Behold: Nuts!

So, my "Nut Crunch Bar" comes with a warning that it contains nuts.

I often wonder why people feel they need to warn you about products containing themselves. Is it possible to get a "Nut Crunch Bar" that is completely devoid of nuts - and wasn't even made in a plant that processes nut products? Are there people out there who are so stupid that they would eat something that has the word "Nut" written all over it without expecting to encounter nuts?

It's not like the whole "contains nuts" thing would come as a complete surprise. Not like, say, the presence of milk in potato chips (crisps). No one thinks potato chips would contain anywhere near the amount of weird stuff that comes with the flavourings, so I can see why your packet of "Tomato Flavoured Chips" would need to warn you that it contains milk and wheat.

Interestingly, the "Tomato Flavoured Chips" I saw didn't actually contain anything that came from a tomato, so I supposed that pokes a hole in my whole "It says 'nuts' on the packet" argument.

Still, if I had a tomato allergy, I would probably give the "Tomato Flavoured Chips" a wide berth, regardless of whether or not it listed tomatoes in the ingredients or put a warning in bold letters.

You never see that, actually. A tomato warning. I've met people with tomato allergies, but I've never seen any "Warning: Contains tomato products" labels on anything. I once met someone who was allergic to tomatoes and onions, which basically meant she could only eat corn flakes - and even then there were no guarantees.

I wonder what has to happen before an allergy becomes important enough to get a warning on a packet?

I wonder why some of the packets I pick up list themselves as being "gluten free" or "dairy free", while others don't - it's surprising how often wheat or dairy is present in something that just calls itself "flavours".

I wonder if the "Heinz Baked Beans in Tomato Sauce" sold in Australia is gluten free - the official website only mentions that they are gluten free in the U.K., Canada and Poland. If not, I wonder why they wouldn't be - it's clearly possible to have gluten free baked beans in tomato sauce, as three other countries are doing it.

I wonder why my "Nut Crunch Bar" proudly declares itself to be Halal when it doesn't contain any animal products at all - wouldn't "vegan friendly" be more appropriate? And why does the same company put out an "Almond and Apricot" bar that contains yoghurt (made from milk solids), which does not mention dairy in the allergen warning? It warns you that it contains almonds...

I don't know what makes the least sense, to be frank: the things companies write on their food labels, or the things they actually put in their food.