So angry at co-op

[mchelle81]

so i went in co-op the other day to get fizzy laces licorice only to find "new improved recipe" then read it is now only vegetarian :mad:
then today i went it to get the apple lattice cakes to first find they are smaller and i read the pack to check and now they have milk in them !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :mad:

[pusskins]

They've changed a lot of things re. the sweets. American Hard Gums and Fruit Jellies don't even have suitable for vegetarians on them.

I emailed the Co-op to complain about 2 weeks ago but, as yet, haven't heard back.

HOWEVER, check out the sweets at Sainsbury's. New packaging, new range... They've got fizzy strawberry laces there now which are suitable!

[mchelle81]

i just this second emailed the co-op to complain hhmmm wont hold my breath for a reply im not going to bother going in co-op anymore and stick to sainsburys, oh yeah i have rhubard and custard sweets from sainsburys and i cant remember what the others was called but hard boiled ones different colours, i hate when ther change recipe them apple lattices was sooooo good why did someone say oh i know lets put milk in it when they made it before without ??

[pusskins]

Got a response:

Dear *********

Thank you for contacting the Co-operative Careline regarding Co-operative Fruit Jellies and Hard Gums, and may I begin by apologising for the delay in replying to you.

Although there are no animal ingredients in the recipe of the product, our supplier informs us that due to the manufacturing process there is a possibility of cross contamination with traces of Gelatine which is present in the recipes of other jelly-type sweets made in the same manufacturing unit. Therefore, we feel we cannot claim that this product is Suitable for Vegetarians or Vegans.

Thank you once again for your email, and if I can be if any further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact me on 0800 0686 727.

Yours Sincerely

[pusskins]

Can anybody see my post???

[leedsveg]

Yes pusskins, no probs.

I think the Co-op are just trying to protect themselves from litigation if there was an actual instance of cross-contamination.

lv

[harpy]

This seems similar to the Green & Blacks issue of removing the "vegan" label from things because of cross-contamination risks. As in the G&B case it seems to me they would be much better advised to keep the vegan label and add a cross-contamination warning :rolleyes:

[pusskins]

Good, good! I can't see it on my screen unless I highlight the post...

Yes, I can understand why they would do that. It's just annoying that, rather than make an effort for their members and customers, they take the 'easy' way out (sounds harsher than I mean it...Not very good at formulating my thoughts!).

[harpy]

It looks fine here pusskins, it's just in italics and a bit faint (different font?).

Actually I lied, I think, because in the G&B case they actually listed milk as an ingredient when it's just a possible contaminant, which is sillier I think than removing the "suitable for vegans" label. Does the ingredients list for these Co-op products still look vegan?

[mchelle81]

OOOH wonder if i will be getting a reply soon ?

[pusskins]

Does the ingredients list for these Co-op products still look vegan?

As far as I can tell, it looks pretty much the same... Need confirmation from others!

Yes, I agree with you harpy. Still label it 'vegan' but put the warning on. I would appreciate that. However, I know there are other threads about this very topic on here!

I suspect they'll say pretty much the same to you, mchelle81. Maybe we could then email back about the whole warning label and still labelling vegan? At least then they'll know how we feel.

[harpy]

Yes, I would write. I don't buy the gum things but I do sometimes buy their fairtrade chocolate and the same thing applies to that I think.

[leedsveg]

Actually I lied, I think, because in the G&B case they actually listed milk as an ingredient when it's just a possible contaminant, which is sillier I think than removing the "suitable for vegans" label.

I agree harpy. I know we had a long thread about this, last year I think, and I don't want to get back into the argument but it still annoys me. I've not eaten G&B Cadburys Kraft chocolate since.

lv

[Risker]

Can anybody see my post???


Good, good! I can't see it on my screen unless I highlight the post...


You've got the font colour set to black so if you're using the blackstealth style it's the same colour as the background, I have to highlight it too. Take out all the tags [] and it should be fine.

It is annoying, vegan labelling should not be treated as allergy advice, there is specific allergen warnings for that.

[mchelle81]

i went back to read this are the american hard gums in co-op vegan then or just that they have taken vegetarian off packet

[pusskins]

Well, according to the email, they are still vegan. Just a risk of cross-contamination now, apparently.

[Hel]

the jellies havet he same ingredients, my store had both versions of packaging and i compared, i dont feel like giving them my money now it doesnt say vegan on it. Co-op were so far ahead of other supermarkets what has happened to them?

Are the donuts still vegan? I havnt bought them for ages after overdosing when i found out they were suitable!

[twinkle]

They've stopped labelling the doughnuts as suitable around here, although the ingredients still look the same. Annoying.

[Marten]

In Holland hardly any product is labelled as suitable for vegetarians, leave alone vegans. Also allergy information like "contains milk/egg/nuts/soya" is basically non-existent there! When I lived there I always had to fully read the labels to find out something is vegan. :(

[mchelle81]

the donuts by me were never labelled vegan but now it says made on same line that handles fish eggs ect

[mchelle81]

FINALLY GOT A REPLT TODAY

Thanks for your query.

I have contacted our Labelling team who has advised me that our In Store Bakery products are now in generic bags, which cover other products in store, which includes products which are not suitable for vegetarians/vegans. Therefore, this labelling has been removed in case of any cross contamination within the store.
The strawberry laces have been reformulated, however they are still suitable for vegetarians and vegans. There has been a mistake at the design stage and suitable for vegans has been missed off pack. I will arrange for this to be amended as soon as possible, although as you would expect, this will take a while to show on packs in store.

I hope this answers your enquiry if I can be of further assistance with anything else do not hesitate to contact me directly on our Freephone number 08000 686727.

regards

[pusskins]

That's a different email than I got. I hope they also sort the American Hard Gums and Fruit Jellies.

Thank you for posting that, mchelle81. I will wait until they redo the label, however. Me being me, I want to show them how bad it is when they miss off important information like that and how big their vegan market is! Because I alone am such a big number...:rolleyes: I like to feel I count sometimes...

[leedsveg]

Went to the Co-op today and was really surprised how many bottles of wine now contained milk/gelatine. Nowhere near as much vegan choice as there used to be.

lv:(

[Blueberry]

Really Leedsveg? Cos I go there all the time and am amazed by the choice of vegan wines! Of their own label I can choose between a good twenty to twenty five bottles! I avoid French and mainly stick with Chilean though- seems the New World wines seem to be less likely to contain anything non-vegan. I love the Co-op, makes my life so much easier!

[leedsveg]

^
It's not that they don't sell wines suitable for vegans, because obviously they do. It's just that the vegan choice among cheaper wines seems to have gone down quite a bit in the last six months. Are you buying all your vegan wines at £12+, Blueberry?!:D

I shouldn't really complain because my alcohol intake averages out at about 2 units a month. I feel so ashamed...

lv