People are only just realising what tiny cross means on Tesco packaging

customers have been scratching their heads over a mysterious cross symbol that occasionally appears on food packaging, prompting a flurry of humorous as well as helpful responses on Reddit.

A baffled shopper shared a photo of the symbol on a packet of pork cocktail sausages, sparking a thread with over 650 comments. Some users offered tongue-in-cheek explanations, such as: "For comedy purposes, I'm going to assume it contains only pigs raised as Christians."

Another quipped: "It certifies that the pigs are dead. Added following customer complaints that their sausages were squealing when eaten." A third joked: "It's a cross. Pray before you risk eating them."

However, some more sensible explanations emerged, revealing that the cross or 'dagger' symbol serves as a footnote, similar to an asterisk. One user explained: "It's a footnote. Look on the packaging (including reverse of pack and label) for the matching symbol which will include additional information about the item being footnotes, here the number 30. Perhaps it is an average number since the pack is based on weight and there may be enough variance to have one more or less?"

Others agreed, suggesting that the symbol likely references a citation on the back of the packaging, indicating an approximate quantity of 30 sausages, with the possibility of more or fewer items in the pack. As it happens, the theory was spot on.

In this case, the cross symbol signifies that the product is packed based on weight rather than quantity. Consequently, some customers might find fewer than 30 cocktail sausages in their pack, while others may strike lucky and get more.

isn't the sole supermarket utilising symbols like this, so keep your eyes peeled for the cross on your product packaging next time. It could provide you with additional information you might need to know.

It comes as a coalition of Britain's top retailers, including the likes of Tesco, , and , have following the national insurance rises outlined in October's .

Over 70 businesses put their names to an open letter addressed to Chancellor , expressing their unease about the impending cost surges, with a warning that price rises are a "certainty". The letter emerged after Ms Reeves announced a £25.7bn adjustment to employers' national insurance contributions in the previous month's Budget, which not only increases the tax rate but also the threshold for payment.

The business community is now voicing concerns that the combined impact of the budget measures, including national insurance hikes, packaging levies, and minimum wage increases, could saddle the industry with over £7bn in additional costs annually.