A Well-Stocked Pantry

and ingredients: food and food labeling

I was looking at a package of walnuts recently.

The back read:

Walnuts:

Ingredients: walnuts

Contains: walnuts

Which I thought was a little superfluous, especially given that, empirically with my two eyes, I can guess what’s in the package. My thoughts on this overkill packaging were heightened further when I realized while looking at a wine bottle that I’ve never come across a single bottle of wine with a back label that read:

Wine:

Ingredients: grapes and time

Contains: grapes

So why did they have to put so much work into the signage on the walnuts? Is it because nuts are a widespread allergen? My dog would be very offended that the same care was not given to her allergies by warning of grapes on the back of the wine bottle.

And so, my deep dive into the history of American food labelling began.