Well things are changing. It was noticed late last week that the cocktail sausages had an "allergy update" note on the front and the cross grain removed.
I'm sharing these photos from a fb group I'm in. The cocktail sausages from @marksandspencer are no longer suitable for coeliacs! #coeliac #celiac #glutenfree pic.twitter.com/zrONnVWWo9
— Adele (@glutenfreeadele) February 6, 2018
The pictures of the packets have been circulating on Facebook and Twitter since late last week. The back of the cocktail sausages now state "Not suitable for wheat allergy sufferers or Coeliacs" however the ingredients don't appear to have changed.
The need to change packaging implies the factory may have changed either how they do things or a complete new manufacturer.
Marks and Spencers replied to @glutenfreeadele on Twitter stating that they were dropping the cross grain from "all packs", we tried to clarify whether it was all products or just cocktail sausages and got the reply that it was just sausages, which has still left us unsure as to whether it's all sausages or just cocktail sausages...
EDIT: Since first publishing an hour or so ago, Marks have confirmed on Twitter at the moment it is only the cocktail sausages.
Hi Adele, we have removed the wheatsheaf logo from the front of all packs and have put an alibi label warning on the back of pack, as these products are made in a gluten containing factory.
— M&S (@marksandspencer) February 6, 2018
It's just the sausages at the moment.
— M&S (@marksandspencer) February 6, 2018
So a word of warning, make sure you check all products thoroughly that you know used to carry the carried the cross grain, and aren't in the made without range, to ensure they are still suitable in case they too now carry the same warning. We've heard mention that some of the other sausages have lost their cross grain so we're not 100% if the removal applies to all sausages or just cocktail. This could explain why made without sausages were introduced late last year, a factory change could have been on the cards for a while.
Whether they are going to drop the cross grain from all products is yet to be seen but, without reading too much into it, stating "at the moment" in the reply tweet could imply it's going from all products eventually. I guess we shall have to wait and see on that one.
Again make sure you are still safe by checking ingredients and warnings. Marks and Spencer have always been good with labelling and it doesn't look like that is going to change. Eating a product with a clear warning about procedures is like eating a may contain, it will always been a Russian roulette as to whether you could become ill from a batch.
Makes sure to check for the "not suitable for Coeliacs" warning on any products,Marks and Spencer have always been good at labelling products with this. If it is a product outside of the made without range with no warning and safe ingredients it is more than likely safe to assume the product is safe, especially when it comes to Marks.