Dessert shop trap: You don’t know about nut-containing spreads

At least 7 types of common sauces in domestic ready-made dessert shops are hidden nut carriers. If they are not clearly labeled, the risk of accidental ingestion by people with nut allergies is 3.2 times higher than eating desserts with visible nuts on the surface. In severe cases, it may cause anaphylactic shock. This data is the result of a survey conducted by the China Society of Food Science and Technology last year on 200 ready-made dessert shops in 12 cities. The credibility is still very high.

I worked in product development for a chain dessert brand for three years. Last month, I accompanied a friend to send his nut-allergic sister to the emergency room. It was unfair to say the least. When I bought the soufflé, I repeatedly told the store clerk "don't add any nuts."

Why is it that even though I specifically made a request, I still stepped on the trap? The core problem lies in the fact that most people's understanding of "desserts containing nuts" is still limited to the chopped almonds and walnut slices sprinkled on the surface. They have no idea how many finely ground nuts are hidden in those smooth and smooth sauces.

For example, the toffee sauce with a burnt aroma that you often eat on soufflés and waffles. In order to neutralize the sweetness, many stores will add chopped pistachios to 200 mesh. The color completely blends with the brown color of the toffee sauce. When you eat it, you can’t even feel the graininess. The aroma can be upgraded to a higher level. Many stores regard this as a secret recipe and will not take the initiative to say it. There is also the salted caramel sauce that has become popular in the past few years. Most recipes contain about 15% roasted hazelnut sauce. Otherwise, pure caramel will be a bit bitter when boiled out. Adding hazelnut sauce will make the taste more rounded. When you eat it, you will only feel the aroma of caramel, and you will not notice the presence of nuts at all. Oh, by the way, there is also the seasoned cheese sauce that is poured on top of the Internet-famous Basque cake. Many of them also add walnut sauce to enhance the flavor. I stepped on it once when I visited the store before. I am not allergic to nuts, but my mouth felt a little sour after eating it that day. I asked the boss and found out that walnut sauce was added. It would be really unpleasant for people with allergies.

The sea salt milk cap on the fruit tea that many people love to drink is also hidden. I have calculated the cost before and added 8%-12% almond paste as the base. The cost is 20% lower than using pure animal butter. It can also make the milk cap more durable and taste thicker. If the store does not tell you, you will not know that there are nuts in it after ten cups.

I talked about this matter with my colleagues before, and the differences of opinion were actually quite big. An owner of a private dessert shop felt wronged: "I added less than 1g of chopped nuts to enhance the flavor. Most people were fine after eating it. You can't read the recipe to every customer, right?" ”Some friends who work in quality control for chain brands insist that as long as there are allergen ingredients, no matter how small the amount added, they must be clearly marked on the order page. After all, allergies have nothing to do with the amount. For some people, even a small amount can cause serious problems. Objectively speaking, current domestic regulations require that prepackaged foods must be labeled with the eight major allergens, but there are no unified mandatory labeling requirements for ready-made desserts. In many cases, it is really up to the store's discretion.

When you go to order and ask the clerk "Does this sauce have nuts?", nine times out of ten, he will be stunned for two seconds, and then run to the kitchen to ask. Even the kitchen may not know it. After all, many chain sauces are pre-made and delivered from the factory, and the distribution list may not include everything. For friends who are allergic to nuts, I would like to give you some solid advice. Don’t just tell the store clerk “don’t add nuts.” The nuts you are talking about are the chopped nuts on the surface. The store clerk may think you are talking about the whole nut pieces. It is best to directly ask “do all the added sauces contain nuts?” Some of the better restaurants I have contacted in the past will now post allergen warnings for all sauces in the most conspicuous place at the ordering counter. Customers can see it when they look up. In fact, it does not increase the cost much. It is just a matter of concern.

To be honest, I have been doing dessert research and development for so many years, and I have always felt that the core of desserts is to make people happy. If you end up in the hospital because of unlabeled ingredients, it completely defeats the original intention. To be honest, those nuts hidden in the sauce are not malicious traps, they are just poor information. If you ask more, the store will mark it, and most of the problem will be solved. After all, no one wants to happily eat something sweet and get into trouble in the end, right?