French Supermarkets and Nut Allergy labelling?

Question

Do the large French supermarkets such as Intermarche label products as containing nuts/ being nut free for allergy sufferers? We will be visiting Brittany and Normandy soon.

I have read that the French don't take nut allergies very seriously, and my daughter had her first nut allergy symptoms the other day and now has an epipen (adrenaline) which we will take with us.

I am also worried about bakery products and eating out. As we're self catering, we might be safer to eat home prepared food :(

I have a translation prepared in case of an emergency and to ask restaurant staff about ingredients and speak school girl French myself.

Thank you.

Answer 1

It's bullshit that food branch of France does not care about nut allergies in common - the manufacturer there act in accordance to the EU legal acts in same way like all other members of the European community.

You have to be careful buying non-packed food e.g. in bakeries, markets etc. and also in restaurants, coffee shops and similar places. You'll  have to consider exactly the same when buying goods in e.g. UK or Germany.

When reading ingredients lists on packed food avoid products containing e.g. food additive 322 (also often listed as lecithin), arachis (an alternative term for peanut), hydrolyzed vegetable protein (which may be found in some cereals), arachis oil (peanut oil), emulsified or satay (which could mean that the food was thickened with peanuts), natural and artificial flavouring (which could contain tree nuts and are used in many foods, including barbecue sauce, cereals, crackers, and ice cream). And of course all clear nut based products like nougat etc.

Also be careful when cooking / baking at home using vegetable oils, margarine or sim. products if they are not 100% e.g. native olive oil.

Production background: We list on nearby all of our products "may contain nuts or nut parts" even if no nuts or nut based products have been used to do this item. Why? Because you need an absolutely nut-free production & packing environment to avoid having traces of nuts to be found through a chemical analysis. That means a lot of efforts without having a real economical benefit except of producing goods for customers with allergies.

Answer 2

Since 2005 a decree of the European Parliament has made it obligatory for food manufacturers to list any of 12 possible allergens on food labels, including nuts - this article tells you all about it: <www.reponseatout.com/imprimersans.php3?... It also makes it clear that restaurateurs etc should be ready to reply to any questions about ingredients.  

Answer 3

The two above give good answers. Just to correct one thing Onegreyone wrote, it is arachides, not arachis.

There's no special icon to signal nut contents or risk of having traces of nuts, read the packages carefully.

And it is not that we don't take them seriously, it is that we have way less nut allergies than in the US or the UK though the number is growing as the diet of our children has changed to a more 'americanised' food and their bodies react with allergies.

Answer 4

It's written on the package if there is nuts (and other "fruits à coque"), even if it's only a trace, and it's written too when the product has been produced in a workshop usually using nuts even if there is no nuts in the product himself. but it's just written, there is no special sign, so you will have to read everything...

and no we don't want to kill all tourists, maybe just the upstairs naked chef ! lol

have a nice holidays in Brittany (I live there) and Normandy !

Answer 5

That's only because the French want to knock off the highest amount of tourists possible.