How we decide / Corrections
What Pantrimo didn’t know.
Each entry is an ingredient where a separate review of draft versions of our ingredient rules found our draft showing “No known conflict” where a real label said otherwise. In every one, the rules now give “Can't verify” or “Contains”, and the recipe page names the ingredient. This edition writes up 6 of them. The review rounds that found them are listed below, and the rest are added as they are written up in plain language. Last fix listed: 2026-09-17.
Hot fudge sauce: Soy
- The draft showed:
- No known conflict
- What is true:
- The draft cleared soy from one brand's label (Hershey's). Smucker's Hot Fudge Spoonable Topping lists soybean oil. A product name alone cannot clear soy.
- Why we missed it:
- A real product’s label contradicted what we assumed.
- Now:
- Can't verify. Fixed in the draft rules on 2026-09-17.
Found in 2026-09-17. Sources: Smucker's Hot Fudge Spoonable Topping
BBQ sauce: Eggs
- The draft showed:
- No known conflict
- What is true:
- Tomato-based BBQ sauce is the common kind and has no egg. Alabama-style white BBQ sauce is sold as BBQ sauce too, and Big Bob Gibson’s Original White Sauce lists egg yolks and says it contains egg and soy. A recipe that just says “your favorite BBQ sauce” could mean either.
- Why we missed it:
- A real product’s label contradicted what we assumed.
- Now:
- Can't verify. Fixed in the draft rules on 2026-09-17.
Found in 2026-09-16. Sources: Big Bob Gibson Original White Sauce, Kroger
Mortadella: Tree nuts
- The draft showed:
- No known conflict
- What is true:
- The draft grouped mortadella with ham and prosciutto. Some mortadella is made with pistachios, and Boar’s Head sells one that is.
- Why we missed it:
- A real product’s label contradicted what we assumed.
- Now:
- Can't verify. Fixed in the draft rules on 2026-09-16.
Found in 2026-09-16. Sources: Mortadella with Pistachio Nuts, Boar’s Head
Soft caramels: Soy
- The draft showed:
- No known conflict
- What is true:
- Kraft Caramels and Werther’s Original Soft Caramels both list soy lecithin. Soy lecithin is a labeled ingredient, not a refined oil.
- Why we missed it:
- A real product’s label contradicted what we assumed.
- Now:
- Can't verify. Fixed in the draft rules on 2026-09-16.
Found in 2026-09-16. Sources: Kraft Caramels, Giant Food ; Werther’s Original Soft Caramels
Frozen whipped topping: Soy
- The draft showed:
- No known conflict
- What is true:
- Cool Whip Original is soy-free, but the category is not: Wegmans Whipped Topping lists soy lecithin. A name that covers both cannot clear soy.
- Why we missed it:
- A real product’s label contradicted what we assumed.
- Now:
- Can't verify. Fixed in the draft rules on 2026-09-16.
Found in 2026-09-16. Sources: Cool Whip Original, Giant Food ; Wegmans Whipped Topping, Postmates
Pepperoni: Peanuts, Tree nuts, Sesame
- The draft showed:
- No known conflict
- What is true:
- Hormel Pepperoni lists oleoresin of paprika, a paprika extract. The reviewer read that as a reason to check the label, in line with our call on paprika-type spices (see the judgment calls), which the draft had not applied to pepperoni.
- Why we missed it:
- We already had a standing call for this and had not applied it here.
- Now:
- Can't verify. Fixed in the draft rules on 2026-09-16.
Found in 2026-09-16. Sources: Hormel Pepperoni ingredients
Review rounds
Every round was done by a reviewer who did not write the rules being reviewed.
- 2026-09-16. Round 1: a random and an adversarial sample, then every compound entry that cleared an allergen. Findings from this round are not written up here yet.
- 2026-09-16. Round 2: a fresh sample, round 1's fixes re-run, and a sweep of soy and spice-carrier clears. 5 written up above.
- 2026-09-17. Round 3: the plain-cheese and cultured-dairy reset, entry by entry, plus dairy-adjacent entries. 1 written up above.
- 2026-09-23. Expansion batch, round 1: every newly cleared answer read, not a sample. Findings from this round are not written up here yet.
- 2026-09-23. Expansion batch, round 2: every newly cleared answer read again after round 1's fixes. Findings from this round are not written up here yet.
- 2026-09-23. Expansion batch, round 3: every newly cleared answer read again, under a stricter bar that also counts precautionary labels. Findings from this round are not written up here yet.