Greggs is looking at ways to step up allergy labelling in its stores after two deaths from allergic reactions to food bought from rival chain Pret a Manger.
Roger Whiteside, chief executive of Greggs, said the company was currently putting out messages via digital screens in stores, telling those who suffered from allergies to ask assistants for advice or to check out information on its website.
He said that Greggs was considering whether it should provide shelf-edge labels with allergen information. He added: “Allergies have to be taken very seriously. The challenge in our business is that the bulk of what we sell is not in packets … how do you put an allergy message on a sausage roll?”
Whiteside said Greggs had always relied on communication with staff in shops in the past but had “ramped up” to ensure “staff are fully aware of the extent of the risk”.
Last week Pret agreed to the full labelling of ingredients on all its freshly made products after the case of 15-year-old Natasha Ednan-Laperouse, who was allergic to sesame and died on a flight after eating one of its baguettes bought at Heathrow airport.
The family of Celia Marsh, 42, who had a fatal allergic reaction to food bought from Pret a Manger, have meanwhile called for answers over her death.
Marsh died last December after eating a “super-veg” rainbow flatbread containing a yoghurt that was supposed to be dairy-free but was found to be contaminated with dairy.
The sandwich chain is in a dispute with its former supplier CoYo, which it blamed for supplying the contaminated yoghurt that was one of the ingredients of the flatbread.
CoYo, a coconut milk brand, said Pret’s claims that it was to blame were unfounded. It accused the sandwich chain of hampering its own investigation into the death by failing to provide vital information.
Greggs raised the prospect of a change to its labelling regime as it revealed a 7.3% rise in total sales in the three months to 29 September. Underlying sales were up by 3.2%. It warned of lower than expected profit margins as sales of cold drinks – on which it makes less profit – increased by double-digit percentages during the hot summer weather.
