How do you identify food as 'raw'?
This might be a stupid question; but I have a product, I don't want to go into too many details but it might not be obvious that it's meant to be cooked before eating but the micro is supporting we should alert people to this even though we've not had issues, the potential is there. Basically if eaten raw it would ming anyway but our complaints are indicating that's what some people are doing.
Does anyone have experience of this? What do you put on packaging to alert people that you NEED TO BLOOMING COOK IT?! :helpplease:
I would say raw is anything that requires further processing (such as cooking)
Does the packaging have cooking instructions on it? f yes, and people eat raw, then the onus is on them
Caz x
Not yet... but it's used as an ingredient and can be used in different ways. I suppose we need some basic instructions.
I would say raw is anything that requires further processing (such as cooking)
Does the packaging have cooking instructions on it? f yes, and people eat raw, then the onus is on them
Caz x
I agree with Cazyncymru (Bold).
Simple and short info in label : "For correct use, this product must be cooked before eating"...
Has anyone gone through this? I suppose bean sprouts might be an obvious place to look; we now know they ain't safe to eat raw and it says so on packaging but I suppose one of the things I want to avoid is any question with the EHO. Can anything be 100% clear to a consumer that YOU NEED TO BLOOMING COOK IT without actually admitting your average consumer is fairly stupid and they will ignore anything you write on the stuff... :doh:
Going to have a look at beansprout packs next time I'm in a supermarket. I think I might have answered my own question. :blink:
Yeah... I think legitimately, the best you can do is validate some cooking instructions and slap them semi-prominently on the label. Just temp the stuff to ensure you're getting where you need to be in the time/temperature you're stating.
Dear GMO,
It may depend on the specific details.
I can’t answer for UK (I assume this is the present case) but IMEX there are often legal issues relating to this topic.
The usual (expected) logic IMEX is that the producer must assume a worst case scenario, ie that customers are highly un-savvy.
One example from my casebook -
Shipment of frozen retail seafood mix such as clam, shrimp, octopus. Pre-blanched as part of a typical, well-known (to industry), process but not intended (or designated) to be “fully” cooked.
Stated on packet as ideal for seafood pizza topping.
Result - assumed by customers to be a ready-to-eat “snack” afer thawing. With predictable consequences.
Net result shipment rejected and dumped. Official reason – no labelling that it was a raw product and must be cooked before consumption.
Fair enough IMO.
Rgds / Charles
PS - “ming” defeated me and Google. I guessed you meant it would be sensorily “undelicious” to most discerning (?) consumers. I had a similar (psychological) reaction first time I saw retail frozen brains. Bird’s feet were almost equally unsettling. Nonetheless ….. :smile:
A problem I see quite regularly with frozen shelled prawns over here where the cooked and uncooked versions look the same.
I would have 'Cook before Eating' on the front of the packaging and cooking instructions on the back. The EHO could hardly criticise if this were the case and someone consumed raw. Also you could consider something like distributing consumer education leaflets or a small leaflet stuck to the packaging for a limited period.
Regards,
Tony
Sometimes products just need to have labels with 'DO NOT EAT RAW' or similar to stop the more determined consumers from killing themselves! Cookie dough is one well known example after people got ill from eating it raw despite it being something obvioulsy designed to be cooked.
As suggested above, play it safe and label the product really well as raw and provide cooking instructions.