The peanut detectives

One factory, two very separate zones: Kinnerton's production plant

By Peter Jackson BBC News

A man accused of sabotaging a food factory by scattering it with peanuts has walked free after charges against him were dropped. But the case highlights the threat this humble ingredient poses for those in the industry.

Pick up a random product from a supermarket shelf and there is a reasonable chance it will display the warning "May contain nuts".

Some consumer groups say the label is over-used and unnecessary, undermining more valid warnings and designed to cover the backs of the manufacturers.

But food producers disagree, arguing it is irresponsible not to warn people who may have extreme reactions.

Peanut or tree nut allergies have almost tripled over the past decade, with one in 50 children in the UK now afflicted, according to The Anaphylaxis Campaign. In 2007, five people died from anaphylactic shock caused by an adverse reaction to food, the latest official figures for England and Wales show.

Charges against Paul Bentley were dropped, leaving him to walk free

Nowhere is the humble peanut more feared than in the food industry, as highlighted in the case of engineer Paul Bentley.

Mr Bentley, 42, of Nottingham, had been accused of scattering peanuts around a food factory where he was an employee, after being disciplined. The factory had to be closed and cleaned at a cost of