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Dear Alfred and the list,

Despite considerable help from our local ASDA supermarket,
the Head Office "customer service" have only written asking
us to be patient (!!).  How long this is to be, I have no
idea as they have simply ignored all subsequent calls by
our local manger, who is getting as frustrated as we are.

We are trying to walk the tightrope between destroying what
is obviously an enormous gain - the marking of ADSA's own
brand foods as GF, as against the need to be able then to
trust that marking.

As a systems expert, I am aware that this is really a QA
issue, requiring that the system is audited properly.  The
food industry appears extremely keen to try to avoid this
step (which it has to do for a number of other reasons -
checking the GF status requires only minor re-jigging).

This is probably due to the product liability questions
which in the end, the industry will have to face up to
anyway.  Mostly I think the problem is "we've never done it
that way before" (I've worked in the food industry).

I do have several "heavy guns" I can fire at need but will
continue to seek a less confrontational route until all
other avenues are exhausted.

I will of course let the list know when (if) I get a result
of any kind.

Incidentally, the Saturday before last, we went to my
niece's wedding.  The reception was a swish one (with a
swish price tag) put on for my sister and B-in-law by De
Vere hotels at their place in Norfolk UK (Dunstan Hall).

Despite telephone calls by my sister, my niece and Karin,
plus Karin discussing this directly with the head waiter
(who was "horrified" that she did not trust them), she was
given a sweet that contained wheat flour and is reaching
the end of her depressive phase about now.

She was given the full panolpy of "It was only a very
little" and "Can't you take something for it" and I was
promised that they'd get back to me last week to tell me
what they'd done to improve their procedures - no reply or
contact of any kind of course.

Pressure HAS to be kept on these companies and we will
continue to apply it.  But a bit of common sense IS needed
or we'll kill the goose that could lay golden eggs!

Regards

David

David J Walland
University of Bristol Radiation Protection Adviser
[log in to unmask]
Tel +44 (0)117 928 8323
Fax +44 (0)117 929 1209

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