Dessert at Christmas ‘ puds you over limit’
BOOZE- LADEN store Christmas puddings can tip diners over the drink- drive limit as some are one- third alcohol.
They can contain rum, cognac, sherry and cider – before the brandy is poured on top. One food expert wants drivers and children to give the heady puddings a miss.
Some shops’ festive puds have more than 20g of spirits per 100g and the strongest is by Harrods. Its 12- Months Matured Decadent Christmas Pudding is 30 per cent alcohol, with 100g containing one unit of booze – equivalent to a glass of wine or half a pint of beer.
Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference 18- Month Matured Christmas Pudding is 20 per cent alcohol, or two- thirds of a glass of wine in every 100g.
Marks & Spencer’s Collection 12- Month Matured Christmas Pudding has the same ratio of booze including brandy, cognac, rum,
cider and stout. Aldi’s Specially Selected
30- Month Matured pudding tips the scales at 19.5 per cent with port, rum, armagnac, brandy and cider. And Waitrose’s Duchy Richly Fruited pud is 17 per cent booze with cognac and cider.
Other festive desserts from Asda and Tesco contain 12 per cent and 11 per cent alcohol.
Food and drink writer Martin Isark said festive puddings with “copious” alcohol should carry a warning: “Harrods Decadent Christmas Pudding says it contains alcohol, but has no age restrictions. A dessert that contains 30 per cent alcohol should say ‘ Not suitable for children’.
“Fine for drinkers, but for children and drivers it is dangerous. Most consumers don’t check the percentage of booze on the ingredient label and would be shocked to discover the copious amounts of alcohol they contain.”