Product allergy warnings

Have we got to the point that we must label everything even when it's obvious? On the side of my carton of skimmed milk has in big letters "Allergy Information: Contains Milk" I'd be more worried if my carton of normal milk didn't contain milk! A few months back I had a packet of salmon and that had "May contain fish" on the back...

Yes we have gotten to that point thanks lawyers

Don't blame the lawyers.

For us to get to this point, the following had to happen:

1) Someone had to have an allergic reaction to their milk.
2) They got mad about it.
3) They contacted a lawyer who thought "Hey, I can make money doing what I do!"
4) Some court decided it would be ok to allow this.
5) Somehow, the milk company didn't win the case.
6) The milk company puts a label on their product to prevent getting screwed again.
7) Nobody took the time to slap some sense into everyone involved.



If I was a lawyer in our world, I can't say I wouldn't take advantage of the idiotic system we've built to make a buck or two.

Reminds me of the Simpsons where Nelson was beating up Milhouse during the trial on the island...

"I'm gonna allow this..." - Bart

I love things like that. Just today I came across this gem at the Pocket CoPilot support web site:

"If you do not have an internet connection or the activation is unsuccessful, contact ALK technical support at [email protected] to receive an activation code. Please include your Product Key and License Number in the e-mail."

Pure genius.

-Zeke

Link. See the bottom.

My question on this would be: If you don't have internet access (and therefore web / email access)...

...how are you looking at the website?

Touche!

Got me.

-Zeke

Side of Shredded Weat packet:

Ingredients: 100% Whole Weat
- This product main contain nuts -

Ah, nut warnings...

I am a very good customer of a local chocolate manufacturing plant. They do wholesale and have a small retail outlet near where I work. They explained that one to me one day...

Nut oils are one of the nastiest allergens (except maybe shellfish) to people allergic to it. Most food allergies will not kill you. This one can - if you are hypersensitive to it. Not very common, but...

Any manufacturing plant that processes nuts in any way must have that warning. The nut oils are so pervasive that they will contaminate the production line they run on. After that, anyone allergic to nuts will have major trouble. Even if there are no nuts in it (like that 100% shredded wheat), the mere traces of nut oils in the equipment can be lethal to that small fraction of the population. They actually have to have a dedicated line for non-nut varieties or carry the disclaimer.

This particular factory chose not to manufacture anything with peanuts in their facility just to avoid having to put a warning label on everything they made.

Not that there is not a lot of stupid labeling (there is) or people out to make a quick buck (there are). But this is actually a life and death issue to some people. Not many, and I am glad I do not have to deal with that one personally... Imagine having to check your box of cornflakes to see if they could kill you...