5.4 Product Authenticity & Claims

Hi Everyone,

I am looking to get some help in relation to a product being called "Wild Garlic Croutons". Stating that the garlic is wild, is a claim, but i am unsure of what relevant documents I need to back this claim up. On the garlic specification, the raw material description states "Ramsons is a wild growing plant of the subfamily garlic". I don't seem to believe that this could be enough to support the claim, but then again i'm unsure? Is there anything else I could request from my supplier if this statement isnt enough?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

I think that the claim is that it is Wild Garlic, not that the garlic is wild. Wild Garlic is a different plant from garlic, and although is does grow wild, can be cultivated. We have large amounts in our hedgerows at the moment and I pick it frequently to add to food (use the leaves, not the bulbs).

Check out https://en.wikipedia.../Allium_ursinum for more info. Ask your supplier how it's harvested and used.

I agree that you don't seem to have quite enough information from your supplier.  

As an absolute minimum they should have the scientific name on the specification.  That way there is no doubt as to what plant material they are supposed to be supplying. 

As BrummyJim said, you should also obtain (in writing) information about where it is grown and how it is harvested.  Although laws on that type of claim can be pretty vague a great place to start is to ask yourself what the consumer would be imagining when they see the label "Wild garlic croutons".  My guess is that the consumer will be expecting that the product has been made with something that is known to botanists as wild garlic OR the garlic in the croutons has been harvested from the 'wild'.  If there are any consumer law questions you will need to be able to show that your product meets one or both of those expectations.  Some good written information from your supplier will show that you have done your due diligence with regards to the material and its harvesting methods so you should be okay there.  

If the garlic is neither Allium ursinum nor harvested by foraging (rather than cultivated) then you might have a problem with your product name. 

Thanks for the comments at BrummyJim and Karenconstable. 

I would ask the supplier to explain their supply chain to you.  Where are the Ramsons grown, do they go through any agents or brokers?  Do they do mass balance traces to make sure they're not contaminated with regular garlic or something cheap which looks similar when cut up like spring onions?  Actually that's a good point, if you're buying them whole, the risk is lower than if you buy them processed, e.g. chopped, as a paste in a marinade etc.  The further away you get from the original plant, the harder it is to identify and easier to substitute.