall all 350g house-brand bags of Wholehearted Roasted Monkey Nuts because the packaging failed to properly note that the product contained nuts.
"Monkey nuts" is a regional term for peanuts sold whole, with their pod still intact.
Booths sold the peanuts in transparent packaging, but the Food Standards Agency ruled that it didn't do enough to warn customers with a peanut allergy of the dangers contained within.
The product has since been removed from shelves across all 29 of the chain's grocery stores, and the company has issued a statement of apology to its customers.
"If you have an allergy to peanuts, please do not consume this product and return it to your local store for a full refund," Booths said in its statement. "No other products are affected by this issue and we sincerely apologise for the inconvenience caused."
The director of clinical services at Allergy UK told the Daily Telegraph that she realized many would consider it "barking mad to require bags of nuts to carry a warning on the back that they contain nuts," but the label ensured that "there is no doubt that a product contains an allergen."
