The encyclopaedia of gravy
In November 2016, Heinz recalled around 500 cases of Bistro Au Jus Gravy after some jars were labelled as pork gravy, leaving milk and soy undeclared.
In November 2016, Heinz recalled around 500 cases of its Bistro Au Jus Gravy because some jars had been labelled as pork gravy. The mislabelling left milk and soy undeclared — a packaging mistake with potentially serious consequences.
What happened¶
Nothing was wrong with the gravy. The product inside the jar was sound; it was simply not the product the label described. Because the two gravies have different recipes, the label on the affected jars did not list milk or soy, both of which were present in the contents.
For most buyers that is a curiosity. For someone with a milk or soy allergy, the label is the only information they have, and an incorrect one removes their ability to make a safe choice.
Why a labelling error is a safety recall¶
Allergen labelling law exists because avoidance is the only available treatment for a food allergy. There is no processing step, no cooking instruction and no consumer precaution that compensates for an ingredient the label does not mention.
A mislabelling recall is therefore treated with the same seriousness as a contamination recall, even though the food itself is perfectly good. The failure is in the information, and the information is the safety control.
⚠️ Watch out
This cuts directly against the standing advice on this site. Pages such as gluten-free gravy and vegan gravy tell readers to check the label, because commercial gravy routinely contains wheat, milk or anchovy. That advice assumes the label is accurate — and this incident is the case where it was not.
Gravy and hidden allergens¶
Commercial gravy is an unusually common source of undeclared-allergen recalls, because the things that make gravy taste and behave like gravy are themselves allergens:
| Ingredient | Allergen | Where it hides |
|---|---|---|
| Wheat flour | Gluten | The thickener in most brown gravies |
| Milk powder | Milk | Stock cubes, granules, cream gravies |
| Soy | Soy | Flavourings, soy sauce, emulsifiers |
| Anchovy | Fish | Worcestershire sauce |
| Barley malt vinegar | Gluten | Worcestershire sauce, browning |
Gravypedia covers the same ground from the cook's side in gluten-free gravy, vegan gravy and stock cubes.