Not sucky, just kinda dumb

[Pixelated]

I'm standing at the sample bar at the store's doorway today when two women and a child walk up.

Me: "Want to try some (Really Super-Popular Iced Tea)? One for each of you?"

1st woman: "No, not for her (indicating the small child), but I'll have one."

2nd woman: "Me too!"

So I pour out two small samples and start chatting. "This has papaya, pineapple, a bit of citrus ..."

2nd woman immediately puts down her sample cup. "I'm sorry, I can't drink this, I'm allergic to pineapple."

Me: "Oh, sorry!"

Um, lady, if you've got food allergies, maybe YOU should ASK what's in the stuff BEFORE you drink it? Because if I hadn't been listing the ingredients, she'd have slurped it down, with who knows what results.

[Shyla]

I don't think of iced tea as having pineapple.

[Pixelated]

Technically it's not iced tea ... there is no tea in it. But we have a wide array of herbal mixes as well, and many of them (as well as some of our flavoured teas) have got pineapple in them.

More to the point, it's also listed on the label that is on the container that I pulled the samples from.

It just seems to me that somebody with a food allergy would never "assume" anything about a food or drink that they are trying for the first time.

[notalwaysright]

My mom has some weird intolerance/allergy to Spirulina. If she eats or drinks it she pukes really violently. Now, it never used to be a problem because it's only been the last what, 10-15 years that it's become popular to put in superfood drinks and such. Anyways, do you think she's paranoid about this? You bet. She even had a sample lady at Costco say a drink didn't contain it, but mom read the ingredients and it certainly did.

Anyway, my point is that you have to be responsible for your own health.

[An Haddock]

My mom has some weird intolerance/allergy to Spirulina. If she eats or drinks it she pukes really violently. Now, it never used to be a problem because it's only been the last what, 10-15 years that it's become popular to put in superfood drinks and such. Anyways, do you think she's paranoid about this? You bet. She even had a sample lady at Costco say a drink didn't contain it, but mom read the ingredients and it certainly did.

Anyway, my point is that you have to be responsible for your own health.

Yep - my roommate has Celiac's. I never had any idea how much food has frigging gluten in it.

"Hey - what are you making?"
"Rice-a-Roni to go with my chicken. Want some?"
"It has gluten in it."
"Whaaaaaaaaat?" *reads label* "Well, shit."

I don't even bother asking any more, unless I'm cooking a veggie or meat with no additives.

[Kittish]

Of course Rice-a-Roni has gluten. It's a combination of pasta (made with wheat) and rice.

I have to be vigilant about artificial sweeteners. Every single one I've ever tried has made me sick. I can generally tell with one mouthful if something has them in it, it'll have this weird metallic tone to the flavor. You might be surprised at how many things have sweeteners added, and 'diet' foods are the worst.

[Pixelated]

I have to be vigilant about artificial sweeteners. Every single one I've ever tried has made me sick. I can generally tell with one mouthful if something has them in it, it'll have this weird metallic tone to the flavor.

YES!! I thought I was the only one who found artificial sweeteners left a metallic aftertaste!

They don't make me sick but I loathe that weird taste. I'll just take the non-diet stuff, thanks, and just eat or drink a little less of it!

[WishfulSpirit]

Yeah I find the aftertaste weird too. I never thought of it as "metallic" just "bitter" but I suppose metallic applies. Regular for me please no diet.

[Sulhythal]

I don't find it "metallic" either. Just...horrible. I elected to quit drinking pop rather than "learn" to like diet, it was that bad.

[Catwoman2965]

YES!! I thought I was the only one who found artificial sweeteners left a metallic aftertaste!

They don't make me sick but I loathe that weird taste. I'll just take the non-diet stuff, thanks, and just eat or drink a little less of it!

I can always tell when something is artificially sweetened. I hate it, plus sometimes, but not always, it will give me a headache, no matter what it is.

[Sliceanddice]

well 1: most places with people giving the samples not just a plate or what ever tell you the ingredients
2: People don't think about pineapple being an allergen, even though its becoming more and more common (it is linked to latex sensitivity) . I bet if the tea had peanuts in it it would have a caution sign.
3: if your handing me a tea i wouldn't think it had fruit in it unless you said it was a blend or infusion
4: unless the product is sitting there with its easy to read ingredient list (which most products dont have) pointed to them, they cant really check themselves/

All of the reasons above makes questioning hard.

I really believe that all samples should have a large printed list of the ingredients on it so us with allergies have to hope that we are safe.

Just this summer i ordered a salad at a place that the pictures and the menu made sound like it just had berrys pecans and poppyseed dressing. I took 3 bites and found out that it also had pineapple in it, a fact i confirmed by reading the dietary information menu i had to get up and pick up from a corner far from the cashier. I am allergic to pineapple and the tell tell tingle of my lips was what made me stop and examine it, but if i hadn't stopped and thought it was just the tingle of soda bubbles i could have gotten really sick. Ingredient lists need to be more easily found because i already have had the joy of making the server, cashier or other employee walk into the kitchen to ask if the sauce had pineapple juice in it or to make sure i dont get the pineapple tamale when i ordered a chefs choose plate.

[Ironclad Alibi]

Taste is genetically determined. Mrs. IA found that out back in school when the subject was discussed. She think raspberries taste like soap but I don't, which is a genetic thing.

[Pixelated]

well 1: most places with people giving the samples not just a plate or what ever tell you the ingredients
2: People don't think about pineapple being an allergen, even though its becoming more and more common (it is linked to latex sensitivity) . I bet if the tea had peanuts in it it would have a caution sign.
3: if your handing me a tea i wouldn't think it had fruit in it unless you said it was a blend or infusion
4: unless the product is sitting there with its easy to read ingredient list (which most products dont have) pointed to them, they cant really check themselves/

All of the reasons above makes questioning hard.

I really believe that all samples should have a large printed list of the ingredients on it so us with allergies have to hope that we are safe.

*snip*

1) Yes, that's what I did ... although I did not give the entire list of ingredients (mostly because I haven't got the kind of memory that can do that for each of our 60 or so mixes ).

2) In our particular case, we have NO nuts in ANY of our mixes anymore for precisely that reason ... allergies (despite the fact that one or two blends still have a name that suggests otherwise -- Blankety-Blank Almond, for example, although there are no almonds in there). But yes, there would be a sign. The sign on this particular container also lists dairy and other possible allergens, where applicable.

3) Well, again, in our case we are supposed to talk to the customer while handing them the sample. My talk always says "This contains [Major ingredient] and [Major ingredient], plus we have added a little sugar. There is some/lots of/no caffeine in this." If somebody has concerns about something else that might be in the mix, they are more than welcome to ask, and we will walk them back to the counter and show them the tin, which has a full list of ingredients printed on it.

4) Agreed, but again -- just ask. In our case, we can show you the full list of ingredients. Any place that can't or won't is probably not a good place to be buying from.

[Cia]

Sucralose and stevia have a noticeable odd taste that I can handle in small quantities. Aspertame on the other hand is disgusting and makes me ill.

Cilantro tastes like fish which is disconcerting when eating beef/chicken tacos and burritos.

[Pixelated]

Aspartame is just vile.

Not sure about sucralose; I'm not sure I've ever tasted it.