There’s eating and drinking in it

Alcohol labelling and food products

Sir, – Even at this festive time of year, many of us, for a variety of reasons, stay away from alcohol.

Easy enough to do, you might imagine.

Who, though, would expect to find it in a sausage-and-bacon sandwich?

My wife picked this up for me from a well-known retailer which also has several outlets in Dublin.

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Having enjoyed it, I looked at the package to see the ingredients.

The chutney contained ruby port.

In fairness to them, it clearly stated “contains alcohol”, but my wife, in a very busy store, relaxed her customary vigilance.

She reports that alcohol is found in all sorts of things, from trifles, where you’d expect it, to many where you wouldn’t.

I don’t believe the port contributed significantly to the undeniably excellent sandwich.

May I appeal to retailers, if at all possible, to confine their alcohol to the drinks aisle, so people can make an informed choice? – Yours, etc,

PAUL GRIFFIN,

St Helens,

Merseyside,

UK.