You buy a bag of chocolates in New York and they are safe. You buy the "same" bag in London, and your throat itches. The package looks the same. The logo is the same. The calories are the same. But the factory code—and the safety profile—is completely different.
Big brands like Nestlé, Kraft, and PepsiCo have hundreds of factories worldwide. A factory in the US might be peanut-free. The factory in Mexico producing the same item for the Latin market might also process trail mix. The specific ingredient list tells the difference, but the front of the package ("Classic Chips!") usually does not.
The Mini vs. Mega Difference
We mentioned this before, but it bears repeating: Package sizes matter. Halloween-sized treats are often outsourced to contract manufacturers to meet a seasonal surge in demand. These contract facilities often handle multiple allergens that the main brand factory does not.
The Formula Drift
Sometimes, a product has different ingredients based on local tastes. Fanta is yellow in Europe (natural orange juice) and neon orange in the US (Red 40/Yellow 6). In Canada, McDonald's fries are beef-free. in the US, they contain "Natural Beef Flavor" (which contains wheat/dairy derivatives).
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